Hey, I'm back with a new chapter.

AnimeFan13579, yeap, Cassandra's visions are a thing I'll be using for a while. It'll be interesting how it pans out considering Cassandra will have a closer position to Bell and she'll see more visions related to Bell. As for the Rakia arc, not sure what you mean by temporary contract, but we'll see. It'll probably be sooner as the Ishtar arc might be ending sooner with how I have things planned.

NinjaFang1331, Thanks my friend.

EVA-Saiyajin, I suppose the means of fighting I have here for EMIYA is mostly based on fanon. But I don't actually see a problem with it, as my understanding of EMIYA's fighting style is basically from FGO and the Extra series as well as Chloe using EMIYA's class card.

codywhite162, glad you liked the chapter. Also hope you enjoy the Ishtar arc.

Axcel Allen, now Achilles is someone who will definitely show up. Hint hint. As for how you mentioned Rider, if you have not realized by the time you read this chapter, I had Bell inherit Ushiwakamaru. So basically I don't plan to have Bell being restrained by the seven classes. He is literally the heir to every Heroic Spirit that can be considered a hero in any form or manner.

As for what Bell did in chapter 11, well, it's a joke on how every waitress at the Hostess is close to Bell, and he brought Welf to that place where he gets along with all of the waitresses. So obviously Welf will not take that well, and Lili has been in the same position, just affected in a different way.

sadkali727, I hope the next few chapters will live up to that peak.

Anyway, here's the newest chapter.

XXX

At night, a single goddess watched over the red light district of Orario, or more commonly known as the Entertainment District.

Ishtar let out a deep breath, blowing out a stream of smoke as she held a smoking pipe, "The Hestia Familia…"

She stared over her 'kingdom', years of hard work had led her to rule the Entertainment District of Orario. Everything that went around in those streets, every brothel, every pub or bar, belonged to her.

And it also happened that many adventurers, especially men, tended to frequent this very district to relieve themselves of stress and the horrors of the dungeon.

Naturally, information was not something she was lacking in. In fact, it was something she had in spades.

The goddess took another deep puff from her pipe, "The Heir to the Throne of Heroes…"

Her lips curved upwards. Some, if not many of the less intelligent gods often reported to her, and with the recent War Game, news that Freya had greatly supported the Hestia Familia also reached her ears.

And that goddess had pretty much announced that she would back the Hestia Familia, or more specifically, Bell Cranel.

Ishtar spoke, "Tammuz."

The man almost immediately appeared by her side, "Yes?"

The goddess of beauty asked, "Tell me, do you think we have a chance to grab Bell Cranel?"

Tammuz raised an eyebrow, but answered nonetheless, "With Haruhime's Level Boost on Phryne, I believe we can. Why do you ask?"

Ishtar smiled darkly, "I think I found a way to strengthen our Familia and get back at Freya at the same time."

The man hummed, but kept to himself.

The goddess glanced at him, "Gather Phryne and the Berbera, tell them to capture Bell Cranel, alive."

Tammuz nodded, "Understood."

With that said, the man disappeared, and Ishtar smirked to herself as she watched the district, "Now, I wonder what sort of face you'll make when your precious rabbit bares his fangs at you, Freya."

The goddess could already see it, the anger and despair in Freya's eyes when Bell dealt the final blow.

(Linebreak)

The next morning, Bell and his Familia were having breakfast.

Daphne and Cassandra were once again surprised by the white haired rabbit, for he had been tasked to make breakfast.

The red haired girl robotically looked at their Familia captain, "B-Bell…"

The boy smiled, "Seconds?"

Daphne nodded, her face as red as her hair, "Yes please."

She had never had Eastern style (or as Bell preferred to call it, Japanese style) breakfast before, and Mikoto had insisted they have rice, fish and miso soup for breakfast.

The redhead could never have imagined how delicious, how divine simple rice and soup could be.

Cassandra was of the same opinion, but she was less expressive compared to her friend.

Welf and Lili were doing their best not to laugh as they watched the two devour the food, not that they weren't doing the same.

Hestia grinned as she inhaled the rice, "My Bell is simply the best!"

