Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

Thank you all so much for your incredible support this week!

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

Aisha Belka had already offered the exchange, but Ishtar refused without hesitation.

"NO. I DON'T AGREE!"

She had already been beaten, humiliated, and dragged across the ground. Now they wanted her to give up members of her own Familia as well? That made no sense. How could the Hestia Familia be so unreasonable?

"What if I agree?" A familiar voice came from the end of the street.

Hestia stood tall, her head held high. She walked toward them with the confidence of someone who owned the entire Entertainment District.

The moment she appeared, Space Ishtar and Ereshkigal turned to glare at her. This was the Goddess who had grabbed August and run away before they could even greet him properly. Neither of them had forgotten.

Hestia knew they were upset with her, but she didn't care. They were just projections, and she was sure August liked her best.

Being at the top had its benefits.

Ereshkigal released Ishtar and stepped aside—giving her a chance to defend herself.

Ishtar responded right away.

"Hestia, what is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "Do Orario's rules mean nothing to you? You can't just enter another Familia's territory and attack its Goddess!"

Smack!

Hestia slapped her. Ishtar's cheek quickly turned red.

"Are you stupid?" Hestia asked. "I'm a Goddess. As long as I can afford the fine, what exactly are you going to do about it?"

She put her hands on her hips.

"You've been in Orario long enough to know what kind of Goddess you are. Apollo wasn't the only one who broke rules whenever it suited him. You've done more than your share."

She had forced helpless women into prostitution, bought trafficked girls, and used Charm to control anyone who resisted—

And now Ishtar wanted to lecture a virgin Goddess about obeying the rules?

The idea was ridiculous. Hestia had spent years protecting herself and her purity in the Lower World, and she hadn't done that by following every rule the other Gods tried to force on her.

"Let me make this clear," Hestia continued. "You're making the trade whether you like it or not. I'm not some harmless little Goddess you can push around!"

Smack!

She slapped Ishtar again.

The second slap broke what was left of Ishtar's pride.

"U-Uwaaaaaaaah!"

Tears streamed down her face. Being humiliated by Hestia once had been bad enough. Now it was happening again, in front of her own children and two other versions of herself.

Ishtar finally broke. She covered her swollen face and ran back toward her temple, crying the entire way.

Ereshkigal watched her leave, surprised. She had slapped Ishtar many times before without making her cry.

But after just two slaps from Hestia, Ishtar ran away in tears.

"..." Aisha watched the all-too-familiar scene and rubbed her forehead.

"Not again..." This was almost exactly how things had ended last time. If this kept up, Ishtar would never be able to face Hestia again.

Every time they met, Hestia slapped her.

Who could put up with that?

Aisha sighed and accepted the situation.

"Lady Hestia, choose whoever you want." She turned toward her companions. "Samira, gather the newer members."

Most of the battle prostitutes who could have fought back were already unconscious or too hurt to stand after Space Ishtar's attack. Aisha herself wasn't much better off.

"Yes."

Samira nodded and left to do as she was told. She didn't want to get involved any more than she had to. Besides, the younger girls would probably be safer with the Hestia Familia.

Soon, the new members of the Ishtar Familia were gathered in the street. They stood in a nervous line as Hestia looked them over one by one. As a virgin Goddess, she could tell which girls hadn't yet been forced to work in the Entertainment District.

Still, she had no intention of binding anyone against their will.

"Let me explain," Hestia said. "I'm hiring you. You'll stay members of the Ishtar Familia, but you'll work at our home under a regular job contract."

She looked across the nervous faces.

"If you want to join the Hestia Familia later, you'll need to pass our test. We won't accept you just because you work for us. If you don't pass, that's okay—you'll still get paid. When you're old enough and able to support yourselves, you can leave and join any Familia you want."

The conditions were generous.

They wouldn't have to pay to leave. They would get paid for their work. They could stay for a while, try to join later, or start a new life somewhere else once they had saved enough.

For girls who had been sold into the Entertainment District, it sounded almost too good to be true.

Their eyes lit up. If Hestia chose them, they could finally escape.

A few girls were still unsure. They had only just joined the Ishtar Familia, and leaving so soon was scary.

Aisha was the only senior member who could give them advice.

One by one, the girls looked at her.

Aisha knew what they wanted to hear. "The Ishtar Familia... is not a good place for most of you."

She didn't sugarcoat it. Members who failed could be thrown out. Women who made Ishtar angry might be Charmed, locked up, and broken down until they couldn't fight back anymore. Aisha knew exactly what went on behind those doors.

Working for the Hestia Familia, even while still under Ishtar's Falna, would give these girls something rare in this place.

Freedom.

Several older battle prostitutes nodded.

"Listen to Aisha."

"She's right. This place won't give girls like you a good future."

"If you have a chance to leave, take it."

