The reunion of two Sisters

Enjoy!

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/Below the Guild, Ouranos gazed at a visitor with his usual cold expression…/

"So… After everything you did, from the encircling to the creation of specialized surveillance magic tools... You still lost her?"

"And somehow…"

"My SINCEREST apolo... Gies~!!!!" Hermes exclaimed in an almost melodic tone as he prostrated on the ground, banging his head against the hard cold floor

"... There is no need for this Hermes, just tell me what happened." Ouranos replied with a serious expression

/FWOOSH!/

'Jumping from the ground in a cartoonish way, Hermes scratched the back of his head as he looked at Ouranos.'

"Haha… I underestimated their determination."

"You of all people, underestimated them?" Ouranos questioned as he displayed a rare frown

"..."

'Hermes' expression darkened as he pulled his hat down.'

"I considered many things, from both extremes, but they hit me with a variable."

"I already expected resistance from within Ishtar's Manor if not the entire Entertainment district given the structure of 'that place'."

"We knew they would come to her, it was only a matter of time."

"But I thought that, at most, they would try to aim at her life as to silence her and to cause some level of conflict given their track record and the city's unstable situation…"

"At least that seemed to be the 'quieter' choice."

"Yet, they went a bit above and beyond my expectations by blowing the entity of Belit Babili up, that was the most extreme of actions out of my spectrum of possibilities, only beaten up by them sending her back to heaven at the same time..."

"Because now, we have half of Orario kicking on our doors to learn just what has happened, and most of them won't accept a "we don't know much" as an answer." Hermes added as he took something from his pockets

'It was a small and old wooden carving, it belonged to someone of the past...'

"We won't be able to hide this for long, I bet Loki is already on her way here."

"And you know more than me what would happen if Loki were to learn that Evilus is still in operation."

"She'll overthrow the entire city if it means finding them."

"Worst, we cannot allow chaos to ensue as we conduct our investigations."

"Not to say their strength… I'm not entirely confident in her ability to deal with this matter even if we allowed her to."

"Hm..."

'Ouranos was pensive.'

"Explain."

"Well…"

'Hermes went over everything, from the start of his operation until the end, all under Ouranos' serious gaze.'

…

"... As we discussed before, I believe there is a passage underneath the tower leading to Knossos, and that was likely the reason why Ishtar was so over the edge."

"While also explaining how they all seemingly vanished after the tower collapsed."

"Because she was fearful of this fact, she tried her best to cover for everything when we approached them after the War game."

"She felt pressured by both sides, the surface and below, the mental hurdle she went through must've been severe."

"If she were in the clear, there wouldn't be a need for her to be on the defensive."

"The problem was who approached her... He made use of her fragility to inseminate her mind with chaotic and self-destructive ideas when in truth, we were willing to forget her transgressions if it meant she was going to work with us."

"I wasn't even given the chance to say my lines, and he was aware of that, not giving me the chance to do so."

"And before I knew it, the tower started trembling... I even failed in taking her out... Sigh, that's truly not my style." Hermes said with some frustration

"We lost the fight before it even started, when I arrived, Ishtar was already lost in his arguments."

"… But to think it would be Thanatos… Something doesn't add up." Ouranos interjected as he closed his eyes

"Correct! I've thought about it also…"

'His eyes sharpened.'

"I believe there is a true mastermind in the dark."

"Thanatos only moved to gather our attention to him, I'm certain that they want to distract us from whatever they're planning."

"That is why we mustn't allow chaos to spread, it is likely that the one behind him will try to blend in with everyone else."

"Are you certain this person is amidst us?"

"How could I be? Yet, how could he not?"

"But, I'm certain of one thing."

"Whatever they're planning, it's far from ready."

"Their actions so far indicate they're gathering their forces, but there's no way they'll try another direct approach as they did in the past, especially after they lost those two."

"I doubt they have anything that can contest us in a direct confrontation."

"They're likely trying to buy time…"

'Ouranos eyes closed, but after a while, he opened them, asking:'

"What do you think they'll gain by absorbing Ishtar into their ranks?"

"Well… They must've seen her value alive as higher than sent back to Heaven that's for sure."

"First, by pulling her to them, they get access to her Captain, Tammuz, a Level 5, coupled with several of her personal guards, all Level 2 and above, some Level 3."

