Molasses (DanMachi - FGO Reincarnation - Rum AU - TWO-SHOTS - Side A - Part 3)
The Goddess
There were a few things about Michael Chaser that were predictable.
His willingness to help his fellow Familia member is an easy one to point out. Another was his schedule. Be it to train the new lower Leveled members, or hone the abilities of those who are strong. However even in his down time, where he had no tasks, he tended to be predictable.
Such as watching the skyline early morning, preferably the sunrise. Almost everyday, he would go up to the highest floor of Belit Babili, below the roof, and watch the sky and the city, from the massive window.
That is where Ishtar was headed at the moment, as a certain...message weighed on her mind.
A message from Evilus requesting an audience with her.
She could already guess what it was about. An Alliance.
But did some collection of misfits and some Gods playing at being "Evil" really are that worthwhile? For many years they shouted and proclaimed at being "Evil", but they haven't done anything worthwhile beyond gathering members.
If nothing else, they would be more bodies to throw at Freya, if things turned toward an all-out open war, as they felt to be heading. Michael and his precautions had mitigated things somewhat, and Freya had been keeping her Familia held back, but Ishtar didn't know how long this unspoken truce will last.
She wanted to accept this alliance (and be in control of it, of course), but Michael... held a noble aspect to him. His strategy and tactics tended to be straightforward, or at least they did in his eyes. He never uses truly, overly underhanded tactics like outright poison, unless in a direct fight. His morality was odd in that sense. As if he hopped between being honorable and being pragmatic.
Ishtar scoffed at the thought. More like Michael played at being honorable for some self-inflicted reason. She was sure that mortal woman was at fault somehow.
"Yo, Ishtar~!" Called the cheerful voice of Hermes meeting her on her path. He was coming from the direction of where Michael should be. "You're looking as beautiful as always. Trying another rendezvous with Chaser, eeeh~?" He said playfully.
"Hermes," Ishtar greeted with a casual smile. "Here playing away from your princess again? Does she know you're here?" She said with a sharp grin.
Hermes might be a useful ally, but he tended to get on people's nerves with his fanciful free-spirited nature. Best to curb it from the get go.
"Eeeeh, no! Please don't tell, Asfi-chan!" Naturally he comically paled, at the mention of his Familia Captain.
After chatting about nothing worth noting for a few moment, Ishtar continued on her way. It's only when Michael was in her sights, that she considered by Hermes was in her home. He usually comes to buy one of her girls for a time (which he left to do), or to make a request from Michael, which she allowed, but this was the first time she had seen him deliver a message to her Captain. After all, no one out side of her Familia had any reason to speak to him.
Thus the current situation peaked her curiosity. Mainly because Michael was looking down on a piece of paper, too small to be a letter. At first he was scowling, like when one of her children training under him had done something particularly stupid. A moment later he was smiling fondly.
Ishtar stopped walking.
Michael...was smiling?
It wasn't the fact that he was smiling that threw her off, but how calm and content he look in that moment. It was an expression she was unfamiliar with.
No, she was. But he used to only look like that when that mortal woman was alive.
"Michael," Ishtar greeted as she approached him. "You look well this morning. Did you receive some good news?"
"It's nothing." Michael said jovial tone, then froze as he realized who he was speaking to.
Because what he said was a lie.
Ishtar herself was surprised. Michael never bothers with lies. Not even niceties.
"What-"
"I have to go." Michael said somewhat quickly, his stoic tone was back. He was only half-lying this time. He closed his hand over the piece of paper, then burning it to cinder. "I'm going to be gone for a while, monster hunting for materials. Don't expect me back for a week."
Without another word, he turned and left.
Ishtar was left annoyed and intrigued by what happened. What could that message have possibly been?
She looked down to the ash on the floor, left of the paper.
Well, I could always ask the messenger.
Hermes had anticipating a quickie with one of the shortstacked girls in Ishtar's collection, before he faced the day. However, his expectations were dashed, when Ishtar launched the doors open, dismissed the girl, and clicked the door close afterwards.
"Hermes," Ishtar gave a predatory smile. "Let me entertain you this morning. I believe we have something to talk about."
The look on Hermes face wasn't one of excitement, but of terror.
"'Three spears', huh? What is that a reference to?" Ishtar wondered.
She was asking Hermes and thinking out loud, while on sitting on the couch after finishing with the Messenger God, smoking her pipe.
Hermes had his integrity as a messenger to not read the letter, but he had peeked over Michael's shoulder went the Gilgamesh opened the letter. Hermes was curious about interesting things, if nothing else.
Said Messenger God was currently lying in bed crying like a girl, as Ishtar had pleasurous ways to torture the message out of him.
"It's not 'three spears'." He said from where he was laying.
"What?" Ishtar looked back.
"It said 'Spear' then the number '3' was written afterwards. 'Spear 3'." He clarified.
"A code." Ishtar concluded.
"Yeah, probably." Hermes sat up, done with his crying act. "What are you gonna do now, Ishtar? Your lover boy is hiding secrets from you." He said with a playful grin.
Ishtar scowled. She had wanted to talk to Michael about allying with Evilus, but it's probably better if she just acted on her own. Michael like to acted in an honorable manner in his own way, right?
Fine. She'll let him play at being a hero while she does the dirty work. She'll need some of the children that don't work constantly with Michael so he doesn't notice.
She might have to Charm some of her children, so they don't spill the beans to Michael when he comes back.
Ishtar told the Evilus messenger that she'll agree with a meeting to hear them out.
A week later, and Michael returned to a literal tone worth of Drop Items. Then he spent a week secluded in his personal smith workshop.
He made three spears and handed them out to the Familia members that used those weapons, and looked like they needed something to boost their shortcomings. All those children were happy with the customized gift.