Artemis shook her head in exasperation as she drank her soup, "Be careful, you'll get fat if you eat anymore."

The goddess of the hearth scoffed, "Puh-leassseee, I'm a goddess! I can control how my figure looks!"

Mikoto sighed, "Must be nice…"

Lili nodded in agreement, "I know right?"

Daphne too nodded in agreement, "The one thing I hate about gods and goddesses."

Cassandra nodded silently, much to the amusement of the two goddesses present.

Welf just chuckled as Bell returned with more food, "Speaking of which, what are we doing today, Bell?"

The Familia captain placed the food on the table, which the others wasted no time devouring, and he looked at his friend, "I'm meeting Ryuu-san and Lefiya-san for training later."

Lili blinked, "Both of them together?"

Bell nodded, "Yeah, Lefiya-san has been wanting to meet Ryuu-san for a while now, I think. So I rescheduled today's training session with Ryuu-san to be in the afternoon."

Hestia hummed, "The dwarf didn't object?"

The boy smiled sheepishly, "Oh she did, Ma- I mean Mia-san wasn't happy. So we'll have to make up for it."

Artemis chuckled, "As long as you clear it up with her."

Bell nodded, "Definitely. And speaking of which, you two are going to meet Freya-sama for tea later, right?"

Hestia nodded, "Yep, Hephaestus and Loki are coming too."

Welf raised an eyebrow, "Loki I sort of get, but I never would've thought you'd be close to Freya-sama of all people."

The goddess of the hearth snorted, "Me neither. But well, considering she helped us during the War Game, I think this is one friendship we want to keep."

Lili nodded, "Agreed."

Daphne and Cassandra simply kept silent, content with simply devouring the food in front of them.

Bell looked at Welf, "What about you, Welf?"

The blacksmith shrugged, "Dunno, maybe just tinker around and make more magic swords? We'll need more now that we're actually using them."

Daphne looked at him, "And speaking of that, I have to admit, those magic swords will definitely be a huge boon to our combat strength."

Welf nodded neutrally, "I know, but before you say anything, we're not selling them."

His fellow redhead nodded, "Wasn't going to."

Lili spoke up, "I'll be going through our finances later, so I'll be in Hestia-sama's office for a while. What about you, Mikoto-sama?"

Mikoto smiled, "I'm meeting Chigusa later for a shopping trip."

Bell smiled, "I guess we all have plans huh?"

Cassandra spoke softly, "Not all of us…"

Daphne chuckled in exasperation, "We still have to rearrange our rooms. You said you wanted new decorations now that we're in a new Familia."

The long haired girl nodded, "Right."

Lili grinned mischievously, "You're going to buy more rabbits, aren't you?"

Cassandra's face flushed, "N-no!"

Daphne grinned in an equally mischievous manner, "Totally."

Everyone just laughed as they continued to enjoy breakfast.

(Linebreak)

Later, Bell was at the gates of the Hearth Mansion, "Hey, Lefiya-san."

The elf smiled, "Good morning, Bell."

Lefiya looked at the mansion behind him, "I know this was the Apollo Familia home before, but it's really big."

Bell laughed softly, "Probably not as big as yours. And besides, it's only the eight of us living here."

The elf blinked, "Eight?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah, we got two new members a few days ago."

Lefiya hummed, "I see. That's good to hear, I guess."

Bell smiled, "Thank you."

He then spotted Ryuu from a distance, "Alright, there's Ryuu-san."

Lefiya turned to see the older elf, and she took a deep breath, "N-nice to meet you, Ryuu-san."

Ryuu smiled, "We've met before at the Hostess, Lefiya Virdis."

The younger elf's face turned red, "R-right."

The older elf hummed, "But I suppose this will be the first time we're training together."

Lefiya nodded, "Y-yes."

Ryuu looked at the mansion, before at Bell, "This… is really an upgrade from your previous… shall we say, home."

The boy smiled, "Yeah, well, I guess."

The elf smiled, "I'm looking forward to seeing this training room of yours."

Bell laughed softly, "Then we shouldn't keep you waiting any longer then."

He turned towards the mansion, "Oh, and once we're done with training, we have a hot-spring style bath, so you two can wash up there later."