"Second, there's Ishtar's knowledge, she may have lost everything, but what's on her mind is eternal."

"There's a lot of things they could make use of if they know when to move or what to pull, and for that, I've prepared people to pay attention all around the Entertainment District."

"If they do try to pull anything, I'll know."

"Third, and it's likely their target, but they can now use Ishtar's Charm for their own plans."

"And that is the most fearful aspect of this betrayal."

"There are signs of us being compromised before, but now, anyone could turn sides by being Charmed."

"If they do succeed in using the ability on... Let's say, the Braver, things would go bad really fast…"

"Hum…"

'Ouranos became silent.'

"Tell me more about our findings regarding their supply lines."

"Oh, that? So far, we haven't had much progress as we were focused on Ishtar…"

"But like before, all signs point at Melen."

"How do you plan on pursuing those clues?"

"Ganesha and his children will be in charge of keeping things under control in the Entertainment District, and possibly even seeking other entrances of Knossos."

"While me, Asfi, and the others will pursue them outside of Orario."

"... I refuse." Ouranos said deeply

"..."

'Hermes smiled.'

"From what I heard, Evilus has at least 2 potential Level 5s and multiple Level 4s, it would be too much of me to request your Familia to seek them in what is potentially enemy territory."

"Ganesha is smart, he wouldn't allow himself to be cornered within Orario, but outside of it is another story."

"It is too risky to request this of you."

"Heh, there's no need to worry." Hermes said as he took something else from his shirt

'It was a small orb, it looked like a crystal eye…'

"I have a backup."

"That is…!"

"Yes… It took me a damn leg and an arm, but I managed to get Ishtar's Key to Knossos, and with it, we're now in possession of 2 keys."

"Guess we should thank that guy for them… Though I'm unhappy with their price… Urrg!" Hermes spoke as he remembered his deal

"That guy! Couldn't he be a bit less brutal?!" Hermes exclaimed as he remembered his deal with Silver, a small bead of sweat falling from his forehead

'Originally, the Guild was only in possession of 1 key, the one they recovered after they ambushed the Ikelos Familia's illegal poaching group.'

'This key had been handled to them by the Xenos, from Silver who recovered it directly from Dix after the latter was knocked out.'

'It had been used by Fels in routine peripheral inspections of Knossos, and also as a research object.'

'As for the second key, it was stolen by Silver when he freed Haruhime from Ishtar's blessing, together with the Status reports of all her children.'

'Ishtar didn't realize those were stolen because the safe itself had been left mostly intact.'

'It was only after the War game that she realize what was missing when she decided to pay Evilus a visit…'

'With two keys in hand, it was obvious what they could do.'

'But Evilus wasn't stupid, they know exactly where the keys were, because… Where else would they be?'

'Hermes knew… The next battlefield wouldn't be in Orario, it would be outside… Or below it.'

'Each side was trying to predict the other's movement, and this made things quite interesting, at least from Hermes' perspective.'

'This was War... A Cold one where both sides were at each other's throats.'

'One where patience and Wits were more valuable than individual strength.'

'But they were at an advantage, they had no idea what their enemies planned, not how long they had.'

'They couldn't relax, now, more than ever, they needed to push forward.'

'In the sole port of Orario, Melen!'

"It's time for us to cut down their supplies and starve them from within."

"When are you planning to move?"

"Ah…"

'Hermes got a bit embarrassed.'

"Well… As fast as possible… But my children do need some rest… And my reinforcement needs some time too…"

"Probably by the end of August, Start of September, around a month after the War game…"

"And also after the Hestia's Familia recruitment ceremony."

…

/Later, below…/

/Tap… Tap…/

"... There's no comeback from this." Ishtar mumbled to herself as looked at the dark ceiling

'These dark halls where no light shone, this was her reality now.'

'Cursed with the world beneath, she would never be able to raise her head above as doing so would provoke 1000 blades to cut it down.'

'She could stay in the surface world no longer, her era had ended… Before it even started.'

'She didn't even feel any anger, all of her tears had already dried up.'

'So instead, it was her time to rebel, it was the sole thing she had left.'

"So be it." She said as she got up from her bed

If the world does not welcome me anymore... I'll make it do so.