Maybe Michael got an independent trainer to observe and evaluate which Familia members improved the most using spear weapons, and that they should be rewarded?
Ishtar was left annoyed by more questions.
The only thing worth noting was that among those who got the new weapons were Tiona and Haruhime. Tiona had something like a double bladed sword rather than a spear, and Haruhime's spear was made in a western style, than a Far East one. Ishtar wasn't sure why Michael gifted Haruhime a weapon as well, as she improved the lest among the girls he gave costume weapons to. Even after years of being in her Familia, under Michael's tutelage, the Renard only reached Level 2.
Michael may have said 'everyone improves at their own pace', but isn't this too much lethargy? Well, the girl is now, what? 13? 14 years old? It would be time to have her learn the skills needed for the Familia's main profession. She's certainly not talented enough to be part of the enforcers or dungeon explorers.
Ishtar remembered Michael patting the fox girl's head, and her tail wagged behind her. Did he have a thing for Renard?
Again, further mystery. Maybe Michael was just trying to annoy her? Or did the girl remind him of that mortal woman? She could see it. They both had that, what's the word? Soft fluffy feel to them. Demure. At least Ishtar thought so. She doesn't remember if that mortal woman was that demure or not.
Pushing that annoying thought train aside, Ishtar considered gathering the children with the new weapons to inspect them, or have someone like Hephaestus examine them.
However, she wasn't a blacksmith god to judge a weapon quality, beyond if it's good at its job or not. And she didn't want a god she wasn't allied with to gain some insight to Michael's weaponry. Especially a blacksmith god, as they have been clamoring for years at her, wanting to figure out how Michael's permanent Magic Swords work.
Ultimately Ishtar decided to do nothing for now, but remember this weird incident.
Evilus were useless.
Yes, they offered a lot of Adventurers to work with, but they only wanted to ally with Ishtar for the sake of working with Michael. Understandable, but it annoyed her how they were trying to subtle ask if she change her mind of the 'silly' idea of working with them behind Michael's back.
Ishtar blew them off and walk away from them. Those fools for all their numbers are nothing but annoyances. The most they have done was be a minor danger to ordinary Familias (like how a parent warns a child of strangers), and a nuisance to the big Familias.
Ishtar put them out of her mind as she focused on her current situation.
"Are you seriously going looking like that?" Michael asked Ishtar.
They had been given an invitation to another of Ganesha's parties.
"What's wrong with my dress?" Ishtar said, showing off her body in her usual attire, if one with extra jewelry.
"Ishtar, you're wearing a string for a shirt." Michael deadpanned.
It wasn't a string, but a single strip of cloth around her neck, that fell down to cover her nipple.
"Oh, why should I hide my beauty?" Ishtar flick her hair on one side behind her ear.
"There is a difference between: 'this is high fashion', 'I am poor' and 'I don't understand how clothes function'." Ishtar scowled, which to Michael just looked like a pout. "The allure of beauty is suggestion, rather than blatancy."
Ishtar understood the concept of how one's imagination was sexier than anything shown.
"No mortal imagination can compete with my perfection." Ishtar spread her arms, showing off to Michael, to emphasis her point.
"Yes, so let them have their imagination, then surprise them with reality." Her Captain sighed.
"No." Ishtar crossed her arms, and even looked like she was going to stump her foot on the ground.
Michael sighed and walked away, deciding to wait for her at the carriage prepared for them.
When Ishtar arrived by Michael's side, he was surprised that she actually changed dresses. Her white dress actually covered her breasts this time, but slid down from her neck, down her chest to her nether regions in one go. Minimally covering her, while being held in place by jewelry string around her chest as a bra, and around her waist as a belt.
"Well?" Ishtar said impatiently, when Michael was silent for too long.
"You look captivating." He said plainly and held out his arm.
Ishtar grinned and took his arm, as they walked to the carriage.
The party at Ganesha's manor was as expected.
It was loud, extravagant, there was lots of food and Ganesha shouted he was there constantly.
"I AM GANESHA!"
Like so.
Michael and Ishtar held each other, as they moved with the rhythm of the slow dance music.
Ishtar was staring at Michael, having only him in her vision. Michael stared through Ishtar. No matter how close she holds him, he always seem so far away.
Why did he treat her like this? Oh right, she "didn't care about anyone but herself".
But that's not true. She cared about him. She cared about her Familia.
...Michael would probably ask her to name anyone besides Aisha and Tammuz. Well, there was that Tiona, the Hy-something sister puberty was kind to. Or was that the other one? Well, she remembered their names when she saw them face to face due to her Falna contract with them. It's not like she needed to remember the names of every single one of her children at a moment's notice. She could pull at the contract connected to her being and peruse through the names to remind herself, but didn't feel like it.
Last time she tried to be direct with Michael, he just shot her with barbed words. She thought he would appreciate an upfront attempt trying to get him to do what she wanted, she was only met with contempt. Could she try again? He can't, wouldn't dare decry her publically.
Why wouldn't he look at her?
The answer was simple, even if she didn't want to acknowledge it. He was still pining for that mortal woman.
Why?
"Michael," Ishtar said softly, her words barely a whisper, yet easily heard as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Why won't you try to accept me? To...actually let us try courtship?"
"You know why." He said quietly back, as he didn't want others to hear them either.
Ishtar removed her head, and stared into his eyes. She was tired of just going around the issue, and here, in Ganesha's party, he can't just run away.
"What did you love about her?" She found herself asking. Who the 'her' was didn't need saying. Ishtar chose to directly poke the heart of the matter.