Ryuu nodded, "I'll take you up on that offer."

Lefiya blinked, before she too quickly nodded, "M-me too! But no peeping!"

Bell's face turned slightly red, "O-of course not!"

The younger elf narrowed her eyes, "That's not what I heard from the Hermes Familia."

The boy's face blanked, "Hermes Familia?"

Ryuu chuckled, "Relax, Lefiya-san. That was something Hermes-sama did, Bell had nothing to do with it. In fact I believe he wasn't happy they were trying to peep."

Lefiya looked skeptical, "Really now? I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

Bell palmed his face, "Why me…"

Ryuu just looked amused as they entered the mansion.

Soon, the three reached the back of the compound, where two smaller buildings could be seen.

Bell pointed at the smaller one of the two, "That's Welf's forge, and just to let you know, he should be inside working on some magic swords."

Ryuu nodded, while Lefiya looked uncomfortable, "I see."

The boy nodded, before gesturing at the slightly larger building, "And that's our training area."

The three entered the training room, or building, and the two elves were met with the sight of a large space with multiple training dummies.

Lefiya studied the training dummies, "These are really well made."

Bell smiled, "Yeah, we had the Hephaestus Familia and the Goibniu Familia make them. We should be getting some autonomous ones some time next week."

Ryuu raised an eyebrow, "Autonomous one? So dummies that can move?"

The boy nodded, "Yeap, but for now these ones can be used for just about anything."

The younger elf hummed, "I see…"

Bell smiled, "We can try them out later, for now…"

Ryuu chuckled, "Eager to begin, I see."

The boy nodded, "Of course!"

The older elf smiled, "Alright then, since Bell has shown to be able to take down the Apollo Familia on his own, how about we work together for now, Lefiya-san?"

Lefiya blinked, "Oh, sure!"

Bell gaped, "W-wait, that's not fair!"

Ryuu smirked, "Says the one who can create traps instantly."

Lefiya nodded quickly in agreement.

The boy sighed, "Alright, let's do it then."

He went to stand at the other end of the training room, while Ryuu and Lefiya stood opposite of him.

Lefiya looked at Ryuu, "Ryuu-san, I know we said we'll team up, but-"

The older elf smiled as she drew Alvs Lumina, "It's fine, I've heard a lot about you, Thousand Elf. I'll take him in close ranged combat."

The younger elf caught on, "And I'll provide long ranged support."

Ryuu nodded, "Exactly."

"Are you two done talking?"

The two elves noticed Bell's smile, and the green haired elf snorted, "Arrogance really does not suit you, Bell."

The white rabbit simply drew his knives, "Hey, I have to be confident when I'm up against the two of you."

Lefiya smiled, "Perhaps."

Bell just grinned, before he spoke up, "Oh, and the walls have been enhanced with magic to be able to withstand a lot of attacks, so feel free to go all out."

Ryuu snorted, "Then we'll take you up on that."

Without another word, the green haired elf dashed forward, and Lefiya blinked when the pair clashed blades.

The younger elf quickly started chanting, "Unleash a streak of light, o' bow of the holy tree. Thou art an expert of the bow…"

Bell narrowed his eyes as he heard the chant, but Ryuu was adamant not to let him interrupt the younger elf.

"Shoot, o' sniper of the fairies. Strike, o' arrow that never misses!"

The boy clicked his teeth as he backed away from Ryuu in preparation.

"Arcs Ray!"

Lefiya unleashed a beam of energy from her staff, shooting straight for Bell.

The white haired boy dashed to a side, but to his annoyance, the beam curved and chased after him.

Bell chanted, "Load: Ushiwakamaru!"

Sheathing both Mino-Tan and the Hestia Knife, Usumidori appeared in his hand as he continued dodging the blast.

"Tis the sky of a now distant forest. Infinite stars scattered in the sky of the endless night."

Bell slashed the beam of light with his sword, causing it to explode in his face, but the boy was more focused on the chanting elf.

He dashed forward, only to meet Ryuu's sword, much to Lefiya's surprise, "Concurrent chanting!"

"Respond to my foolish plea, grant me the divine protection of star and fire."