But first, I need to figure out my own situation.

'There was no way Ishtar would believe in Thanatos' words that easily.'

'Her time of confusion was already gone, and she was already given a lot of time to reflect on her actions and future.'

'So she was very much aware he was using her... And she would do the same to him.'

'Thanatos reasons... Albeit a tad destructive in nature, they didn't go exactly against what she wanted in the end.'

'And everything would be just perfect if she could throw him out of the picture after everything was done.'

'After all, she desired to rule over Orario, not to have it destroyed.'

'And for the sake of her desires, for the past few days, she learned the ropes of being an undercover God…'

'How they operated, where they were, how to move around, who to contact, and several more things...'

'But she was already bored of this environment.'

There's nothing to do.

How did Thanatos last this long without seeing sunlight?

'The life here was completely different from the one she knew, to the point she was already starting to get claustrophobic.'

'Thankfully, there seemed to be a few exits she could use to go outside and take a breather... Albeit Thanatos would definitely not allow her to do so that easily.'

'If Ishtar could leave anytime, then she could sell whatever information she acquired here to the Guild in exchange for everything she owed.'

'And even if she wasn't allowed back at Orario, she could easily live outside and perhaps one day return, she would definitely work with that in mind.'

'Ishtar right now was more of a liability to him than a boon, and she knew that.'

'But what of it? They couldn't just get rid of her, it would draw too much attention and cause too much destruction.'

'And she would make use of her situation without a care in the world because they were the ones that pulled her here, so they are to bear the consequences of it.'

'After going around collecting information, Ishtar already had a tight grasp of Thanatos' plans, or believed so at the very least.'

'However, if this was within his plans or not, she could not tell.'

'But it felt too easy… If it was that easy, then from the start, she could've just taken over them and used them against Freya.'

'Had she done that from the start, she wouldn't have needed to meddle with that impertinent Mortal boy...'

'Though, perhaps it was to be expected... How can one expect to hide any secrets from a Goddess that can force them out at will?'

'The only things she wasn't aware of now were the secrets he himself and his higher-ranking servants held within their lips.'

'Despite her efforts, she did not manage to touch them, and that was likely on purpose.'

'Thanatos wouldn't allow his secrets to get into her hands so easily.'

'If he allowed her to act as she pleased, it was very much possible for Ishtar to overthrow him by force, or to simply pull the rugs under his foot.'

'And she knew that as well.'

'But she had to admit, Thanatos forces were way bigger than she expected of a group that was thoroughly gutted a few years ago during the Great feud...'

'Yet, she also scorned him for being so inefficient, albeit that was to be expected as well, given Thanatos wasn't exactly the kind of person that could turn the tide of a battlefield with his insight.'

'All of it was thanks to his commander, the pink-haired girl with that twisted expression...'

'If she could get her hands on her, everything would be over.'

"I wonder… How long will it take?"

'To go back to the top, she would need to make sure Thanatos' plans came to fruition, at least until a certain point where she could take over the rest.'

'But for that, a lot had to be prepared and many plans needed to be executed.'

"The problem is my standing… It's not desirable."

'She currently possessed one Level 5, 14 Level 3, and 20 Level 2 adventurers directly under her charm, and she knew it was impossible for them to betray her.'

'However, Thanatos possessed an extremely powerful card…'

"That Curse…"

'The Magic of the one-armed freak that reeked of blood.'

'A curse so foul that it would rot away at one's life, but in exchange, it brought forward everything within them at once.'

'It was a Curse of power, to curse someone with strength…'

If only I had something like that…

'Because of the terrible Curse, she was forced to change her plans.'

'Originally, she wanted to make use of Haruhime's existence as an exchange chip coin to trade for higher authority, and if possible, she even wanted to go capture her again and monopolize her…'

'But with the existence of the cursed, she feared her chip had just lost most of its value.'

'Because a blessing and a Curse wouldn't effectively work well together.'

'In other words, it wasn't guaranteed for them to function properly when laid atop one another, it could even backfire.'

'By revealing Haruhime's existence and setting her as a target, she would be doing herself no favor, as in the end, it wouldn't be her that would be capturing her… It would be Evilus.'

'And they wouldn't hand her over once they got their hands on the fox.'

