Chapter 200: Impending Disaster

But as far as Hermes knew, there hadn't been any intelligence suggesting the Sol Familia was targeting the Ishtar Familia.

Had Sol really launched an operation without informing the Guild?

But why?

Why would he go after Ishtar?

Did that woman do something outrageous again?

Pleasure District was a paradise for countless male adventurers and gods, a place where they could indulge themselves freely. How would they cope without it?

Hermes frowned, the weight of the situation settling in.

No, this was serious. He had to find a way to save the Pleasure District!

"Hey, Sol… did Ishtar do something?" Hermes sidled up to him, wearing his most ingratiating smile, hoping to pry some information out of him.

But before Sol could answer, a brilliant column of fire erupted from the heart of Pleasure District, illuminating the sky above the Ishtar Familia's residence.

The flames licked at the heavens, and panicked screams of women echoed through the night.

The festive air shattered instantly. Adventurers, startled from their revelry, bolted from the rooms lining both sides of the street.

Some stumbled out half-dressed, their clothes haphazardly thrown on, while behind them, through open doorways, the stunned faces of prostitutes could be seen.

Many who had been moments away from indulging hesitated, now wary.

Others—those who had already succumbed to exhaustion—remained unconscious, undisturbed by the sudden chaos.

Sol exhaled, unfazed.

"Looks like it's time for me to take care of the finishing touches. I'll be going now."

With that, he turned, leaving Hermes behind without a second glance.

Alfia followed, keeping pace as they made their way swiftly toward the Ishtar Familia's residence.

At the heart of Pleasure District, the situation was under strict control.

Under Riveria's careful command, the skirmish was contained within a limited radius, preventing the unrest from spilling beyond the Ishtar Familia's estate.

After all, this land was to be handed over to Kayle and her people. Excessive destruction would only cause trouble for their own side later.

The elite strike team, composed of top-tier adventurers, had already breached the inner sanctum of the Ishtar Familia.

To their surprise, they encountered minimal resistance.

The only real threat—the monstrous Phryne—had already been dealt with in advance. Ahri had ensured that the toad-like Amazon had been buried deep in the dungeon long before tonight's attack.

The remaining key members of the Familia had been locked away in the basement by Sol's forces earlier.

Now, with their leadership crippled and their stronghold already in disarray from a series of calculated bombings, the Ishtar Familia was in complete chaos.

The worst part?

They had no commander to lead them.

The only ones left in the estate were small-time lackeys—none of whom stood a chance against Riveria's forces.

The Amazon sisters, in particular, seemed to be reveling in the chaos, their camaraderie as fellow Amazons momentarily forgotten in the heat of battle.

The two of them burst into the estate almost simultaneously, overwhelming the gate guards before they even had a chance to react.

"Stay alert and don't rush in too recklessly!" Riveria called out after them. "Even if you're sisters, I won't be able to pull you out if you get in too deep."

"I'll keep an eye on them, don't worry."

It was Yone who stepped forward, volunteering to rein them in.

Despite his usual exasperation with Tiona's clingy nature, she was, after all, the first apprentice he had ever officially accepted.

As her mentor, he couldn't just stand by and let her charge in blindly.

Riveria nodded. "Then I'll leave them to you."

Under her direction, the rest of the group swiftly moved to seal off all possible escape routes around the estate.

After assessing the resistance within the Ishtar Familia, Riveria made a decisive call.

She ordered their forces to split up.

It seemed she had overestimated Ishtar's strength.

Even though this attack was, in part, a surprise assault, their resistance was laughably weak.

They had been storming the Ishtar Familia's stronghold for quite some time, yet not a single worthy opponent had appeared to challenge them.

Was this really the best resistance Ishtar could muster?

With enemies this weak, bringing such an elite team of top-tier adventurers felt like overkill.

Rather than wasting their strength on this, it would be more efficient to split up and eliminate the remaining resistance as quickly as possible.

Still, to avoid any unforeseen complications, Riveria divided the group into two teams.

Her main strategy was simple: pair impulsive fighters like Kled and Sett with more composed companions to maintain balance in the assault.

Once they split up, their advance through the Ishtar Familia's estate accelerated significantly.

Deep within the heart of the residence, Ishtar had already received word of the unfolding disaster.

In truth, she had sensed things were spiraling out of control long before this moment—especially when Phryne failed to return with their forces by nightfall.

That could only mean one thing: their ambush had failed.

Yet, she had clung to a sliver of hope.

To maintain secrecy, she had confided in no one outside the strike team.

She had even sent out every capable member of her Familia to ensure the operation's success.

But now, the enemy was already at her doorstep, tearing apart the last of her illusions.

After all, Haruhime had Irelia guarding her at all times. From the very beginning, Ishtar had never truly expected Phryne to eliminate Irelia—she had only wanted that brute to abduct the fox girl.

A simple task.

And yet, that worthless fool had failed even in that.

She had expected Sol to be furious over the attack.

But in her original plan, as long as she acted swiftly—before he even had time to react—there would be nothing he could do. By the time he realized what had happened, the deed would be done, and he would have no choice but to swallow his anger.

That was why she had chosen the night of the full moon for the operation.

But the second step of her plan had already collapsed, leaving no hope for the rest.

Moreover, Sol's response had been far more extreme than she had anticipated.

Not only had he retaliated immediately, but he had also sent his Familia's top commanders to storm her residence directly.

Was he not concerned about the consequences?

The Ares Familia was on the verge of invading—did he really believe the Guild wouldn't intervene in such a reckless assault?

A thousand unanswered questions raced through her mind, but the reality was undeniable: Sol's forces were already at her gates.

The haze of obsession clouding her thoughts—the madness driven by the Killing Stone and Haruhime—finally lifted.

But it was too late.

There was no undoing what had already been set into motion.

"Ishtar-sama, you must leave at once! With Phryne gone, we cannot stop Sol's Familia on our own!"

Most of her subordinates were mere pawns, but a few remained fiercely loyal.

And even they knew—there was no winning this fight.