Michael raised an eyebrow in surprise before taking a quick look around. Not many people or gods were focused on them, beyond a glance to see "secret power" couple. Michael freed one of his hands from Ishtar for a second, called on his Od to write a Rune spell. Ishtar felt like a bubble engulfed them.
"There." Michael said. "Don't make sudden moves, or raise your voice too loudly, but we can talk now without others listening. We'll seem unimportant, or our words would be meaningless chatter...right. You don't care about that."
"Oh I am very interested in tower secluded magic boys going onto their tirades." Ishtar deadpanned. Michael chuckled.
They continued dancing, if only to keep up appearances.
Ishtar waited. She waited years, and if he's putting up a Rune, then obviously he's willing to talk to her, right? She can wait a bit more.
"I hate myself." Michael said after a few long moments of silence.
Ishtar blinked at unexpected statement. Worse...the ache in her heart returned. It hurt that that sentence rung true.
"Why? You have what hundreds of other mortals could only dream of. Power, fame, glory, the love of mortals and...even the divine alike." Ishtar said, knowing she had spoke these words before.
"I..." rather than dismiss her words, Michael seem to reminiscence on something. "A long time ago, I was part of something like an adventuring group." He began speaking, and Ishtar's eyes widened that he was opening up to her.
His past before Orario was something he never spoke of. She had only managed to peruse small things throughout the years. A bitter anger spiked through her that it was the topic of that mortal woman, that let him open up. But a bigger part of her was glad he finally was opening up to her, and pushed down that anger to listen.
"We were tasked with...what I can only describe as a hopeless mission. To defeat a demon beyond anything we could ever imagine." Michael grew quiet, staring away from Ishtar, lost in thought.
"Did you win?" She wondered. It might be a tragic aspect of his past.
"Heh," Michael chuckled. "I'm standing here, aren't I?"
"Then why do you look mournful?" Whenever she was lucky enough to dig out something of his past from him, that was the emotion he exuded.
"We slayed the demon alright...and it cost me everything." A furrowed his brows in bitterness. "What use is being a hero if you can't protect the ones you love?" He muttered.
"To carry their legacy." Ishtar immediately answered. "To have them remembered in song and tale." She was confused on why such a simple thing eluded her Gilgamesh.
Michael blinked at her quick response, actually looking at her. Then he chuckled.
"You would say that." He shook his head. "I would rather just have them by my side."
"That amount of greed and hubris even, we Gods, would think twice before indulging in." She replied.
"Maybe." He said before looking away.
"Where does...that woman come into this?" Ishtar pressed forward, feeling that she was finally making headway into Michael's heart.
"Meteria," he spoke her name fondly, and it ate at Ishtar's heart to see that woman still has such an effect on him. "She made me feel...peace. Like for the first time, I could finally move on. Like I could finally accept a result, that was polar opposite to my original intention, when I set out to slay the demon."
"What intention was that?"
"To save everyone."
Ishtar blinked a few times, then she found herself laughing. Such a childish answer, she didn't expect Michael of all people to joke like that.
Only looking back, she saw that he's face held a small bitter smile.
"You're serious." She said feeling disbelief.
'Save everyone'? That wasn't just hubris. That was so beyond the pale of arrogance that only gods could declare such statements.
Yet, his soul, for just a moment, shined with something beautiful and pure-like the first rays of dawn-before it was darkened by old entrenched wrath once more.
"Yes." He looked aside. "Naïve, I know. But I didn't care. I trained, bleed and sacrificed for that mission. I was owed victory." Michael looked back grinning, but his expression was painful to look at. "And well, I was paid for that hubris with that victory. A victory attained by compromise every step of the way, until there was no one else standing beside me at the end."
His eyes look fragile. Like glass that could break at the slightest touch.
A thought wormed its way into Ishtar's mind. In that moment, if she used her charm, even if Michael dismissed it. A piece of it would linger in his heart. With time, it would slowly but surely make him fall in love with her. Genuinely love her.
Yet...
Wouldn't that be admitting defeat?
That she needed to resort to her divine gifts, to do what that mortal woman, what Meteria managed on her own?
"So is that it?" Ishtar asked, unable to fully keep the irritation out of her mind. "That woman made you forget the past for a while."
"No, Ishtar." Michael sighed in disappointment. "What Meteria did was help me want to live again, rather than just exist. To want to embrace this life, this world, rather than just do the bare minimum and go with the flow in it."
Ishtar frown, her teeth clenched for a second. "I do that. My Familia does that for you."
"It's not a competition." Michael shook his head, chuckling in a tired tone. "You don't push the people you love into being what you want them to be, but into what they wish they could be. All you have to do is just...help them realize that they can." He looked back at Ishtar, his expression...kinder, yet directed at her? "You look at them as the ideal that they could be, not as what they are or as what you want them to be, and that helps them move toward that ideal." His eyes widened at those words, before he looked away. "Maybe I would take my own words, and do that as well." He muttered, and Ishtar believes he hadn't meant to say that out loud.
When Michael looked back at her, Ishtar's heart leaped in her throat. Michael was looking at her. Really looking at her.
Her arms tightened around his neck. He hugged her closer. She pulled herself toward him-
The noise in the Ganesha Manor grew so loud as to break Michael and Ishtar's moment, forcing them to look around.
The gods and mortals present was quite rambunctious, as the final god and mortal pairing of the night had arrived.
Freya and Ottar had entered the party.
They were late. Not fashionably late, but rather they came when the party was winding down, where in an hour or two, the guests would begin to leave in mass. Michael cancels out the Rune spell so they don't seem odd when viewed by others, actually paying attention to them.
That. Fucking. Sanctimonious. Dere acting. Whore! Ishtar grinded her teeth wanting nothing more than to go over to that silver-haired bitch and knock her teeth out.