'So she was in a spot, Haruhime was one of her trump cards, but was she supposed to allow her to go on scot-free?'

'At any moment, someone else could get their hands on her, someone they couldn't so easily touch... Such as Freya.'

'If that happened, even Thanatos' plans might go down the drain.'

'But the more she thought about it, the more she understood her own carelessness.'

"People will find out about her sooner or later." She mumbled to herself as she arrived at a certain conclusion

All of the Amazons knew about her, the question is how long it'll take for them to let that information slip.

And once it spreads, people will try to get their hands on her too.

Of course, at least in that regard, I can rest assured…

Because no one would be able to get her as long as that bastard is alive.

Even if they do, it would be like putting their hand in a hornet's nest.

"What to do…"

'Ishtar got up from her bed, resolved.'

'And she walked out of her room.'

…

/Around half a day after Emma was saved the Hestia Familia…/

/SMACK!/

'A group of people could be seen around a small training ground where a single lady 'fought' against a dummy target.'

'Punching, kicking, slashing with her hands, she displayed great close-quarters mastery against the pitiful inanimate object.'

/SMACK!/

'They were all standing upright with their arms on their backs, looking like trained soldiers in all their glory...'

'But the atmosphere was tense.'

/SMACK!/

'Punching the metallic dummy in the face, caving it in, the lady with purple hair turned around, looking at the soldiers with a cold expression.'

"Report." She said simply and plainly as she grabbed a towel from the side to wipe the sweat off her face

"... We..."

"Out with it already."

"We have lost contact with the Scout squadron."

"... What happened? Weren't they on a mission? A simple one at that." She asked with a frown as her expression turned serious

""...""

'They all looked at each other with grim expressions, as if trying to figure out who would be the one to relay her the news.'

"Ex-Plain." She said again, this time, a bit more serious than before

"Sir! The Scout team was executing your commands when it found the location of the target…" Someone reported as he closed his eyes, praying for the best

"Upon reporting its position to us and receiving confirmation to proceed… That was when we last heard of them… Until recently."

"We searched for them for a while around the area where they were last known to be… And we now know what happened to them."

"..."

'She remained silent, it was their cue to speak.'

"So… It seems the scout team was captured by the Hestia Familia." He said slowly as to give the girl some time to process

"... Was that supposed to make sense to me?"

"How... Just how did the operation end up with them being captured by the Hestia Familia?!" She asked with anger as she closed her eyes to think, having the urge to punch one of these idiots

'But she had a job to do.'

"It was a coincidence and also due to an oversight of the Scout team, I assume full responsibility for this Sir!" An older one said as his back became straighter, he seemed to be a leader, but below the girl

"... First, tell me how it all happened?" She requested as she touched her eyebrows

It was supposed to be a simple mission.

To scare her away so she would return to the countryside, that's it.

Her place is not in the middle of this chaotic city.

I know exactly why she's here… And I didn't want to face her, after all that happened…

…

'Her subordinates began to properly explain everything to the utmost detail, going as far as giving every detail they had on the girl.'

'From her hair color to where she was, from her personality to her 3... Sizes?!'

'And the more she listened, the more her expression distorted as she started to realize what was going on.'

'At the end of the conversation, she was sitting on a chair thinking deeply of what to do next.'

"How did they manage to screw up such a simple request?..." She said out loud as she face palmed

Now… Things are completely up to fate.

Hopefully, this will be enough for her to give up, a scare of this degree might break her spirit...

Or worse, she may get even more motivated.

... But deeming she came all the way here, I don't expect her to turn back.

She was a tough girl in her own right, rarely cried when hurt, though a single flick in her forehead already made her go down in tears.

'She started to remember the past, only to shake her head.'

However, after what I just did, if I were to go meet her… How would she even see me?

Instead of longing, she might start hating me, if she even feels that way toward me...

"This is getting messy… And in such an important time…"

/BOOOM!/

/Crack!/

""?!""

'Suddenly, the walls of the training room burst open as dust blasted onto their faces.'

'Everyone turned around to see what was going on, getting in combat positions…'

/CLAP!/

'But before they had the chance to prepare, a loud clap shook their eardrums, blowing all of the dust away in one swoop.'

"Cough!... ?!"

