The thick, lingering haze of dusk clung to the stone walls, the shadows stretching across the worn flagstones like forgotten memories. Eris stood tall, her robes whispering with each movement, her gaze piercing the air before her, as though it could reveal hidden truths. Vito, kneeling at her side, lowered his head, eyes not meeting hers but watching the flicker of her expression.

  "Goddess Eris," he said, his voice calm but edged with a faint excitement. "I did, in fact, see something interesting in the Dungeon."

  Eris did not stir, though her attention sharpened at his words. "Oh? And what was it?"

  Vito's lips twisted, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. "The little doll princess appears to have taken your advice. She's trying to kill infant dragons."

  Eris raised an eyebrow, but there was no surprise in her response. She had anticipated that the girl would follow through; "I see. And?"

  "There's more," Vito pressed, his voice growing heavier with the weight of what he had witnessed. "I saw the captain of the Erebus Familia. He's... he's allied himself with her. The little doll princess. And the little black cat from Loki Familia."

  The words hung in the air, thick and strange. Eris' expression hardened, her eyes narrowing before she shouted:

  "What?"

  Vito's voice remained steady. "I saw it with my own eyes, Goddess. They were partied up—together. Bell Cranel came to the rescue of the doll princess after meeting up with the little black cat. I watched them, all of them go to the rescue of the Doll Princess and save her from a monster party. Based upon their interactions this was not their first time meeting."

  The silence that followed was absolute. Eris stood perfectly still, her fingers flexing, her jaw tight. Her thoughts spun in quick, dangerous circles. She had never thought that Bell would make such an alliance.

  "Are you sure?" Her voice was low, controlled, but there was something brittle underneath it, like the edge of a knife just before it cut.

  Vito nodded. "Yes, Goddess. I assure you."

  Eris' lips parted slightly, her mind whirring with possibilities. The pieces were falling into place, until finally a plan clicked into place. She could feel her power gathering, stirring in the depths of her being. A deep, bone-chilling satisfaction curled within her chest.

  And then, without warning, a low, almost predatory laugh bubbled up from her throat. It started soft, then grew louder, darker. A ripple of divine energy pulsed outward from her like a storm's first crack of thunder. The air itself seemed to shiver under her touch, and Vito, who had braced himself for her fury, instead felt the sharp thrill of something far more dangerous—her delight.

  "Hehehe…" Eris' laughter grew, her eyes gleaming with a new hunger; "How... very interesting."

  The power that radiated from her made Vito shudder with a thrill he couldn't fully explain. There was a sweetness in her wrath now, a promise of things to come

  "You've done well, Vito. This... will make things very interesting." Eris' voice was calm once more, but beneath it, there was a note of something wild—something that promised great violence in the future.

  Vito, kneeling in the presence of such overwhelming power, felt a cold satisfaction of his own.

  Eris stood before the ornate table, her fingers tracing the edges of a map that lay sprawled out before her. The city of Orario, its twisting streets and labyrinthine alleys, seemed so small under her touch. Yet, she knew the true power of a city was not in its size, but in the hearts of those who moved within it. And right now, she could feel a scheme coming together.

  "This is too perfect," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. Her eyes glittered with a predatory gleam as a smile curved at the corners of her mouth, before she spoke "Vito, go find Thanatos and Valletta for me. I have a plan they are is going to love. Tell them we need to call off the plan for tomorrow."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Vito, his expression eager, nodded and darted off without a word. Minutes passed, but it felt longer. The time stretched, just enough to let her thoughts swirl, to sharpen her resolve. It wasn't long before Vito returned, the duo in tow. The god of death had a calm, almost indifferent air about him, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes as he approached. While Valletta, seemed to be irritated by something.

  "Well, what's this new plan?" Thanatos asked, his voice smooth and measured. "Vito seemed giddy about it but wouldn't say anything."

  "Tch. What's this about calling off the plan? I was looking forward to butchering some adventurers," Villeta's voice was sharp, filled with impatience as she joined the group, a sneer pulling at her lips.

