Volume 9 shifts gears quite a bit; it’s the big finale of the ‘Ishtar Familia’ arc. After the chaos of the Pleasure Quarter in the previous book, this one follows Bell and Hestia Familia’s full-on assault on Ishtar’s home base to rescue Haruhime. The action is relentless, with the familia fighting through waves of enemies, and there’s a major, desperate battle against the enhanced minotaur, the Black Goliath, in the dungeon.
What stood out to me was the cost of it all. It’s not a clean victory. The epilogue, where Bell visits a grieving Freya, hit me hard. She’s lost someone precious because of her own schemes, and Bell’s naive kindness in that moment creates this incredibly tense and weird connection between them. It sets up so much for the future, especially with Freya’s obsession deepening. The volume ends with Haruhime officially joining Hestia Familia, giving them a huge power-up with her level-boosting magic, which totally changes their strategic options going forward.