'Momentarily distracted by all of these events, the purple-haired lady raised her head to look at the people that had invaded her room…'

'It was two people, one man, and one…'

"You…"

'But once again, before she had the time to finish her line, the man pointed at her and asked:'

"Is that her? She does look like you a little." Silver said as he pointed at the purple hair girl

"Y-Yes… That's my sister." Emma replied as a small bead of sweat fell from her forehead

This is a bit sudden... I feel as if my efforts went down the drain...

""Sir!"" All of the soldiers exclaimed in unison as they gathered into a formation with the girl at the center

"W-Wait! At ease!" The purple-haired girl said quickly as she felt a headache coming

"That's… My sister… They're not enemies." She said slowly as she got up from her seat

At least… I think so.

'A strange meeting in the most bombastic of ways!'

'The sisters reunite, but what made them separate in the first place?'

…

/A bit before…/

/Chatter.../

'On the streets, Silver and Emma could be seen walking side by side as they looked around the place.'

'As people walked around doing their own things, so did they.'

'There were many shops and houses in this area, but it was clear that this was a more luxurious section as compared to the other parts of Orario.'

"Hm… I've never been here before." Silver said out loud as he inspected his surroundings

There was never a reason to visit these housing sections of the city apart from a few instances.

They're definitely worth checking from time to time.

I can see a few interesting shops, it would do for a nice date spot...

"..."

'Emma on the other hand, stood silent, not because she wanted to, but because she didn't know what to say.'

'Everything had happened so quickly… From how she started to be hunted down by a group she didn't know much of to waking up after almost dying in an alley and being rescued by a small Goddess…'

'Barely had she been given time to process everything, she was asked several questions by the man next to her, and before she knew it, both of them went on a journey.'

'Honestly, she couldn't even set her thoughts straight, much less formulate a proper response for him.'

'Her body felt heavy, and she wanted to rest, but above all, she wanted to find someone.'

'Originally, they weren't supposed to be out here, but upon hearing his words, she just couldn't stay still.'

'Her mouth and legs moved by themselves, asking for his help once more.'

'Before she knew, she was here…'

/Stop…/

"Hm?!"

'In front of her, the man that saved her life stood, looking down at her with a frown.'

'Their difference in height showed itself yet again as Emma was just about 156 cm tall.'

"If you aren't feeling well, we can always stop for a moment."

"However, it's important to have a clear mind at all times." He said as he looked to the side, gazing at a sweets shop

"Here, why don't you tell me more about your situation over some food? I was feeling a bit hungry as well given I just returned from the Dungeon."

"I… I'm okay…"

"Care to repeat that?" He asked with a small smile before entering the shop, leaving her alone

"..."

He didn't even give me the chance to say it again…

'In the end, Emma followed him inside.'

…

/Later…/

'Sitting around a bench outside, Emma talked as Silver listened...'

"... So… After that happened, my sister left home, I was 11 at the time, she was 17, and that was 4 years ago."

"Ever since then, it had been a desire of mine to go after her, not for any reason but to learn what truly happened, and to know how she truly feels."

"I believe in her, but more than anything, I want her to tell me that herself."

"And over the years, my worries kept pilling up as we received the news of what was happening within Orario."

"After I grew old enough, I followed in her footsteps, and after a while, I arrived."

"I see…"

The classic story of family trouble followed by their eventual separation, only for one of them to go after the other for some reason in the future.

Regret, longing, desire, anger, anything else, it doesn't matter.

Albeit a lot of the truth was hidden from those outside, news slowly travels from person to person as time goes on…

Censorship has always been a part of Orario, as it was done as a way to maintain the city's image as the bastion of the world...

And also to make sure its inhabitants are safe and sound.

"So that was why you came to Orario?"

'She nodded slowly as she held onto her cookies.'

"At first, it was overwhelming, all these people, all these noises… All so novel, yet so familiar."

"Sometimes, I felt a bit sick due to how strange everything feels and is, but I got by."

"I originally had the intention of settling down and perhaps joining a Familia, as that would hasten my search…"

"Did you want to be an adventurer?"

'She shook her head.'

"It wasn't my intention, but as time passed, I just thought… Why not?"

"..."

"Don't look at me like that… It was a decision that had been on my mind for many years!..." She said with a slight pout

"I tried joining a few Familias, but no one wanted me, and even those that accepted me looked sketchy."

