Chapter 328 - 324: A Compromise Signed in Fear

Inside Belit Babili, the commotion had just begun to die down.

The golden magic circle on the floor slowly faded as the towering pillar of light vanished.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls and columns, while part of the grand stairway lay in ruins.

There was a strange silence for a moment as dust and debris fell from the ceiling, followed by a chorus of pained grunts.

"Grgh…"

"Urgh…"

"Aagh…"

"Blergh!"

Members of the Ishtar Familia began collapsing to the ground.

Some fell to their knees; others remained standing, clutching their heads in agony, visibly disoriented before vomiting onto the floor.

With how 『Karma's Judgement』 worked, the damage between each of them varied.

More than half of Ishtar's forces had been put out of commission.

Still, there were quite a lot more people left than what Judas initially thought.

'At least thirty percent.'

Even if some of them had lived without committing crimes and evil deeds, it was something that he didn't expect from a Familia full of prostitutes.

'It must be because most of them are Amazons. In their culture, prostitution is just a normal aspect of daily life, no different than eating or drinking. So Karma's Judgement can only punish a sin if the person in question views it as such.'

Judas thought as he surveyed the scene.

cough cough cough

"Lena, how come you are fine?"

Aisha wheezed from her knees, wiping her mouth as she stared in disbelief at the young Amazon standing beside her.

"Umm... I don't know?"

Lena Tally replied, scratching her head with an awkward grin.

"My stomach hurts a tiny bit, but other than that... I feel completely normal."

Judas glanced at their exchange for a second before shifting his attention to Ishtar.

'Looks like it didn't affect her… Even in a mortal body, she's still a divine being.'

Dismissing the thought, he took a step toward her.

"Ishtar."

Judas walked forward with a slow, steady gait, approaching her with calm composure.

Yet to Ishtar, his voice sounded like a demon calling out from the depths.

She squeaked out a terrified, "Eep!"

Seeing this, Aisha and the others who could still stand and fight quickly got in front of their goddess to shield her.

Judas paused, flicking his wrist to bind them in telekinetic force and sweep them aside.

"What the!?"

"I can't move?"

Aisha and the others tried to break free, but no matter how hard they struggled, they were unable to move a single inch.

Now that he had dealt with them, Judas took another step towards Ishtar.

"G-Go away!"

Ishtar cried out, realizing her children had been rendered helpless.

Driven by desperation, she unleashed her charm once more.

Her eyes glowed with a purplish-pink hue, but Judas easily brushed it off as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

"You maniac! You've completely gone insane!"

"Haven't you caused enough damage already?!"

Ishtar shouted, taking a few frantic steps backward.

"Ishtar, I gave you a clear chance to stand down earlier."

Judas replied, keeping his cold gaze fixed on her.

"Not only did you refuse to hand Phryne over, but you also ordered your children to attack. Did you expect me to just stand there and take it?"

Ishtar gnashed her teeth.

"You barged into my home and started wrecking everything!"

Her eyes turned bloodshot as she screamed.

"All for what?! Just for that bitch of a receptionist? If she was stupid enough to get in that toad's way, she deserved to die!"

Hearing this, Judas' gaze turned unsympathetic.

"If that's how you see it, then let's leave it at that."

He stepped closer, leaning in to whisper into her ear.

"Ishtar… don't think we forgot about your involvement in the incident back in Melen."

"Even without tonight, we would have come for you eventually. Tell me… what is your connection to Evilus?"

Hearing this, Ishtar flinched.

"D-Don't make baseless accusations! Why would I work with such scum?"

She vehemently denied it, but Judas caught the unnatural inflection in her voice and narrowed his eyes.

"Well, if you don't want to admit it, that's fine… it won't matter anyway."

Judas shrugged as a plan began to brew in his head.

Thanks to the conflict in Melen and the sudden appearance of the Dis Sisters and Violas, Loki and the executives already knew the Ishtar Familia was tied to Evilus.

Finn and the other executives had already held several meetings to discuss this and had begun their own investigation.

This was also complicated by the fact that Guildmaster Royman had personally stepped in and prevented Loki from outright starting a war with Ishtar, at least for the time being.

He explained that Ishtar's business in the Pleasure District played a major role in Orario's economy.

If her familia vanished overnight, the resulting power vacuum would trigger an underground war among the lower-ranking Familias and factions, as well as merchants with ambitions of their own.

He claimed he wanted time to prepare for the fallout when Loki eventually confronted Ishtar... all for the sake of "maintaining order and protecting citizens.".

At least, that was what Royman told them.

