The sky was covered by a starry blanket that dimly illuminated the dark alleys of Orario. The gloom reflected by the giant silver-colored ball hanging in space seemed somehow sadder than usual.

"Move your ass!" The Amazoness' angry shout startled Emily, "I don't have all the time in the world to deal with you."

The ordinarily cheerful Emily now had a vacant look on her face. Blood was leaking from the corner of her lips as well as from the wounds on her face.

"... Why are you doing this to me?"

The Amazoness raised her hand in fury, "Insolent! I told you to keep your mouth shut!"

*Slam!

Emily's face was forced to twist. A red palm-shaped mark was imprinted on her face. Her current state was a chaos of negative emotions that made her heart agonize. Emily's head went blank, and she began to sob.

A look of contempt and mockery appeared on the Amazoness face, "From now on, your only duty is to use your body to please men in bed."

No! That must be a lie.

Emily's dilated eyes widened in disbelief. Serving men? She wouldn't mean... Just the thought of it made Emily's body shudder with disgust.

"No, I can't do it! I have someone I love-."

*Slap!

Emily was thrown to the ground. With trembling movements, she stroked her face to appease the seething pain of the slap. However, a tug on her long, dirty hair made her rise involuntarily.

"Do you have someone you love? Take it easy. I'll f*ck him in front of your eyes, and when I get tired of him, I'll give him to my mates." The woman's lips distorted into a smile, "I can't wait to see your dear boyfriend's face when he sees you being f*cked by others."

The Amazoness let out a good-natured laugh. She loved to play and break up a couple by having them f*cked by others. She couldn't wait to come along and put Emily in a cage of hungry men who would tear her apart until she broke in front of the man she loved.

Emily forgot the pain of being pulled by the hair. The woman's earlier words echoed in her ear and stuck in her mind.

No, please, no. She had to do something.

She staggered to grab the Amazone's shoulder. Her lifeless eyes locked on the other's, "Please, I beg you to leave us-."

With disgust, the Amazoness pushed Emily away, "Who gave you the right to touch me? You are only a slave; recognize your place!"

Emily's frail body slammed against the wall as her eyes bugged out. The wrenching pain that coursed through her body brought her back to reality.

The Amazoness pulled Emily's hair again as she muttered, "I don't understand why Ishtar-sama is so obsessed with her."

*

Her father was right. People are bad.

It had only been a few hours since her father left her, yet she was already dealing with people's cruelty. Her father was the only reason she was ever happy in these short years. He was a shield for Emily.

Father... she missed him. Her silent tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. They slid down her cheeks until they dripped onto the polished concrete below.

The cold air cruelly brushed the wounds on her body. Her ears were still ringing from the disorientation brought on by the slap. With staggering steps, she had no choice but to follow in the footsteps of the Amazoness leading her by the hair.

Why was she suffering so much? She did nothing wrong to receive the hatred of life.

She always lost someone she cherished. Her mother, whom she loved more than anything else, died as a child. Every one of her beloved pets she came to tame perished overnight. Even her father met his end recently.

The "cursed child" title hung around her neck by neighbors and members of her former Familia weighed heavily on her conscience. Because of her, all her loved ones perished.

When she needed help the most, no one came to her. Even when the Amazon broke into her house in front of the neighbors.

It was always like that. Nothing ever changed. No...

The silhouette of a boy flickered in her memory.

The only person who was kind to her in her time of need was the boy she met this morning. They weren't even close, but the fact that he patted her head so gently made her melt. He was different from all those people hiding behind a mask.

What was he doing now...? He might be able to help her.

Another thin line of tears ran down her cheeks as she shook her head. She was not to think of him anymore, to put him entirely out of her mind. She would not be worthy of being together with the boy she loved after tonight. Nor were they destined to see each other again.

However, it was useless no matter how hard Emily tried to remove the handsome boy's face from her memory. The figure and the weight of his existence grew in her heart.

Onii-sama...

She needed help more than ever.

After several minutes of being dragged by her hair, Emily stepped out into an open space. Her heavy eyelids were on the verge of closing, pain being the only reason she was conscious. With each breath of oxygen, the small chest beneath her ragged clothes rose and fell.

Loud voices and flirtatious laughter made Emily raise her face. The faint reddish color emanating from the nearby street lamps twinkled in her blue eyes.

The paved courtyard was connected to one of Orario's busiest streets. In the background was a vast, delicately carved mansion whose gate was guarded by two scantily clad Amazons.

Emily's eyes were fixed on the crowd of girls who moved their bodies like a seductive snake to bewitch passing men.

"Hey, handsome, do you feel like spending the night with this Onee-san?".

"O-of course! I've saved all my money just for this day."

"Yay! This way."

"Hey! He was mine; you'd better finish playing with him quickly!"

The adventurer followed the Amazon as she drooled and gazed at the wiggling, juicy ass with lustful eyes.

Similar scenes happened in the courtyard; voluptuous women led the adventurers towards the mansion gate.

Entertainment district.

The adventurers described the place as a fun zone where they could pay and unload their lust on the women's bodies.

"Oh, Nesha. Have you brought a new companion?"

When Emily and Amazoness Nesha arrived in front of the enormous door, they were greeted by an Amazoness guarding the mansion's gate.

"Ishtar-sama was interested in hiring her as a prostitute."

The guard looked at Emily with a mocking and sympathetic smile, "Well, she has a pretty little face and a petite body. Those old degenerates would be happy to play with her."

Emily's expression cracked for the umpteenth time as she began to sob. Would she become a cheap girl who would sell her body to men? She couldn't accept it!

"Don't look at me with that look." Nesha licked her lips before putting on an expression of veneration, "You should thank Ishtar-sama for giving you the opportunity to serve men. In any case, your worthless father will no longer be able to support your ass."

Rage formed inside Emily. She disrespected her father. However, she could do nothing but bite her lip and lower her head, dejected.

If she were stronger... none of that would happen.

She was stuck at level 1 for a long time. It was well known that status upgrades were impossible without a Familia unless they removed the shackle behind their backs and were lucky enough to find a new Familia.

Without the Falna, mortals could not gain strength. After all, the Falna was a blessing to unlock the potential of blessed beings. Therefore, the gods were the only ones who could bestow and dispose of the blessing.

Nor could she go to her former Familia to ask for the seal to be removed. And joining the Ishtar Familia to get the blessing was an absolute "No" for her. She would rather end her life than let lustful bastards play with her precious body.

She was led inside the mansion. A strange smell stung her nose, wrinkling it.

Unpleasant... She didn't like this place.

After several seconds, as if coming to a conclusion, she lifted her face. Resolution shone in the depths of Emily's blue eyes.

I'm sorry, father, mother... And also, Onii-sama.

She closed her eyes and pictured the distorted figures of the three people floating in her exhausted mind.

Perhaps if she ended her life, all would be well.

Reaffirming her decision, she bit her tongue, cutting it slightly with her sharp teeth. She couldn't stop more tears from gathering in the corner of her eyes.

It was much more painful than she imagined!

A thick, hot liquid melted on her tongue. The taste of iron went down her throat, and she did her best to keep her screams from escaping her lips. She opened her mouth along with her tongue, and with a gasp, her teeth entered her flesh.

"Ugh-!"

"H-hey! What did you just do? Hey, answer me!"

Emily collapsed to the floor with blood dripping from the corners of her lips. A wrenching pain numbed her mind as her vision blurred. The last thing she felt was two arms holding her before everything went black.