"There was one that accepted me and looked honest about their intentions, but they said they needed to wait for their God to return from his trip."

"So why didn't you join them?"

"Because… I don't know where their Familia home is… And I... Got lost when I tried to go back..." She said with a tinge of embarrassment as she looked at the side

"..."

I thought these types of dork girls were nonexistent, but I got proven wrong…

To have such a weak sense of direction… I should've expected it.

Back in the Manor, when she started walking around post her recovery, she lost her way and somehow found herself in the back forest garden, thankfully one of the girls in there managed to bring her back before she got hurt by a stray arrow…

Since that place is an Archery range.

And multiple times throughout our exploration, she changed ways due to something getting her attention, only to vanish within the crowd.

If it wasn't for the fact keeping track of her was simple, I would've lost her several times by now.

"Still, that doesn't explain how you got yourself hunted."

"That… I also don't have an answer to."

"They just suddenly started going after me, there was no warning, no reason… They just did."

'She clenched her cookie bag.'

"I was afraid, for the first time in my life I had been faced with such a hurdle, but I wasn't willing to go back so soon."

"For the last few days, I've been moving around and trying to lose them as I searched for my sister… And that worked well… Until they hurt my leg, the rest you already know."

"I see…"

Albeit... How did she flee from a trained group of adventurers as a normal girl?

Wait… It can't be... Was it her horrible sense of direction? No way…

'Silver let out a dry laugh as he got up from his seat.'

"Alright, I think I understand you a bit more now."

"Let's go find your sister." He said with a smile as he got up from his seat

We're close anyway, the information I got from those guys tells they're just around the corner...

"A-Alright!" She said with some optimism

"..."

She's a kind girl… And although naive, she isn't completely stupid.

She's more of an airhead... Like Ais, though in a different way.

Two shades of airheadedness, if that's even a word.

It's easy to trust her and also to gain her trust.

Though… I wonder why those guys were after her, questioning them didn't give me much insight into this matter, only their location.

It seems her sister is aware she is being pursued but has no intention of being found.

So she had a group of people go after her sister to scare her off... How... Confusing.

Obviously, something went wrong and Emma almost died...

And because of this, Emma thinks she did something wrong and is now being overly careful all the time, despite her clear lack of focus as she keeps getting lost...

Well... She doesn't know of this fact yet, I've been looking for an opportunity to her this...

But I felt like this was something better discussed between them rather than having me interject.

Given Emma is now a part of the Familia, I have to do my job as the Captain and take care of her properly until she can do it herself.

This is likely all tied to the reason she gave me not long ago...

But was it really that significant to her sister? To the point she doesn't want her to seek her out?

This might be her way to protect her, since Orario isn't exactly a safe place, and given Emma's personality, if I were her brother, I wouldn't want her anywhere near this place as well.

Well… I can just figure it out later.

At the very least, this wasn't like those cliche reasons, such as her beauty or anything of the sort.

It's just a family matter, one that went a bit too far for my taste.

As the Captain of the Hestia Familia, I'll have to pursue this matter, for Emma or not.

Because they dared do something as daring as hunting someone down at my doorstep.

And I have to teach them a slight lesson, just so they have no intentions of doing it again.

Them or anyone else.

Though, if I'm going to keep this matter under the rug, would it matter how I dealt with her?

If I end up punishing her sister too much I may only end up with Emma's impression of me decreasing, given how much she treasures her.

Well, I'll see. Depending on things I'll improvise...

'Scratching his chin, Silver led her around the street as they went on a B-line to their target.'

…

/Back to the present…/

(On the next chapter XD)

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Notes

This was another big chapter, and like before, we address a few more important POVs prior to resuming the progress of the story.

Once this business with Emma is done... Well... We'll be going to the next arc.

There are already quite a few things foreshadowed to the next Arc, such as a timely visit to Melen, Silver's parents, a certain Village, and more.

This Arc may also have more development on other important characters such as Freya as I have started to come up with an overall idea of what I want to do with her and her children.

That'll depend on how I develop it though.

Either way, for those waiting for Zero fate, the next chapter will be a big one that will cover the two missing chapters from last week and this one, so I won't be able to post it today, at most tomorrow.

That's about it, peace!