Bell grunted as he tried to interrupt her chant, but the older woman easily matched his speed and slashes while chanting.

"Grant the mercy of light to those that abandoned thee. Come, wandering wind, o' wandering traveler, thee who traverses the sky and wilderness."

The boy narrowed his eyes and kicked the woman away, but it did nothing to stop her chant.

"Imbue the light of stardust and strike down the enemy!"

No, Bell needed to do something else, and so he did.

"Set: Dan no Ura… Hasso Tobi!"

"Luminous Wind!"

Countless orbs of wind formed around Ryuu and shot out at Bell, but the boy was ready.

As the orbs of wind homed in on him, Bell moved, and to the surprise of the two elves, jumped on the wind orbs.

The boy easily weaved his way through the barrage of wind orbs, and before Ryuu knew it, he was already before her.

The elf cursed herself for letting down her guard, and she quickly tried to parry Bell's slash.

Fortunately, she didn't need to.

"Become a shield, o' holy staff of crushing evil! Dio Grail!"

A white magic barrier appeared between Ryuu and Bell, blocking the slash.

The two were surprised by the sudden appearance of the barrier, but it disappeared as soon as it appeared.

Ryuu took the advantage and pushed forward, swinging her sword at the boy.

Bell parried it, only to have to back away to avoid a slash when the elf drew her shorter sword.

The boy regained his footing, "Dual wielding now?"

Ryuu smiled softly, "Well when you're training with someone who uses two knives on a daily basis, you tend to pick up some things."

Bell snorted, "Really now? I feel like you're just mocking me."

The boy drew Mino-Tan in his left arm and dashed forward, locking blades with the older woman once more.

Ryuu smirked, "No, just stalling for time."

"Elf Ring!"

"Wipe them out, o' holy staff of crushing evil! Dio Thyros!"

A torrent of white lightning shot out from Lefiya's staff, and Ryuu backed away as it closed in on them.

Bell grunted, "Set: Shana-Ō Ryūritan San Kei: Benkei: Fudō Ricchi!"

Magical energy swirled around the boy as he became an imitation of Musashibou Benkei's figure, and the blast struck.

Both elves were surprised when Bell took the attack head on, and even more so when they saw that he was only slightly bruised from the attack.

The boy let out a deep breath once the blast ended, and Lefiya exclaimed, "W-why did you not dodge?!"

Ryuu and Bell blinked when the younger elf exploded, and Lefiya stormed over to him, "Are you an idiot?! That was a full powered blast! What if you died?!"

The boy was slightly taken aback, "C-calm down, Lefiya-san."

That only served to anger her more, and Ryuu watched with mild amusement as Lefiya ranted, "CALM DOWN?! HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN YOU JUST DECIDE TO TAKE A MAGICAL BLAST HEAD ON?! AND YOU JUMPED ON WIND MAGIC! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Bell smiled awkwardly, "I had my Noble Phantasm, it increases my physical endurance by a large margin. It didn't hurt much, I promise. And Ushiwakamaru's Dan no Ura Hasso Tobi lets me jump on just about anything."

The younger elf frowned, "Nope! It may be training, but do not do that again! Or I'll tell Riveria-sama!"

The boy blanched, "P-please no… I can only take so much of her lectures."

Ryuu chuckled, "I see Riveria-sama has struck fear in you, Bell."

Bell snapped his head at her, "You have not gone through her lectures, you would not know."

The older elf simply folded her arms with an amused smile, "Alright, since Lefiya-san is so worried, let's take a break, shall we?"

Lefiya nodded, and the white rabbit couldn't help but sign in resignation.

Soon, the three sat on a bench at the side of the training room, the boy having brought a jug of honey lemon and cakes from the kitchen.

Lefiya squealed with bliss as she bit into the cakes, before she looked at the boy, "Did you make these, Bell?"

Bell smiled, "Yes, I made them last night."

Ryuu chuckled as she enjoyed her slice of cake, "Never thought we'd be eating cake after a small training session. But I see you have improved, Syr would do well to learn from you."

The boy laughed softly, "Yeah, I don't think that'll end well."

The older elf laughed softly, "Probably not."