The older women had already been changed by life in the Entertainment District. Their hopes, habits, and views on men had become so twisted that they couldn't imagine living anywhere else. But they didn't want the younger girls to end up the same way.

The Ishtar Familia gave power, money, and protection, but it took much more in return.

After hearing the advice, several girls who had just arrived in Orario stepped forward to Hestia. They knew they had to make a choice.

The Hestia Familia was small but well respected. It protected its members, paid them well, and had already earned much of Orario's respect.

For these girls, this might be their best chance.

Haruhime Sanjouno watched the younger girls step forward, but she stayed where she was, unsure.

Aisha looked at the fox girl, who always called her "Sister," and sighed again. Every experienced woman in the Ishtar Familia knew Haruhime had never been sent to work. Her case was unusual, but Haruhime still believed she was already ruined.

"Go," Aisha told her, giving her a gentle push. "Introduce yourself. With your ability, that Familia is a good place for you."

Another battle prostitute laughed and gave Haruhime a gentle push from behind.

"Don't you love stories about heroes?" She pointed at August. "There's one right in front of you. Are you really going to let this chance go?"

Haruhime stumbled out of the crowd. For a moment, she froze as everyone stared at her. Then she remembered where she was and what would happen if she stayed.

She didn't want to die.

Once she came under Hestia's protection, Ishtar could no longer dispose of her so easily. More importantly, Hestia Familia never abandoned its own. Anyone who harmed one of them could expect the whole Familia to come down on them.

Haruhime gathered her courage and raised her hand.

"May I come with you?" she asked, her voice barely just above a whisper.

"I know I'm... a filthy woman."

Aisha's expression tightened, but she didn't interrupt.

Haruhime looked down.

"But I have a special Magic called [Uchide no Kozuchi]. It can temporarily raise an Adventurer by one Level."

She told them everything without holding back.

Hestia and Lili studied her carefully.

Neither of them thought she was lying.

"Alright. You're coming too."

Hestia put a hand on Haruhime's shoulder and accepted her without asking anything else. She didn't care about what people said about the girl's past.

This wasn't a permanent Falna transfer yet. Haruhime would start as an employee under Hestia's protection, and if she proved herself and wanted to join the Familia later, they could handle it then. For now, Hestia was willing to give her a chance.

Haruhime stared at the hand resting on her shoulder.

For the first time since coming to Orario, her future didn't seem hopeless.

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

Ishtar's Temple

"Ugh..."

Ishtar lay across her bed with tears running down her face.

She refused to accept what had happened. Losing to Ereshkigal was already humiliating. Then another Ishtar had destroyed her entire Familia. Since August showed up in Orario, everything had gone wrong for her.

Knock, knock.

Ishtar wiped her eyes. She had been crying for a while, but she still didn't want her children to see too much.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Aisha Belka entered with the remaining executives of the Ishtar Familia.

"Lady Ishtar."

Aisha kept her head down, and the others followed her lead. No one wanted to look at their Goddess's swollen face—or risk being noticed.

"We lost," Aisha reported. "Haruhime was taken, along with most of the girls brought in recently."

She paused. "Captain Phryne was knocked out by the other Lady Ishtar."

The Ishtar Familia had suffered a crushing defeat.

One of the women who guarded the treasury stepped forward, looking even more nervous.

"They also took nearly half of the valuables from the Familia's storehouse."

Ishtar felt dizzy.

"What did you just say?"

She had lost her most important advantage, and now half her wealth was gone too.

"THOSE ANIMALS..." She clenched her teeth. Why hadn't they just taken her too?

"They demanded it, and you just handed everything over??" Ishtar shouted. "What are we supposed to eat? What are we supposed to use to keep the Familia running??"

"Captain Phryne lost, and you withdrew," Aisha replied flatly. "We couldn't stop them."

Her voice already sounded resigned.

"If they declared a War Game, we would lose. Trading part of the treasury and several members to protect what remained of the Familia was the best outcome we could secure."

Haruhime was gone now, and that alone made Aisha feel lighter. No matter what punishment came next, at least her little sister wouldn't be caught up in Ishtar's schemes. As an Amazon, Aisha had never cared much about shame or modesty. Ishtar could do whatever she wanted to her.

"There's also the plan we've spent years preparing," Aisha continued. "If you destroy the Familia now, everything we've done against Freya will be wasted."

Several executives next to her trembled. They knew what was coming. Ishtar needed someone to blame, and Aisha had stepped forward on purpose.

She had already decided to carry the blame.

Hearing Freya's name made Ishtar freeze. She had spent years on her plan and finally found a way to bring down the Freya Familia. If she gave up now, all her sacrifices and money would be for nothing.

"No."

Ishtar clenched the sheets beneath her.

"THE PLAN CANNOT STOP. NOT AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE PUT INTO IT."