  "Now, now, Villeta. I'm sure Eris has a good alternative. Right?" Thanatos' tone was calm, but there was a certain amusement in his words.

  Eris smirked, a flicker of excitement passing through her. "Right," she said, her voice cutting through the room. "I just got some very interesting news from my dear Vito here. And now, I have a much more... wonderful plan. Listen to this." She leaned in, lowering her voice as she shared her new strategy.

  As the words left her mouth, the reactions were immediate. Villeta's lips twisted into a grin, a gleam of madness flashing in her eyes. Thanatos, allowed a faint smirk to play at the corners of his mouth.

  "HAHHAHAHA! I love it," Villeta cackled, her laughter echoing off the walls. "It's perfect! I get to have my revenge on that shitty PRUM bastard and torment the Astraea bitches. This is going to be fun." She practically hissed the last word, her voice bubbling with dark delight.

  "My dear, Eris, this is truly vicious. I love it." Thanatos's voice was soft as he spoke "How did you come up with it? The possibilities... I could guide so many children to their fates with this."

  Eris allowed herself a moment of satisfaction, savoring their approval. "Simple, my dear friend," she said, her voice a low purr of confidence. "I am the goddess of strife and discord. I don't fight my opponents head-on. That's for the meatheads like Ares. I scheme. I plot. I pit my enemies against each other, and then I sit back and watch them destroy one another—never even knowing I was involved."

  Her smile stretched wider, her eyes glinting with a wild hunger. "It's the perfect game."

  "HEHEHE." Villeta leaned forward, her grin widening. "I like this goddess. I'll agree with this plan. It sounds a lot more fun."

  "Yes, I do as well." Thanatos's voice was warmer now, filled with a twisted kind of anticipation. "It should provide a great deal of entertainment."

  Eris gave a nod of approval, her expression hardening with purpose. "Good. Now, this is what we need to do..." She began outlining the details, her voice steady and deliberate, each word falling into place like the pieces of a puzzle that had finally clicked.

  And as she spoke, the plan took shape, the first step in her grand scheme for Orario set into motion. In the city of adventurers, a storm was coming—one they would never see coming until it was too late. Eris, goddess of strife and discord, was ready to watch it all unravel.

  Upon the table there was a map of the City of Orario, and there upon the map lay three emblems in arrangement. The Grinning Trickster looking at a set of Ebony Black Pillars while the Winged Sword was caught in the middle.

  Later that night:

  As Goddess Eris looked out the moon from her room at an Evilus safe-house above ground.

  “Just remember Bell. This is all a sign of my love.”

  “If you cannot overcome even little old me. Then you will never be able to kill the OEBD.”

  This world has taken your home once.

  Will you let it take it again?

  You want to be the Last hero….

  That is a fine ambition.

  I TRULY do applaud you for it

  But

  .

  MANY have wanted that

  .

  Albert Waldstein,

  .

  The greatest mortal to ever live tried.

  .

  He was only able to take a single eye.

  .

  Then Zeus and Hera tried.

  .

  The greatest familias that Genkai has ever seen.

  .

  A thousand years of planning and cultivating adventurers.

  .

  And

  .

  THEY FAILED MISERABLY.

  .

  Utter Annihilation

  .

  The best that they could do was to tire the beast out.

  .

  And buy the rest Genkai time…

  .

  To prepare.

  .

  And what has Genkai done with that time.

  .

  They have frivolously wasted it

  .

  At this rate the mortal realm will fall into oblivion.

  .

  Either from

  .

  ABOVE.

  .

  OR

  .

  BELOW.

  .

  So just know this Bell, I applaud your ambition.

  .

  I really do.

  .

  All us gods really do love heroes.

  .

  Even those of us that scheme against them.

  .

  We love watching them overcome our tests.

  .

  BUT

  .

  I have a duty to prepare the mortal realm through conflict and strife.

  .

  Genkai doesn’t need any more false heroes.

  .

  What Genkai needs is a TRUE Hero.

  .

  So prepare yourself Bell.

  .

  I want to see how far that ambition will take you.

  .

  I will be overseeing your baptism firsthand