Lefiya raised an eyebrow, "Is Syr-san that bad?"

Bell and Ryuu shared a look, and the boy spoke, "If we ever get something Syr made, we'll save it for you."

Ryuu smiled with amusement, "Syr will probably be heartbroken if she heard you, Bell."

The boy just smiled, not saying another word on that matter, "Speaking of which, would you two like to stay for dinner? I'm gonna try replicating Mama Mia's special spaghetti."

Lefiya immediately agreed, "Yes please!"

Ryuu, on the other hand, was more intrigued, "Oh, now this should be interesting."

Bell laughed, "So is that a yes?"

The green haired elf smiled, "Sure, I have the entire day off anyway."

The boy grinned, "Great! Now let's get back to training, that's enough cake and honey for me today."

Ryuu nodded, "Agreed."

Lefiya, on the other hand, looked devastated, "W-what?"

Bell chuckled, "You can take some home if you beat me one on one."

The younger elf suddenly gained a fire, "You're on!"

(Linebreak)

Meanwhile, Hestia, Artemis, Loki, Hephaestus and Freya were at a dessert cafe.

Freya smiled, "Now to be honest, I never expected we'd gather such a large party."

Artemis snorted, "Well, you invited Hestia and myself, then I hear you invited Hephaestus."

The goddess of archery glanced at Loki, "Not sure how that one came along."

Loki looked offended, "Hey! Hephy offered to bring me!"

Hestia looked at Hephaestus, "Did she now?"

The goddess of the forge sighed, "Sort of…"

Freya laughed melodiously, "But it's not a bad thing, in fact, I like it!"

Hestia snorted, "Never thought there'd be a day I'd be having a tea party with all of us here."

Loki grinned, "Never thought I'd come to a tea party with you willingly."

Hephaestus scoffed, "Please, you'd go wherever Hestia goes as long as you get a chance to see her embarrass herself."

The goddess of mischief gestured to her, "Point."

Freya giggled, "But well, Hestia has come a long way, hasn't she?"

Artemis nodded, "I suppose so."

Hestia puffed her cheeks, "Hey! I wasn't that bad!"

Hephaestus sighed, "You were staying with me for a good few months since you descended to Gekai, unemployed."

Loki cackled, "Right, you did that, didn't you?"

The goddess of archery refused to look at her friend, and Hestia deflated, "Everyone's a critic…"

Freya laughed softly, "Now now, that's enough teasing her. To be fair, I think Hestia has done a great job with her Familia so far."

Artemis smiled, "More like Bell has."

Loki laughed, "Damn right he has!"

Hestia smiled, "I won't deny that. It's honestly thanks to Bell-kun that we are where we are, even Artemis."

The goddess of the moon nodded, "That it is."

Freya smiled, "Well, I honestly think at the rate things are going, Loki and I may have another competitor for Orario's strongest Familia."

Loki raised an amused eyebrow, "Oh, you seem to have high expectations, Freya."

The goddess of love chuckled, "And how can I not? My dear Bell has been nothing but amazing ever since he came to Orario!"

Hestia narrowed her eyes, "Your Bell?"

Freya laughed, "Our Bell, okay? But the point is, Bell has been performing outstandingly since he arrived, Ottar even thinks he'll come to match him soon."

Loki raised an eyebrow, "Really now? I mean it is definitely a given, considering who he is."

Hephaestus hummed, "Bell's abilities aside, you seem pretty invested in him, Freya. Are you planning to take him?"

The goddess of love shook her head with a smile, "No, hardly. I swore by the Styx to Hestia I wouldn't charm him with my divine authority. If Bell does come to me, it will be genuine."

That surprised everyone, and Artemis spoke, "You're serious…"

Freya nodded, before she spoke up, "Now, while I'd love to talk about Bell more, there's something I want to tell all of you, specifically Hestia."

That caught their attention, and Loki smirked, "I knew this wouldn't be a simple tea party."

The goddess of love snorted, "Quite, but anyway, Hestia, I received news someone else might be targeting Bell again."

Hestia scowled, "Who is it?"

Freya chuckled, "Ishtar."

