The night arrived in Orario, and the Entertainment District sprang to life with the passionate voices of men and women indulging in the pleasure of all kinds within the dimly lit streets.

On the highest floor of the palace towering over the entire district, the light cast from the moon and stars was enough to illuminate the room.

The owner of all the brothels in the Entertainment District sat here. A woman with smooth coppery skin and an hourglass figure wrapped in a thin skirt. When added to her divinity, her beauty was enough to drive men crazy.

Ishtar glared at the peak of the Babel tower in the middle of the city, imagining the silver eyes filled with scorn looking down on her as if she was no different from any pebble on the roadside.

A Goddess of Beauty who was more known and loved than her. The vixen with a stronger Familia and plethora of followers wrapped around her finger.

Ishtar bit her lips as her face warped.

"Utterly deplorable," she cursed in vain.

*Knock!*

"Ishtar-sama."

Her aide, Tammuz, arrived.

"Come."

Tammuz was a handsome young man with brown skin like hers. He immediately kneeled before her, bringing a smirk to her face. She grabbed her pipe and raised her chin.

"So what's that hag up to lately?"

"It's not confirmed, but Freya Familia has been found snooping around for information about the Noble Rookie and his companions. Rumor has it she has taken an interest in him."

"Noble Rookie?"

Tammuz stood and passed a paper to her. A vivid image of a young man with golden eyes was drawn on it. His companions stood beside him, each beautiful and charming in their way.

Ishtar recalled her meeting in the Babel. Most of the gods were talking about the noble from the Far East.

"Noble Rookie, hah."

To receive a nickname before becoming level 2 just showed popularity in Orario.

"How strong is he?" Ishtar asked.

"He just joined Astraea Familia."

"Level 1… He is still weak. Freya won't feel anything if I take him now."

Freya waited years for her last obsession to bloom. Until he became a level 5. Unfortunately, the dungeon ate him alive before Freya claimed him.

Ishtar wanted it to happen again.

This time by her own hands, she wanted to bring Freya to her knees.

Ishtar grinned. "I will sit on that throne soon."

—x—x—x—

Next morning.

Yotsuba Mansion.

I woke up and headed to the shower. Rini's room in the way made me stop. She still refused to meet me. I shook my head and hurried before a wild Yuriko attacked me.

With everything done, I went to the dining room where Nee-san sat with her face buried in the newspaper, Yuriko scrolling on her mobile, Leme fiddling with her handheld game, and Saya cluelessly staring at the smoking hot tea with eyes flickering back and forth between orange and crimson.

What a confusing sight.

I sat beside Saya and pinched her cheeks. "Saya?"

Saya turned, looking at me with her orange eyes. "Morning."

"What were you thinking?"

"I was talking to her."

"Her? You mean your other personality?"

She nodded. "She wants you to call her 'Haya.'"

"Oh, she finally chose her name."

Saya, Maya, Haya… she probably decided this name for this rhyme.

The maid Clara served breakfast and scooted out of the room as if I'd eat her.

"There she goes…" Nee-san put down the newspaper and sighed. "Aa-kun, can you call Rini to breakfast?"

"Okay…"

I got up and walked to Rini's room. Will she meet me now? Skeptical, I knocked once. The door opened as if she was waiting for me.

My mouth dropped open in shock.

Standing before me was a woman about a head shorter than me. She had calm violet eyes and messy blue hair that reached beyond her waist, giving her a wild look. Her facial features were feminine and a bit sharp. Her figure too went through a massive change, especially her chest pushing against what seemed to be one of my shirts.

"D or DD."

'Klyscha.'

(She asked me to give her magic stones… she wanted to surprise you, so I didn't tell you…)

"Onii-san, h-how do I look now?"

Her voice was a bit heavy. Yet her words dripped with so much cuteness, I barely stopped myself from hugging her.

"Amazing…"

Just how much did she devour to grow this much?

A relief became apparent in her violet eyes. She leaned forward and took my hand, guiding it to her head. I instinctively patted her head, getting a deep sigh from her.

"I thought Onii-san would hate me..."

Her sad voice made me step forward and envelop her in my arms. She nuzzled her cheeks against my chest and hugged me tightly. The sight of magic stones scattered around the room brought a wry smile to my face. This girl holed herself and devoured as much as she could.

"What kind of idiot will hate a beautiful and diligent sister like Rini?" I said. "Rini, can you tell me the reason?"

"Onii-san always looked at me like I was a little girl. After watching… that anime, I realized the cause of sudden changes in my body."

"What was the anime about?"

If it was incest hentai, Leme had some spanks coming her way.

"The bond of siblings."

That one. It was a popular rom-com anime I watched with Maya. A fluffy romance between a bro-con female protagonist and her brother.

"What changes are we talking about here?"

"I felt… something when I saw Onii-san naked. I wanted to touch Onii-san, I wanted Onii-san to touch me… I wanted to be near you, get headpats, and hug you. It was weird. It made me nervous approaching Onii-san…" she squirmed out of my embrace and put a hand on her chest. "Now I know that emotion was called 'Love.'"

Her confession forced me to realize Rini's mental growth. From a little girl, who felt like she was a monster, to a woman who understood her feelings… with a little help. I still recall saving her from the mall like it was yesterday. This all happened so soon, didn't it?

(My love, what are you waiting for? You're making her nervous.)

Klyscha's timely comment snapped me out of the past. Rini looked at me with anxious eyes. Since she already found her feelings, it'd be rude to not answer her. I hugged her again and ran my fingers through her hair.

"I also love Rini."

[—Rini Hitsugi: Affection +19]

"Leme Nee-chan told me Onii-san loves me… but I didn't believe it. I'm… glad that she was right."

She sobbed as her tears soaked my shirt. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at the girls peeking from the end of the corridor.

This was their plan all along.