It wasn't long before Freya and her King stood before Ishtar and Michael, having headed straight toward them upon entering the party.
"Gilgamesh." Ottar, the Freya Familia Captain greeted in tense tone, a strict polite glare in his eyes.
The Boaz Adventurer had changed over the years. Gaining a more wild look and attitude, held back only by his devotion to not stain Freya's honor with his conduct. Above all was the platinum arm with gold drawings that replaced the one he lost. The arm had been Hephaestus's magnum ops. A prostatic and a weapon that perfectly matched its user. Through it Ottar had grown stronger, reaching even greater heights as an adventurer, yet it was a constant reminder of his loss.
"King," The Ishtar Familia Captain replied, but with a more sardonic tone, a slight smirk on his face, like his rival wasn't wishing death upon him in that moment, or whenever they met.
Michael felt uncomfortable with his Alias for a reason Ishtar didn't understand. While she understood why the Gods chose that name, Ishtar didn't actually mind it.
Long ago there was a woman known as Babylon of Lust. She had a hole where her heart was, and desired something, anything to fill that void. She sought out the treasures of the world, gold, food, men, yet the hole was never filled. She became know as the Empress of Lust and would have devoured the world to fill that void, sans the arrival of Gilgamesh the Hero. He slayed the harlot, and ended her destructive desire seeking. However even after her death, the Harlot cursed Gilgamesh and everyone he loved, as a final vengeance for being denied her wishes and being rejected by the Hero.
Given all that and that her Familia ran a brothel, it almost seemed inevitable that her strongest child would get that name. Ishtar however embraced the name, which just seemed to make Freya even madder, so that's a bonus. After all, unlike the Whore in the story, Gilgamesh was already on her side.
"Freya." Ishtar forced herself to give a greeting, while sounding casual. They were at a high class party after all.
"Ishtar, congratulations on another War Game." Freya said in a friendly tone, as if the two Familias weren't are each others throat for years now.
"Yes, well, it's as expected from the strongest-Ah, I mean a Familia as strong as ours." Ishtar said back, not looking sorry at all for her 'accidental' word slip.
"Hahaha, but of course." Freya laughed, as if she was privy to a secret joke. "I'm terribly sorry for being late, I simply couldn't help fawn over my Ottar. After all, well..." Freya paused to play coy, and draw suspense. Ishtar frown and felt suspicous at seeing Freya look so happy. "The Guild will announce it tomorrow, but I just can't help myself."
...no. Ishtar felt her heart drop to her stomach. No. No, no, no, no, no. Not now of all times. This isn't fair!
"Ottar~." Freya looked toward her Captain, who nodded and step forward.
"I have reached Level 8." Ottar spoke the words like a gong signaling finality. "And I challenge you, Michael Chaser. A duel to see who is stronger." The King spoke with power and conviction, eyes lit up with controlled rage and will.
"What do you say, Ishtar?" Freya went to Ottar's side, and place and arm over his shoulder, while resting her head against his frame. He naturally as breathing held her waist to support her. "A War Game for our Captains. Wouldn't that be a match for the ages?" Freya smile was of one who was already sure of their victory.
"We..." Ishtar gritted her teeth. This was all wrong. It was all out of her control. Michael wouldn't win.
Even if he prepared his spells with help from Haruhime before the match, Freya wouldn't let her Captain fight before preparing as well. Meaning Ottar had been Level 8 for a while now, and had build up his stats a bit.
What should she do? What can she do? If she were to refuse she would lose her reputation. It would be a downward spiral, bit by bit Freya would chip at her tower till it all comes crumbling down.
"Congratulation, Ottar." Michael said back.
The tension that had been building up was shattered by Michael's genuine words, and friendly smile. Ottar blinked in confusion at his arch nemesis's reaction.
Ishtar and Freya both took a second look at Michael, not only for his unexpected reaction, but also his soul. Rather than a crimson sun with a black corona, and a single bright spot, that small warm fire has grown, and rather than compete with the red and black, it suffused into them, making his soul a lighter color. Less blood red, and more dark orange. Anger and hate still there, but...something else was breaking through. Something pure and shining. A will to protect.
"You're not afraid." Ottar noted.
"Gosh no," Michael chuckled in good-nature which just confused the everyone present, and added to Ottar's irritation. "After all, I always fought opponents stronger than me. So how did you manage it?" Michael simply asked, as if he was chatting with a colleague or a friend. There was no hostility in his tone. It weirded out anyone who knew him.
"...You know the story, of how a long time ago I managed to half-kill the Balor, before my teammates managed to slay it." Michael nodded. "I realized that that was my limit. That for all my strength, I still can't stand against such beings of power on my own." Ottar looked at his hand, before closing it into a fist and met Michael's gaze again. "So that's what I needed to do. To break through the limitation of my past self, to surpass what I was, I went back, fought and slayed the Balor. Alone." Cries of shock, awe and disbelief rang out in the Ganesha Manor. "And now I've come to settle things between us, to break through the last chain holding me down. You." Ottar grinned.
Many of the watchers to this scene, and even a few gods stepped away. The King's expression was not a merciful thing to look at.
Silence fell upon the room, as all present-guests and Ganesha Familia alike-held their breath at Michae's acceptance of the gauntlet thrown to him.
"No." Michael said, his answer sending a shockwave through the silent guests in the ball. "And we refuse the War Game."
"What!?" Ottar nearly shouted.
Freya was watching with seeming calm yet couldn't was annoyed and perplexed by this development. Since when did Gilgamesh retreat from a fight? It wasn't out of fear, she could see that well enough. Yet she couldn't decipher out his reason.