That surprised everyone, and Hephaestus asked, "Why would Ishtar target Bell of all people? Aside from him being the Heir to the Throne of Heroes."

The goddess of love sighed, "Unfortunately, that'll probably be because of me."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, "You?"

Loki immediately understood, "Ahh, now I see."

Freya nodded, "As Loki probably guessed, it's because I supported him openly in front of so many gods. Ishtar has nothing but contempt for me, and has been determined to overthrow me for a long time."

Hestia scowled, "So that slut is targeting Bell to get back at you."

The goddess of love nodded, "That would be my guess, yes."

Artemis furrowed her brows, "But where did you get that information from?"

Freya smiled, "To put things simply, as a goddess of beauty, Ishtar holds a number of gods and men by their… shall we say, swords."

Loki cackled, "That's one way of putting it!"

The silver haired goddess nodded, "So as Hestia puts it, she's a slut, and she makes full use of it. Men are putty in front of her charms."

The goddess of mischief smirked, "But that doesn't explain how you got the info."

Freya chuckled, "I am less … shall we say, generous when it comes to sharing a bed with other men. In fact, I haven't shared a bed with anyone since I saw Bell."

She noticed the dark looks on both virgin goddesses, and she smiled, "But I digress. Many gods and men seek my attention, and they willingly provide me with the information for a chance to warm my bed, whereas Ishtar actively seeks them out."

Hephaestus folded her arms with a sigh to hide her reddening face, "I see, then what do you plan to do?"

Freya looked at her, "If you're asking me, nothing. Ishtar may or may not actually target him. If she doesn't, good. If she does, well, I'll leave that decision to Bell himself."

Hestia sighed, "Alright, I'll tell my kids to keep an eye out. But thanks for letting us know, Freya."

The goddess of love smiled, "You're welcome, Hestia."

Freya looked out of the window, straight at the direction where the Entertainment District was, "But let me know if you need any help, okay?"

Hestia nodded, "Definitely."

Loki sighed loudly, "Alright, I know my kids love your brat, so just let us know too. It pains me to say it, but my brats will probably come running if you need help."

Hephaestus blinked, "Wow…"

She looked at Hestia, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think your child is the only one who can get these two and their Familias to work together."

Hestia grinned, "My Bell is awesome like that!"

Freya laughed, "That he is, but I doubt my children will actually work with Loki's, even under my orders for them to help Bell… Aside from Ottar, of course."

Loki sighed, "And it's not like I myself want to help or anything, more my precious children than anything…"

The shorter red haired goddess palmed her face, "But I guess that is the point innit…"

All of them laughed, and Freya spoke again, "I believe that's enough serious talk for now, please, the desserts will go bad if we don't eat any longer."

Loki grinned, doing a 180, "Don't need to tell me twice."

Artemis sighed, "Seriously Loki."

Hephaestus bit into a cookie, "But on a side note, you really have good taste, Freya."

The silver haired goddess smiled, "Why thank you, this is one of the few dessert shops I frequent the most."

Hestia hummed, "Maybe I should get some to take away for my kids later."

Freya smiled at her, "I didn't order them this time, but the eclairs are very good."

The twin tailed goddess grinned, "Alright, I'll have to get some for them to try then!"

(Linebreak)

Meanwhile, Mikoto and Chigusa were browsing boutiques and armor shops, and they ended up at a cafe for a break.

Mikoto smiled as she sipped on her tea, "It's been a while since we went shopping."

Chigusa nodded, "Well, our shopping trips were usually for supplies and equipment. Now that you're with Bell-san's Familia…"

The swordswoman nodded, "I know, but it is what it is."

The archer asked, "Speaking of, how are you faring over there?"

Mikoto gained an excited expression, "It is good!"

Chigusa blinked, surprised by her response, "R-really?"

The swordswoman nodded frantically, "Hestia-sama is actually a very generous goddess! She got Welf-dono a forge of his own and Bell-dono a dojo!"

The other girl blinked, "Wait, what?"

Mikoto grinned, "And she gave me an ONSEN BATH!"

Chigusa's eyes widened, "She what?"

The swordswoman nodded excitedly, "YES!"

