Family system

Some time ago, the soldiers fighting the monsters retreated towards the wall to recuperate and recharge some energy. Elise also looked over the battlefield attentively to ensure Fiona would be safe. If she weren't, she would send one of the other maids in the mansion to assist her.

…

The air around the bunker was heavy with hostile mana, a force emanating from the countless purple portals that scarred the sky. From those rifts poured grotesque monsters of corrupted flesh and jagged limbs, their twisted forms driven by a singular purpose: destruction.

But before them stood one woman. Aphrodite.

The goddess of love, beauty, and desire—though today, she was none of those things. Dressed in a flowing garment of ethereal silk that shimmered like starlight, her appearance radiated elegance that clashed sharply with the grotesque creatures advancing toward her.

Her violet eyes burned with cold disdain as she looked at the approaching horde of monsters. "Foul things," she muttered, her voice dripping with disgust. "You dare exist in my presence?"

The creatures snarled and leaped forward, driven by primal instinct. Aphrodite didn't flinch. Shimmering tendrils of divine light erupted from the earth with a wave of her hand, ensnaring the first wave of monsters.

"Filth like you should be grateful," she hissed, her tone venomous. "To die by my hand is a mercy."

The ensnared creatures writhed helplessly as the tendrils tightened, crushing their corrupted bodies into ash. Her power pulsed through the battlefield, a manifestation of her divine beauty turned lethal.

A monstrous brute with spiked limbs charged recklessly, its jagged claws poised to strike. Aphrodite merely tilted her head, unimpressed. With a flick of her wrist, the ground beneath it erupted into blossoming crimson roses, their thorns gleaming like steel. The creature roared in agony as the thorned vines pierced its limbs, dragging it into the earth.

"Pathetic." She strode forward, her bare feet never touching the ground, suspended by a glowing aura. Each step radiated that rippled outward, washing over the battlefield like a deadly tide.

The horde pressed on, undeterred by their fallen kin. Eyeless, mindless abominations screeched and lunged in grotesque synchronization. Aphrodite extended her hand, fingers splayed, as luminous symbols of power spiraled into the air around her.

"Divine Purge."

A dazzling wave of energy exploded from her, vaporizing everything in its path. Creatures twisted into ash, consumed by a purity they could not withstand. Their dying screams echoed briefly before falling silent.

"Unworthy to even fall at my feet."

From the sky descended a monstrous being, one of the flute-wielding leaders. Its grotesque mouth gaped as a haunting, warping melody filled the air. Reality itself twisted, forming jagged dimensional scars. Aphrodite's lips curled in disdain.

"A melody for me?" she mocked. "How cute."

Golden light wreathed her form as she raised her voice in a soft, haunting melody—the corrupted music shattered on contact, powerless before the goddess's song. The flute-wielder staggered, overwhelmed, its flesh cracking and breaking apart from the resonance.

"Know beauty... and despair."

The monster disintegrated with a final harmonic note, its fragmented remains scattered like petals in the wind.

Suddenly, a surge of lesser monsters swarmed from all sides, their bodies pulsating with dark energy. Aphrodite's gaze burned brighter, an expression of growing annoyance etched into her flawless features.

"You dare cling to life in my presence? You dare go against my will?"

She raised both arms, summoning a vast garden of enchanted roses from the earth. Their thorny vines coiled and slithered like living serpents, ensnaring the creatures by the dozens. Crimson blossoms bloomed, shimmering with magic.

"Let your last sight be something truly beautiful."

The roses detonated in brilliant, fiery bursts, obliterating everything within their deadly embrace.

The battlefield finally fell silent in a field of shattered stone and glowing embers. Only Aphrodite remained, standing amid the wreckage, untouched.

She surveyed the ruin with mild disinterest, brushing a nonexistent speck of dust from her gown. "Tiresome creatures. Be grateful that your existence ended in such elegance."

With an air of regal dismissal, she turned her back on the smoldering remains and walked gracefully toward the bunker's entrance. Her power lingered in the air, resonating with unyielding authority.

The goddess of love, radiant and terrible, had graced the battlefield—and left nothing but ash in her wake.

…

The three women inside the bunker stood frozen, their mouths agape in stunned silence.

"I can't believe it?" Valentina stammered, still wide-eyed.

"That… was Aphrodite?" Elena whispered, her expression caught in surprise.

Isabella nodded, unable to form words.

Before they could process further, the bunker doors creaked open, and Aphrodite walked in, her radiant smile wide and familiar. She waved enthusiastically. "Hey, girls! Did you see me out there? I was amazing, wasn't I?"

Valentina blinked. "Y-You… you just obliterated an entire army."

Aphrodite puffed her chest proudly. "I know! Total goddess moment, right?"

Elena narrowed her eyes. "...You're still you, aren't you?"

"Of course!" Aphrodite beamed, twirling playfully. "I'm all about love and war, darling."