"Come on, Ishtar. Let them celebrate this occasion." Michael turned, taking his Goddess's arm with his own like a gentleman and headed to the exit.
"You're seriously just running away." Ottar called out.
"Yeah," Michael paused. "I think I'm done dragging my Familia into this mess between you and I. I think you should also do the same."
"You think you can say that now!? After everything!"
"It needed to be said at some point, and there is never a time like the present." Michael continued walking, Ishtar following his lead.
"You..." Ottar growled, before taking a breath and collecting himself. "Are you truly that arrogant? To think you can dictate anything as you want?"
"Of course," Michael shouted back a wild grin on his face, as he turned his head a bit to meet his rival's eyes.
His expression was one that looked as if he would challenge anything. It was far opposite to the cold calculated expression he usually held. He had the look of a spry young lad, foolishly thinking he can take on the world.
"You will regret not defeating me today, Gilgamesh." Ottar gave a parting shot.
"No I will not, King." Michael said back. "Because I'm the Strongest Adventurer."
Despite Michael's handling of the party's atmosphere, it didn't change the reality of the situation Ishtar found herself and her Familia in.
Thus far the only reason for the stability of Orario was that the cold war between Ishtar and Freya stayed that, cold. And as an extra safety, Loki was there to hit the Familia as a threat to the Familia that survives the conflict.
The average Level of adventurers in large Familias had risen over the years, so as not to be washed away by the actions of the Top 3 Familias, with the Level 5 and even Level 6 at times being more proliferated than they once were. The main truce enforcer was who held Level 7 Adventurer, the reborn heroes of the modern era, as some would call them.
For a while, it was Ottar alone that managed to reach that Divine Step after his defeat at Gilgamesh's hand. However Michael managed to raise three of Ishtar's Familia to that Level over the years.
Aisha Belka, Tammuz Belili, and finally Samira Kasabian. Through them, the Ishtar Familia held it's ground.
Interestingly enough on Loki's side, Finn Deimne had managed to reach Level 7 as well. And while he was the only one, many within the redhead trickster's Familia had rose to Levels 5 & 6.
Now that Ottar rose to Level 8, that balance will soon be undone. Shattered forever and driving Orario to civil war, taking down Ishtar's Familia with it.
Not if I have anything to do about it. Ishtar thought bitterly.
After heading back home, Ishtar sent a message to Evilus to meet, a few days later, she and Michael (as they requested only the two of them alone), were escorted to an abandoned warehouse deep within Daedalus Street.
"Wow, they're really going for the villain cliché hidden bases. Let me guess, the real location is in the basement." Michael joked.
Their guide opened a hidden door and led them to the basement.
That was also another odd change. Michael's behavior. He was acting...lighter. More relaxed than his usual serious self. It was nice, but...disconcerting.
"Well, well, well, look who came back crawling to us." Valletta Grede, one of Thanatos's executives said in a singly voice.
The room Ishtar and Michael entered held five gods and two members of their Familia.
"Thanatos, control your child." Ishtar said back with a curt reply.
"Aaah~ I apologies, apologies beautiful Ishtar, but she was so excited when she heard who are guests were today." Thanatos said in a grand tone as he spread his arms.
"Like fucking hell I am." Valletta said back.
"So," one of the goddesses present, Alecto, spoke. "It seems that after Freya's King has ascended, you now need our help."
"IT IS TIME FOR ORDER TO FALL!" Shouted a bombastic god, Rudra.
"He he he he he," A shy creepy goddess, Apate, spoke. "It matters not how great someone is, before the strong, all the rats must scurry together if they hope to survive."
Ishtar curled her lips in disgust at the comparison. "Listen here, you-"
"Hey, hey, come on everyone, we're all gathered here, be it through want or circumstance, and we all have desires we can help each other fulfill. So let's get along, shall we? At least let's try and look good in front of our guests." The seeming leader of the group, spoke with a cheerful tone.
"Erebus," Ishtar addressed said leader.
"Welcome, Goddess Ishtar, to Evilus!" Erebus greeted, even giving a bow for flair.
A snort cut through the air.
A surprise rang through the present gods and adventurers as they looked toward the source.
It was Michael.
"Please," Michael coughed, seemingly trying to hold his laughter. "Continue. Don't mind me."
"Ooooh? Is there something you find funny, Gilgamesh?" Said Valletta, as she stood in front of Michael, speaking with a loud tone and her tongue out like a delinquent.
"Nothing, nothing." Michael waved her off, now unable to keep off the grin of amusement from his face. "It's just that... 'Evil Us'. Kinda on the nose, don't you think?"
The gods either looked offended, or confused in Rudra's case at the remark. Only Erebus raised an eyebrow in interest at how Michael was acting, as opposed to how he expected Gilgamesh to behave.
"Hooo, you really are too carefree to be cracking jokes when you ran away from Ottar a few days ago." Said Vito, one of Erebus's executives. "Shouldn't you be politely begging us for help?" He said with a malice hidden smile.
All the other Evilus Adventurers stepped in to add to the menace of the atmosphere.
"That's right, punk. Better get on your hands and knees and beg us to save you." Valletta said, even unsheathing her knife, licking it and threatening to cut Michael's face with her gestures.
"Everyone please, let's be civil here. There's ten of you and one of me. And I can tell most of you are Level 6. Heck I haven't even used any of my Level boost spell coming here as a sign of good faith. So really..." Michael looked Valletta before placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't fucking touch-"
"There is absolutely no reason for any of you to be sacred of me."
Death.
The feeling of absolute violence and bloodlust filled the room, choking it's occupants as Michael released his killing intent.
It was as if a red aura of wrath as proliferated the room and made all adventurers present see the promised carnage that would ensue if they don't keep their mouths shut. The gods reaction was a mix of fear and surprise as this act.