Chigusa pouted, "And how long ago was this onsen bath finished?"

Mikoto laughed, "Maybe when we first moved in?"

The archer gaped, "And you didn't tell us? You didn't tell me?"

The swordswoman looked away sheepishly, "W-well… It is a Hestia Familia home thing… So…"

Chigusa puffed her cheeks, "Fine, be that way…"

Mikoto giggled, "L-look, I'm sure Hestia-sama won't mind if I bring you over for the baths… I think."

The archer looked at her friend skeptically, "You sure?"

The swordswoman nodded, "I'm sure. Hestia-sama is a kind and generous goddess, and I dare say even more than Takemikazuchi-sama… Especially when it comes to Bell-dono."

Chigusa snorted, "That's for sure."

Mikoto nodded, "And we know Takemikazuchi-sama and Miach-sama are close friends of hers, so it should be fine."

The shorter girl sighed, "Alright, I'll hold you up to that."

Chigusa took a sip from her cup of tea, but before they could continue chatting, they spotted a familiar face.

Mikoto blinked, "Asuka-dono? I haven't seen you for a while."

Asuka didn't look thrilled, and she looked at Chigusa, before at Mikoto, "There's something I need to tell you, the both of you."

Both girls blinked, and Chigusa asked, "What is it?"

The supporter of the Takemikazuchi Familia furrowed her brows, "It's about Haruhime."

Their eyes widened, and Mikoto stood up, "What? Are you serious?!"

Asuka nodded, "I heard a rumor about a golden renard in the Entertainment District, and from the description of her features, I'm confident it's her!"

That caught both of them by surprise, and Chigusa asked, "Do you know where she is? Like specifically."

The supporter shook her head, "No, not specifically, but I heard she may be a prostitute near the Ishtar Familia's area."

Mikoto's eyes widened as she whispered in disbelief, "Haruhime-dono… a prostitute?"

Asuka nodded, "But it's mostly just rumors, I haven't gone to check if it really is her."

Chigusa considered her words, before she looked at Mikoto, "Mikoto, I'm going to the Entertainment District."

The swordswoman looked at her friend, and she nodded, "Then I'll go too."

The archer looked at her Familia member, "Asuka, thanks for telling us, Mikoto and I will confirm if it really is Haruhime."

Asuka nodded, "Thank you, I'll be heading back then."

With that said, the young woman left, leaving the two at the cafe.

Mikoto let out a breath, "Guess that changes our plans for the day."

Chigusa nodded, "Yes."

She looked at the bags with them, "But let's put our stuff away first, if she really is in the Entertainment District, then going during the night might give us a better chance."

Mikoto nodded, before she smiled, "Guess that also means we're skipping dinner, I was looking forward to Bell-dono's cooking today. I think he was going to make spaghetti tonight."

Chigusa snorted, "Must be nice."

The swordswoman laughed softly, "Alright, I'll ask Bell-dono if he can make us something for supper when we're done tonight."

The archer smiled softly, "For Haruhime as well?"

Mikoto nodded with a smile, "If it really is Haruhime-dono, then yes, for her as well."

Later that night, Mikoto and Chigusa were walking through the Entertainment District.

They had let Bell and the others know that they had something to deal with before leaving, both of them were surprised that Ryuu and Lefiya of all people had stayed for dinner though.

Now, the two girls walked along the red light district of Orario, and Mikoto couldn't help but feel out of place as they walked.

It reeked of alcohol and cheap perfume, and if Mikoto were to be honest, she felt like puking.

But the swordswoman convinced herself it was for her dear friend, and they pushed on forward.

Chigusa spoke as they walked, "Asuka said it was somewhere near the Ishtar Familia's area…"

Mikoto nodded, "The center then. The Belit Babili."

The Belit Babili was infamous for being the home of the Ishtar Familia and one of the most premium brothels of Orario.

But there was also another problem.

The Belit Babili wasn't just a single home like the Twilight Manor or the Hearth Mansion.

It was a collection of various buildings, mostly brothels, with the main building at the center of the Entertainment District.

The pair continued walking around, doing their best to avoid any drunk men and entrances to brothels.