Isabella facepalmed. "She hasn't changed at all."

With dramatic flair, Aphrodite flopped onto a nearby couch conjured from thin air. "Phew, smiting monsters and looking fabulous is exhausting. Someone bring me a divine cocktail!"

Valentina sighed. "And here I was about to respect her."

Aphrodite gasped louder this time, placing both hands on her hips. "Excuse me! I am very respectable... when I want to be." Her pout deepened. "You try balancing irresistible allure and world-ending power. It's exhausting."
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Elena smirked. "Somehow, I think you manage just fine."

Before Aphrodite could respond with more theatrical outrage, the magical display screen near the bunker's command table activated with a soft chime. The three women immediately grew serious again, turning toward the projection.

A massive purple portal loomed above the skies, its swirling core pulsing ominously. Unlike the other portals, this one remained dormant, shimmering with restrained power.

"That's our entry point," Valentina said, her voice steady.

Aphrodite straightened, her playful demeanor vanishing in an instant. "This is it. The portal's opening cycle has shifted into a cooldown state. No monsters will emerge for the next hour while its energies stabilize." She gestured toward the swirling vortex. "This is your window to cross over undetected."

Isabella studied the screen, her sharp gaze calculating. "What happens after we're through?"

Aphrodite waved her hand, projecting a secondary image of the other side—a dark, corrupted wasteland of jagged mountains and endless shadows. "Once inside, locate my blessed contact, Hana. She's been feeding us intel from deep within enemy territory. She'll guide you to the heart of the operation and what you should sabotage."

Elena's jaw tightened. "And if the enemy forces intercept us?"

Aphrodite's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Then you make them regret it."

The room fell silent, tension thick in the air. The three women exchanged glances and nodded. They were ready.

Valentina rested a hand on her sword's hilt. "We're prepared."

Aphrodite's playful smirk returned. "Good. Just remember—dominate the battlefield... and look fabulous doing it."

Isabella rolled her eyes. "You had to ruin the moment."

The goddess winked. "It's a gift."

The three women stepped out of the bunker and into the open battlefield, where the aftermath of Aphrodite's devastating power still lingered. Scorched earth, shattered stones, and the lingering scent of battle filled the air.

The massive purple portal loomed in the sky like a swirling abyss, its edges pulsing faintly with restrained energy. Its dark core twisted slowly, shimmering with power, but, for now, remained eerily still.

Valentina, Isabella, and Elena stood side by side, their expressions tense. The wind howled, carrying distant echoes of lingering battles from other parts of the world. Yet here, before the largest portal, an unnatural stillness reigned.

Elena adjusted the enchanted bracers on her arms, flames flickering faintly across the volcanic runes engraved into them. "Let's not waste any time. This portal won't stay quiet for long."

Valentina nodded, her hand gripping the hilt of her blade, the faint glow of her aura shimmering around her. "Is everyone ready?"

Isabella drew her enchanted bow, checking the tension on its string. Her wolf familiar, Sköll, materialized beside her, its silver fur bristling with anticipation. "Always."

Aphrodite appeared behind them in a soft burst of sparkling light.

"Remember," she said gently, "once you cross, there's no guarantee of immediate contact. Stay sharp and trust each other."

They nodded

With synchronized steps, they ascended the massive stone platform beneath the portal.

A deep, resonating hum filled the air as the portal pulsed with gathering energy. Bright purple arcs of magical electricity crackled across its swirling surface, growing faster with every passing second.

Valentina stepped forward first, drawing her sword smoothly and confidently. Its blade shimmered with fire, casting a protective glow around them. "Let's move."

Without hesitation, she jumped into the swirling abyss, vanishing into the portal.

Isabella followed next, her wolf companion leaping ahead. The portal rippled as she disappeared after him.

Elena took one last look behind them, her gaze lingering on where Aphrodite stood silently, watching. With a cool expression, she adjusted the straps on her armor and strode into the portal without looking back.

**

The world distorted instantly.

Colors twisted and warped, spiraling into a chaotic storm of fragmented light. Gravity fluctuated wildly, and reality itself felt stretched thin. A cold, oppressive pressure pushed against their bodies as if the universe resisted their presence.

Valentina emerged first, her boots slamming onto unstable ground coated with jagged, crystalline debris. She staggered briefly but steadied herself, adjusting to the alien environment. Her blade pulsed with protective light, shielding her from the portal's lingering distortion.

A second later, Isabella and Sköll materialized beside her in a burst of shimmering silver light. Isabella clenched her bow tightly, scanning the terrain with precision.

Elena arrived last in a surge of molten heat, flames crackling around her as her arrival melted the frost-rimed ground beneath her boots. Her aura stabilized instantly, forcing the warped mana in the air to retreat.

They stood together in silence, breathing heavily as they surveyed their surroundings. The world they had entered was alien to them.