They should have the upper hand, so why does Gilgamesh being here now, feel like they are the ones that fell into his palm?
"Fufufufu, that's right." Ishtar spoke, feeling control of the room fall to her. "You need to remember we are the ones here who stand atop the pyramid of Orario-"
Valletta fell to the ground, sitting on her knees, as she hugged herself, her bodying shaking and trembling. Michael moved passed her, spreading his arms in a placating manner.
"Gods, Goddesses, fellow adventurers, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot." Ishtar looked to her Captain in surprise as he cut her off, taking control of the meeting. "We all want something. Be if gaining power, spreading chaos, or even just having fun that is denied by those stuffy law abiding jackasses." As he spoke, more of the gods slowly nodded with him. Only Erebus had an amused and intrigued expression on his face. "So please, rather than be at each other's throat, let's all sit down and discuss how we're going to raze this city to the ground."
The Evilus gods made various sounds of annoyed agreement. Erebus stepped forward.
"Right of course, please this way." Erebus lead them to a meeting room with a large table and sinister lighting. Ishtar rolled her eyes at the decor.
"You really are different than what I expected. Is this the real you, I wonder?" Erebus spoke next to Michael, in a friendly manner.
"Everyone has a different face for different social occasions." Michael replied.
It began to occur to Ishtar that Michael...was too at ease in this situation. Like he was used to dealing with crazed lunatics, or those who professed themselves to be 'evil'.
"Oh? And before true evil, how would you act?" Erebus asked, interest in his tone.
"'True Evil', huh? I find it difficult to believe that such an absolute can exist, but if such were to be, then it would be a harbringer for 'True Good'."
"You..." Erebus's eyes widened. "This is bad. I might actually start to like you."
"I'm straight."
"I'm Greek."
Ishtar changed her seat to be between Michael and Erebus.
The meeting proceeded without much distraction afterwards. Evilus collectively had close to 10,ooo members. It would have been impressive if they weren't mostly Level 1s and 2s with some Level 3s. Only the top executives in all of Evilus had managed to reach Levels 5 & 6. Which was mainly everyone within the room.
"Okay, all of those plans are well and good, but still, what's the secret ace?" Michael asked, to which the Evilus gods tried to play his question off, or act confused, but Ishtar glanced at Michael for an explanation. Even she could see the Evil Gods group were trying to hide something. "Look, surely you weren't planning on putting everything on me, since what if we," he gestured to himself an Ishtar. "Plainly didn't think to ally with you, what would you have done then? Because let's be honest, if your ultimate plan boiled down to 'giant ass monster parade', then it would have been worth shit." He said, cutting through the deceit.
The Evilus members protested his words, only to Erebus to calm them down and speak up.
"Well, you are correct in that, but if I may ask, why wouldn't a 'giant ass monster parade' work?" Erebus asked, smiling in interest.
"The Level 7s make that plan meaningless." Michael replied in a casual tone. "Any monster parade you build up from the Upper to the Lower Floors would be easily mowed down by them. Besides, even if you get lucky and make significant headway, if you build up enough casualties, you'll just cause the Guild to call on the Top Familias, which even we would have to be involved in, so that would end that situation quickly. And of course you can't collect monsters from the Deep Floor, because if you could, you wouldn't need our help."
"Woah, woah, woah!" One of Apate's adventurers called out. "What do you mean 'you would have to get involved'? You're on our side, did ya forget!?"
"Of course we would have to fight against Evilus if you make a move that big," Michael leaned back in his chair, resting his head against his fist. "After all, our Familia can't be seen allying with Evilus in public."
Michael was met with outrage.
"Are you fucking kidding me? You're basically telling us to our faces you're gonna betray us."
"What the hell? So what, we do your dirty work then you throw us to the wolves?"
And on the protest came till Erebus silenced things again.
"Michael... Seriously, why would we go with any of this?" Erebus asked, yet he didn't seem offended at Michael's blunt statements at all.
Ishtar was quiet as well, as she did agree with Michael. She wanted Evilus's help, but she didn't want to lose her reputation, or lose the acclimate she had gained and built over the years. She wondered what reason Michael would give them. She understood that realistically her Familia would have to be part of Evilus, but hoped Michael can pull some good concessions for doing so.
"Well, even if we went the secret backer route, and went 'oh the Ishtar Familia was actually part of Evilus and no one knew it'. Don't you think that's a bit too predictable? I mean, the Goddess that rules over the whorehouse was evil all along, how much more of a cliche would that be?"
What? Ishtar looked at her Captain in surprise. Surely he can't expect that to work? And yet as she looked around, she could see many of the gods were coming around to the argument.
"I mean, what if people suspect us when you begin your attacks, but then we help out, and in a vunrable position we still save them. They would think 'oh, guess it was wrong of us to presume. Guess Ishtar really are one of the good guys', but then when they lest expect it, after victory had been won, we ripe that triumph from under their feet. Can you imagine their faces? 'What!? The Ishtar Familia betrayed us? I knew we shouldn't have trusted them. I can't believe we ever did!'." Michael finished with a chuckle, which resulted in all the Evilus Gods laughing wholeheartedly at the image.
"Oh wow, can you image the look on the faces of, like, Loki if we manage to get one over her."
"Forget, Loki. The Astraea Familia would be all like 'Noooo, you were our allies of justice! Blaaah' then they die pathetically. Hahahahahaha!"
Ishtar couldn't believe it. The more Michael spoke, the more the Evilus Gods seemed to come around to his arguments.
It was... Michael seemed to be in his element. He never was active in past negotiation deals, merely dictating terms and being as fair as he could, unless the other party annoyed him.