Until they spotted a beautiful renard with golden hair and fur, dressed in traditional Eastern robes inside a building behind a set of fences.

Despite not having seen her for years, both Mikoto and Chigusa had no doubts that the lady before them was their friend.

Mikoto found herself rushing forward, right to outside the fence, "H-Haruhime-dono!"

The renard's eyes widened when she saw both Mikoto and Chigusa, but before she responded, Haruhime immediately remembered where she was.

The blonde took a breath and looked away, but before she responded, Mikoto continued, "It's me, Yamato Mikoto! Do you remember me? We used to sneak you out from the shrine and play in the fields!"

Chigusa also found herself outside the fence, "H-Haruhime! You're Haruhime, right? I'm Chigusa-"

Haruhime cut them off, "I'm afraid I do not know either of you, you must have mistaken me for someone else."

The blonde stood up and walked away further into the building, and Mikoto spoke louder, "Haruhime-dono!"

But before they could continue, a random adventurer dragged them back, and the swordswoman glared at him, "What are you doing?!"

The adventurer glared at her, "What are YOU doing?! You just ruined my chance! Do you know how hard it is to get a chance to see that golden renard?!"

Mikoto glowered, "What did you just say?!"

The adventurer growled, "What? You wanna fight?"

"Alright, that's enough!"

The three turned to see a beautiful Amazoness with long black hair that covered the right side of her face.

The adventurer immediately recognized her, "A-Antianeira!"

Aisha Belka stared at the man distastefully, "If you stop making a scene, I can arrange for one of our girls for you, but if you refuse, then we'll ban you altogether."

The adventure blanched, "Okay okay! No need to go that far! I was just annoyed, that's all!"

He backed away, and the Amazoness turned to the two Eastern girls, "As for you two, if you're not here to have fun, then stop getting in the way of people who actually want to."

Mikoto glared at her, but before she could start, Chigusa pulled her back, "Mikoto, no. Let's just go home."

The swordswoman looked at her friend, before at the building where Haruhime had gone in, and she took a deep breath, "Alright."

Mikoto looked at the Amazoness, "I apologize for the trouble we've caused."

With that said, both of them turned and left, leaving Aisha and the man.

The adventurer immediately tried to speak up, "A-about that-"

Aisha spared him a cold look, "Shut up, I know what I promised."

She shoved a ticket into his gut, the strength causing him to fall to his knees as he managed to grab the ticket, "Go to the main building, you'll get what you want."

The man nodded frantically and got to his feet, stumbling away.

Aisha sighed, "What a pain…"

She almost felt bad for the man, simply because the ticket that she'd given him? It was a special ticket to get him a night with Phryne.

But Aisha was more focused on the two girls she'd just met, one of whom she recognized thanks to the recent War Game, "Yamato Mikoto… The Hestia Familia, huh?"

The woman took a deep breath, before she ducked into the alleys and followed the pair.

Mikoto and Chigusa quickly reached the end of the Entertainment District, and the archer asked, "So, what do we do now?"

Mikoto frowned, "I don't know… That was definitely Haruhime-dono…"

Chigusa nodded, "I know… But she claimed to not know us…"

The swordswoman shook her head, "We'll have to think about it. I'll ask Bell-dono what he thinks later. Surely his tactician hero would have some idea."

The archer nodded, "Let me know if you have anything."

Mikoto nodded, "I will. Now let's go home, the others plan to go into the dungeon tomorrow."

Chigusa chuckled, "Okay, I'll see you around then."

With that said, the two parted ways, blissfully unaware of the Amazoness watching them from the shadows.

Aisha took a deep breath as she watched them leave, "I guess that settles it. Tomorrow, we hunt the rabbit."

XXX

Done. That's it for this chapter, which also marks the official beginning of the Ishtar arc.

With how things go, we might actually see all of the Heroic Spirits I have planned for this arc in the next chapter or two.

But we'll see.

For now, just as a recap, Bell has inherited the following Heroic Spirits:

Heracles (Still restricted)
EMIYA
Sakata Kintoki
Ushiwakamaru (with Taira no Kagekiyo)
David
Orion
Atalanta
Zhuge Liang

So until then, read and review please.