Her face twisted with emotion.

"Freya... You got lucky."

Then she thought of Hestia and August.

"As for the Hestia Familia—I'll settle this with all of you sooner or later."

Her gaze shifted back to Aisha.

"Raise your head." Ishtar's voice took on a Divine Charm. Aisha's body responded before she could stop it. She raised her head and met the Goddess's eyes, feeling her control slip away.

She knew what came next.

"You allowed the Familia to lose its people and half its wealth," Ishtar said coldly. "One hundred lashes. Then three days treated like a dog."

Ishtar would never admit she couldn't stop Hestia. Her pride wouldn't allow it. Someone else had to take the blame, and Aisha was the obvious choice.

"Yes." Aisha heard herself answer. Her mind remained awake inside a body that no longer belonged to her.

She had expected this.

"What are you standing around for?" Ishtar snapped at the others. "Take her away."

The executives winced.

This was their Goddess.

Cold.

Selfish.

Merciless toward the very children who worshipped her... Some of them had never joined willingly. They had been bought, traded, or forced into the Familia and could do nothing but obey.

"Yes, Lady Ishtar."

The women steeled themselves and dragged Aisha out. They took her to the part of the temple meant for members who needed to be "corrected." Aisha wouldn't be leaving for days. Ishtar's Charm dulled the mind enough to keep her obedient, but it couldn't protect her body.

Hidden nearby, a magical familiar recorded everything.

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

"So that's how Ishtar handles loyalty."

August watched the captured footage with a flat expression. Aisha had protected the Familia from complete destruction—yet she was still the one being punished.

"Cold, selfish, and cruel," Space Ishtar said.

She didn't sound surprised. To her, this world's Ishtar acted just like the Gods from myth: arrogant, driven by desire, quick to love, and even quicker to turn on anyone who upset her. Space Ishtar didn't admire her actions, but she couldn't deny the truth.

That woman was unquestionably a Goddess.

"Are you sure you should be saying that?" August asked.

Lili and Hestia gave her equally strange looks.

Was Space Ishtar insulting Ishtar—or all Gods?

"I've seen enough to know what I'm talking about." Space Ishtar looked at them as though they were the foolish ones, especially Hestia. "Gods aren't human. Human morality and logic don't come naturally to them. Divinity is built on impulse, contradiction, and whatever idea a God stands for."

She pointed toward Hestia.

"You're the unusual one."

Hestia was a virgin Goddess who kept her Divine Nature but still had human reason and emotional balance. That mix was much rarer than Ishtar's cruelty.

"Wow." Ereshkigal stared at Space Ishtar. "You might be the first version of Ishtar brave enough to say that out loud."

Even more surprising than her courage was how calm and clear she sounded.

"Hmph. What do you know?" Space Ishtar folded her arms. "I've traveled through countless civilizations. I understand how societies work."

...

When the Hestia Familia finally left the Entertainment District, they were followed by a long group of rescued girls carrying boxes of jewelry and treasure.

Everyone on the street stopped to stare.

Had they robbed the Ishtar Familia?

No one knew what had happened inside—but the rumors spread through Orario anyway.

August had single-handedly defeated the Ishtar Familia.

That was the story everyone told.

In truth, August had barely fought at all. He used his Command Spells to summon two strange Goddesses: another Ishtar and Ishtar's sister, Ereshkigal.

The other Ishtar defeated the battle prostitutes, and Ereshkigal beat the local Goddess. Then Hestia gave the final slap and sent Ishtar running back to her temple in tears.

By the time the story reached the other Familias, it had already become one of the greatest jokes Orario had heard in years.

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

The Hephaestus Familia

"Hestia, you're unbelievable!" Hephaestus burst out laughing when she heard the full story.

That morning, Hestia showed everyone footage of Servants destroying another world.

By afternoon, August had summoned one of those same Servants into the Entertainment District—and it turned out to be another Ishtar.

The alternate Goddess then crushed Ishtar's Familia.

Hephaestus wasn't the only Goddess laughing. News of Ishtar being slapped, humiliated, and sent home like a defeated child spread among the former residents of Heaven as top entertainment.

At the same time, every Familia became even more reluctant to fight August.

What could they do? As soon as a fight started, he could use a Command Spell and summon a divine projection strong enough to crush an entire Familia.

They wouldn't even have a private place to cry afterward.

Still, not everyone was happy.

The Hestia Familia had been in the spotlight in Orario for too long. One big incident was fine. Two or three could still be fun. But August and Hestia seemed set on grabbing attention every few days.

The other Gods were starting to feel cheated.

Couldn't they leave some excitement for everyone else?

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

BULK UPLOAD OF 5 CHAPTERS IF WE HIT 900 POWERSTONES THIS WEEK!!

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

~ Every 300 Power Stones = Bonus chapter!

~ 40 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)