But here? It's like he knew and understood the 'Evil' Gods.
Ishtar remembered how Michael said that he hated the darkness within him. The hatred and rage, but could it be that...this was his true self? Or a part of him that he rejects? Yet looking at his soul, it didn't darken from it's previous color. It stayed dark orange, with black corona and a heart of light. Maybe the black was lighter?
"B-But," Apate spoke after everyone started to quieten. "What will you give us in return for us aiding you, a-and hiding our connection?"
"Not weapons, armor or potions, and nothing I'm known for, obviously. Unless we do an operation where you attack and steal from a Familia we delivered a big shipment to." Michael raise a hand to halt any objections. "What I am going to help you with is that Monster Parade plan. Everything else will be a distraction for it." The Evilus Gods and Adventurers, even Ishtar lean in, in curiosity. "I've seen members with Cursed Weapons, you have someone that can make them, right?"
It was not a question.
"Yes," Thanatos ended up answer. "However, he's really dedicated to his work. I'm afraid we can't expect him to be pulled away from it too much."
"That's fine. I just need him to make a single Cursed Weapon or Item that weakens and restricts foes once, so I know how it's done. After that I'll make you magical chains and whips. Chains that can hold and restrain Floor Bosses, and whips that can tame them. You get where I'm going with this, right?"
The implicated that he can learn and figure out a smith's technique, after observing it once was terrifying on it's own. That he was improving on their plan, in a direction that could have never have dreamed of, took their breath away.
"Y-You mean..."
Ishtar wasn't sure who spoke in an awed tone.
"Yes. We'll capture a Monster Rex. Multiple even. And we'll feed them Magic Stones, even other Floor Bosses' Magic Stones, and together with a monster collection, we'll unleash them on the Familias that uphold the order of Orario, after luring them into the Dungeon. Magic Chains to restrain and limit. Magic Whips to control." Michael paused for dramatic tension. "We'll create Calamities."
He was met by looks of disbelief, then grins of excitement. He had them on board.
"Hahaha, holy shit, I was seriously not expecting that, when we invited you." Erebus guffawed. "I really am glad that you're joining us. Seriously, you really are way more dangerous than I thought. And I really, really do like you. But," Erebus seemed to eyes Michael for a moment, before shaking his head. "Honestly, I really wonder if you should be in a Familia like Ishtar's after all."
Ishtar reached over and grabbed Michael's thigh. "Mine." She said while glaring at Erebus.
"Oh come on, Ishtar, share the love." Alectos joked. There was laughter and some cat calls going around.
The other Evilus Adventurers were either amused or felt awkward by the gods devolved antics for a second.
"So, back to my original question." Michael said, pulling Ishtar's hand away to hold under the table, when she didn't let go. "What is your ace? What do you bring to this alliance?" He said challengingly.
"Me." As if waiting for that dramatic moment, a figure walked into the room. He was tall, almost a whole head over everyone else. He wore full body black armor along with a dark red cape. His face, particularly his eyes, were covered with scars. The eyes themselves were fine, but it might have been possible that they were clawed out a long time ago in battle.
"Zald." Michael said in a hushed voice. His tone filled with nostalgia.
Ishtar's eyes widened as she realized who this was.
Top Executive of Zeus Familia. Zald the Gluttony. One of the heroes of the old Era. And most of all, a Level 8.
Ishtar couldn't contain her grin. To think that Evilus had such a piece on their side. Yes! This alliance might be everything she had ever hoped for.
This is no way she can lose now.
Evilus had lost.
Ishtar couldn't believe it. She couldn't wrap her head around it. They had every advantage, yet after a whole year of guerrilla warfare, the Organization of 'Evil' Gods had fallen.
For a whole year, that became known as the Year of Evil Dreams, Evilus had been a terror on Orario.
They would attack businesses and Familia gatherings, only to vanish in clouds of tear gas. They had caused such chaos that even Freya and her Familia had to pay attention to them, and put aside their grudge against Michael and the Ishtar Familia.
There were many battles and confrontations between Evilus and the other Familia, many of the small-time Familias, even being eradicated in the cross fire.
However, something unexpected happened. Many of the Familia that survived ended up coming back stronger. Familias, like the Astraea, ended up with all their members reaching Second and First Class Adventurers, while suffering minimal loses.
Almost all of Ishtar's Familia ended up reaching Level 5, with some Level 4, sans Haruhime being the lone Level 3.
Eventually it all culminated in the Tartarus Event on the 21st Floor, where Evilus had lured almost all the strong fighting Familias, even the Loki and Freya Familias-along with the Ishtar Familia-to fighting against Irregular Floor Bosses. Calamities. They managed to lure them by abandoning all their hideouts, and heading collectively deep into the Dungeon under Michael's instructions.
Ishtar's Familia, sans Michael and the Top Executives, hadn't known about their alliance with Evilus, thus joined into the fight with conviction.
Surprisingly enough, Michael's role in helping Evilus wasn't known, as the Gods forbid their adventurers from their alliance meeting from revealing this fact. When Michael made the cursed items for Evilus or interacted with it's member, he would just wear a mask that changed his voice and a body covering cloak that obscured his form. He even called himself Darkness Noir Shadow to those who asked who he was.
Ishtar still has to stifle a laugh whenever she remembered that.
In that final battle, many of the combat-oriented Familias joined together under the Loki Familia, with Ishtar Familia giving aid to battle the Calamities.
The Freya Familia found themselves overwhelmed with the Deep Floor Monster Parade and the members of Evilus left over. Ishtar thought that was very fortunate, as for the whole year they had begun to be more aggressive in their pursuit of Michael, especially Ottar, but her Gilgamesh would always escape them while shouting some Far Eastern word for running away.