But in truth, Finn and the others had already guessed that Royman wanted to use this opportunity to profit from the conflict and regain control over the Pleasure District.

To buy Finn and Loki's cooperation, Royman had offered them classified intel regarding the 61st to 71st floors left behind by the Zeus and Hera Familias.

'Until then, we are to leave the Ishtar Familia alone.'

That was what Finn had instructed.

'Though it's a bit too late for that now.'

Judas thought as he looked around.

By storming into the Ishtar Familia's base like this, he had essentially violated the deal, which meant that they might not be able to get the information on the 61st to 71st floors.

'I am going to get scolded when I get back, am I?'

He realized this, but still, he did not regret what he had done after seeing what happened to Rose.

Also, because of what happened back in Melen, the Ishtar Familia had endangered the lives of many of the lower-ranking members of the Loki Familia.

From the start, he never had a positive opinion of Ishtar and her Familia.

"From kidnapping and smuggling to conspiring with Evilus and attempted murder… frankly, there are plenty of reasons for me to obliterate you and your familia right here, right now."

Judas said in a cold voice.

A wave of suffocating killing intent washed over the area, making everyone shudder.

Even Ishtar felt her pupils contract, cold sweat breaking out across her skin.

But then Judas immediately retracted his killing intent, his expression suddenly becoming more relaxed.

"However, I changed my mind…"

Judas added, his gaze shifting to Aisha, Lena, and the others who were still trapped by his telekinetic bind.

"I'll offer your familia a single chance to survive."

Hearing this, Ishtar should have felt relieved, but instead, she felt that something was off.

"What do you mean?"

Ishtar asked, her brow furrowing.

"Don't you get it? A Wargame."

Judas' words struck like a hammer in Ishtar's ears, her face turning pale.

"And if I refuse?"

She asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"If you don't comply, you will disband your Familia immediately and leave Orario forever. If you refuse to leave, I will execute Phryne on the spot. Then, I will visit the Pleasure District every single night to tear down one of your establishments... until Miss Rose wakes from her coma and asks me to stop."

Ishtar bit her lip so hard it nearly bled.

The ultimatum that Judas had given her was something she didn't want to accept.

If she left the city, everything she had built would crumble to nothing.

'He is definitely scheming something.'

Her godly intuition told her that there had to be some hidden reason why Judas had challenged her to a Wargame.

But it wasn't like she had a choice in the matter.

'Damn it! To be backed into a corner like this… What an absolute humiliation!'

Ishtar made a difficult expression.

"Fine… if it's a Wargame you want, then it's a Wargame you'll get."

She said, glaring at him.

"However… for us to have a chance in this Wargame… I want the rest of the Loki Familia to be excluded. This is my only condition… if you don't agree, then you might as well destroy my Familia right now."

Having witnessed Judas's terrifying display firsthand, Ishtar knew that with him in their ranks, the Loki Familia was far more dangerous than even the Freya Familia.

Even if she planned to rely on the Killing Stone ritual to handle Freya, that strategy wouldn't save her against Loki's forces plus Judas.

Removing the rest of the Loki Familia was her only way to have even a sliver of a chance.

"Fine… I'll agree to those terms."

Thankfully, Judas accepted without a fuss.

Ishtar felt a small sense of relief.

But a second later, her expression tightened once again.

"Of course, if you lose, the Ishtar Familia will become a subordinate Familia under the Loki Familia from now on."

"T-Then... if you lose, then the Loki Familia will..."

Ishtar tried to argue, but Judas quickly cut her off.

"Don't push your luck. This is a War Game to decide your familia's survival. Be grateful I'm sparing you tonight."

Ishtar clenched her fists in impotent rage, unable to utter a single counter-argument.

She could only watch as Judas drifted upward, levitating in the air before her.

"It was lovely chatting with you, Lady Ishtar."

'Screw you!'

Ishtar shouted in her mind as she watched him turn around and leave.

'Now the bait has been cast... let's see if the fish will bite.'

Judas thought as he looked back, watching Belit Babili slowly shrink from view.

Only after Judas vanished into the night sky were Aisha and the others finally released from his telekinetic grip, collapsing to the floor.

"Lady Ishtar, are you alright?!"

An Amazon called out, rushing to her side.

Ishtar didn't answer.

She kept her eyes fixed on the empty sky where Judas had disappeared, her gaze burning with unadulterated hatred.

'Just you wait, Veneratus Est… I will make you pay!'

Thus ended the longest night the Ishtar Familia had ever experienced.

---

+15 chapters at patreon.com/drdedot