...Ishtar didn't know who taught Michael that cringy word, but they better pray when she doesn't find them.
Ultimately the Freya Familia were busy with the monsters and Evilus while the battle was going around. The only worry was Ottar, he could ignore the whole thing to chase after Michael, even with the Tartarus battle happening around him. Yet that didn't happen, as Michael was uninterrupted in his aiding of Loki Familia and the others against the Calamities.
Apparently Ottar was stopped by...a Mysterious Masked Silver Adventurer. Easily at that.
Ishtar had to stop and ask Tammuz to repeat what he just said, when he relayed that part of the story to her.
Who the fuck was this 'Mysterious Masked Silver Adventurer'?
Ishtar had been worried when Michael told her about the ultimate plan of forcing all the combat Familias and Evilus into battle. She had asked him what he would do about Ottar, but he vaguely just said he had something planned.
Afterwards she asked him if he knew that person, or if he did why he never brought them up before?
Michael just chuckled and shrugged saying it's not someone he can order around, and then blatantly lied, saying:
"A Mysterious Masked Band-I mean Adventurer? Why would I know them? They even have 'Mysterious' in their name? I really wonder who they are? It's quite the mystery, eh?"
He was just overly goading her. Who the hell did he think he was?
And then in that ultimate battle itself, after finally beating the Calamities by the skin of their teeth, Zald appeared and challenged the survivors.
Survivors was rather the wrong description. Due to Michael's machinations, almost all those who participated in the Tartarus battle sans Evilus, and those on Freya's side ended up surviving. The loses were in the single digit. Almost all those left Leveled Up afterwards.
In the end, Zald the Gluttony had fallen after a long hard fought battle against Finn, Gareth, Riveria and Ais with support magic from Michael. They all Leveled Up as well.
Finn Deimne became a Level 8, while Riveria and Gareth reached Level 7, and Ais Wallenstien rose to Level 6.
All of this would have been fine, using the Loki Familia as a counter threat to the Freya Familia, if it hadn't been Ottar training the top adventurers of his Familia over the past year, managing to get seven Freya Adventurers to Level 7.
Vana Freya, the Black and White Knight as well as the Bringar. All Level 7s.
Ishtar had confronted Michael afterward, demanding if he had planned things this way.
He bluntly said yes. That using Evilus was never going to work out. That the best solution was to use them as training course to raise up the Levels of their own Familias and Lokis, along with any one else that lucked out along the way.
"And what about Freya!? She now has seven children at Level 7 along with Ottar."
"Heh, seven at seven."
"This is no laughing matter!"
Michael kept reassuring her that she doesn't have to worry, that while the situation look difficult, there was now a new balance in Orario. That there should be a grace period before Freya tried anything else, at least for a while. That he would figure something out in the meantime.
He was telling the truth as he believed it, but Ishtar wasn't so sure. She heard that a remnant of Evilus might have survived by running even deeper into the Dungeon, or due to a mysterious backer (but weren't they the 'mysterious' backer?), but she wasn't sure.
Maybe she should reach out, outside of Orario. Kali might seem like a good prospect ally.
Above all, Ishtar thought her Familia needed more power. Something that can ensure not just their victory, but their survival, when this new truce inevitably breaks down.
Her thoughts went to Haruhime Sanjouno. The girl who after all these years, and even the peerless challenges the Familia had faced, along with Michael's training, could only reach Level 3.
She had thought of when she finally added the girl to the Familia's official working schedule, only for Michael to intervene and take her off of it. Haruhime had apparently fainted upon seeing a client's chest.
Michael tried to argue that Haruhime could be part of the enforcers. That she doesn't have to be a prostitute if she didn't want to.
Ishtar argued that the girl wasn't strong enough, that she wasn't valuable enough to be taken out of the prostitution work. Michael argued for Haruhime's worth.
Ishtar having gotten fed up with the idiotic notion of 'purity' Haruhime held onto, that she was sure was the real reason Michael was kicking up a fess, ended up with the Goddess giving an ultimatum.
Haruhime doesn't have to be a prostitute? Fine but she has to lose her virginity. One way or another. She didn't want the girl to be held back but such a fairy tale ideal.
Ishtar didn't asked how Haruhime lost her 'purity', only confirmed the girl did, when Ishtar asked the fox girl later.
Michael's contempt return after that. Ishtar may have felt hurt but it needed to be done. The world wasn't such a kind place for such naivety.
Ishtar thought of somehow making the Renard's Level boosting spell be permanent on everyone else of her Familia.
It would be possible with a Killing Stone. With Michael's skills he could manage to make the effect even higher. Ishtar wondered if it was fate that she threw such cruelty upon cruelty at the girl.
And oddly enough...she didn't actually want to go through with it.
Yet, it was the life of one girl to save everyone else in her Familia.
That was noble. Honorable even, right?
Michael would never go for it.
Yet... Ishtar thought for a long time if she would go through with it. Not just Michael, all the children in her Familia that interacted with the girl would be against it.
Ishtar was confronted with the fact that, this particular solution... was out of her hands.
"L-Lady Ishtar?" Haruhime spoke as cracked open the door.
"Come in." Ishtar said curtly, before sitting on a sofa chair that faced another in her room.
Haruhime walked into the room, her stride more confident, than when Ishtar bought her all those years ago, yet still held a gentle elegance to it.
Ishtar had dismissed everyone else, as she wanted to talk to the Renard alone. She could see why the girl was nervous, but put on a calm brave face that was just adorable.
However, Haruhime had no reason to worry, Ishtar had no plan of using her charm on her.
"My child," Ishtar began. "I need to ask you something. I need your help."
Ishtar left the choice in Haruhime's hands.