Ch 327: Mitosis.

Somewhere in the remote part of the divine plane, in a black castle.

"Wake up, Lili." urged a very attractive voice.

Lilith opened her eyes, sat up, and lazily stretched as she watched with satisfaction Athena, naked aside from a black collar around her neck, her arms and legs chained to the bed's corners.

"Morning, Thena." smiled Lilith.

"Morning, Lili." smiled back Athena.

"One more day."

"I know, Mistress. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. As usual, your breasts make for the best pillows."

"That's nice to hear. But I interrupted your sleep for a reason. While you were sleeping, I was watching a few of your worlds. One under the supervision of your Champion Cléa has a significant problem. I think you'll hear a lot of urgent prayers once you listen to them.

Lilith frowned as she focused on her link to the three worlds in question. Two were fine, but the third one…

"Damn." sighed Lilith as she evaluated the extent of the damage. Over five million sapient lives already lost to a sudden pandemic. Her Champion and her thirteen subordinates were hard at work healing as many people as they could, but they were overwhelmed. That world had spatial portals for easy travel across its surface, and these mutant bacteria didn't cause any symptom until a week after infection, then killed within three days. By the time the local governments realized they had a serious problem, the bacteria had already spread too much to be contained.

Lilith spent the next ten minutes eradicating it and healing everyone in that world.

"You won't punish Cléa, right?" asked Athena when Lilith was done, already knowing the answer.

"No. She didn't really do anything wrong. Her response time was normal. But I am going to ban the use of permanent portals in all my worlds. I should have seen it coming. It happened in one of Baldr's worlds, a long time ago."

"Yes."

"I'll also send Cléa to Noah after he retires from the Great Game. She doesn't have anywhere near enough subordinates. She should have hundreds, with three worlds under her responsibility. He will show her how it's done. And I'm sure Noah would love the opportunity to 'socialize' with a few catgirls."

"That may not be a bad idea." nodded Athena. "I already nudged a few of my own Champions to gather more subordinates to be more effective, after seeing how fast his worlds are coming around."

Lilith nodded with satisfaction, then hesitated.

"…Thena, there is something a bit strange that is happening with my Divine Spark."

"Strange?"

"Yes. I don't really know how to describe it, but since about a year, I sometimes feel… a hunger. Some kind of pull. And it happens whenever I spend a few minutes near Noah."

Athena frowned and made the chains binding her disappear. She sat up, considering Lilith with a serious expression.

"I never felt something like this. Could it be that you're falling for him?"

"No." replied Lilith. "He is quite attractive, I made sure of that, But he's a bit immature still, and this is definitely related to my Divine Spark. I would know if it was merely a sentimental or physical attraction. You have been a Goddess for a while longer than me, so I was wondering if you knew what it might be."

Athena contemplated for a while, before nodding.

"…I have a hunch."

"Oh? Please do tell."

"Our Divine Sparks do not have wills of their own, but they have… instincts. Which is why they will only fuse with people who have compatible personalities. And it is possible that your Divine Spark might be starting to consider Noah as a viable host."

"You mean my Divine Spark is considering jumping ship and abandoning me?" exclaimed Lilith, greatly shocked.

"No. It's a bit more complicated... About two million years before you were even born as a mortal, something happened with the Divine Spark of War and Victory."

"War and Victory? There is a Spark including those two Domains?" frowned Lilith.

"There was. The God of War And Victory, Verethragna, the same Verethragna we both know, wandered in his worlds while pretending to be a mortal, because he was that bored. At some point, he met a young man named Ares, and they became traveling companions. After a while, the Divine Spark of War and Victory somehow became two, and the War part chose Ares as its new host. The Victory part remained inside Verethragna."

"…I see. You're saying that if I have prolonged contact with him, my own Divine Spark might undergo something akin to mitosis, and he would inherit half of it." frowned Lilith.

"Let me finish… After what happened, Verethragna requested an audience with Erebus and managed to obtain one. Erebus confirmed that it was possible for a Divine Spark to twin itself, but that the separation of two distinct Domains might not necessarily happen. Erebus stated that it was equally likely that the new host would inherit an exact copy of the original Divine Spark, or that the division might happen in a way that cause both Sparks to complement each other, although their Domains would remain similar. In the previous incident, Ares could have become another God of War and Victory, or maybe become a God of Valor and Martial Prowess, as an example."

"…Well, Noah has the Lust part mastered, that is certain." sighed Lilith. "Although maybe it's more Greed, as he seems more interested in claiming pretty girls as his own than in the actual sex. And I suppose there is no way to know beforehand how the division would go?"

"If there is, Erebus didn't tell." shrugged Athena. "And that is assuming I am correct about the cause of your oh so detailed symptom in the first place… So, Lili, you may have a decision to make in the near future. You can get rid of Noah before his steadily increasing power makes him a more attractive host for your Divine Spark. You can limit your contacts with him, since you tell me this only happens when you are in close physical proximity. Or you can wait, and hope that if your Divine Spark does produce a twin, it doesn't screw you over in the process."

"Thanks for this charming choice of words, Thena." muttered Lilith with a deadpan expression.

"If you chose the first option, do not kill him, please. It would make Erin sad, and I'm fond of him. I will take him as a Champion if you do not want him anymore. And we're not certain this is even going to happen anyway."

"I'm not going to kill him." firmly said Lilith. "It would be a poor repayment for his service, and a terrible precedent to set. For now, I will simply keep my distance, at least until..."

"…Until?" asked Athena, an eyebrow raised.

Lilith didn't answer and shrugged. "I'll have a talk with Verethragna soon. I want to know if he felt a strange urge before what happened to his Divine Spark. But right now, I seem to remember you calling me Lili again, and that's another day. And a gag."

"Yes, Mistress." smiled Athena.

…

Allie was surprised when she heard the crate being opened and she felt Nina stiffen against her. She was pretty sure that they had just been taken out of the van, so she should be at the airport. And that meant…

Hope surged for a second as she felt hands tug on the rope keeping her glued against Nina. But it was extinguished as fast as it came when she realized that those who had opened the crate weren't cops, or even normal people. They would have spoken by now, either in exclamations of surprise and disgust, or to reassure them about their imminent release.

Then Nina and her were lifted out of the crate and set upright. The legbinder was unlocked and removed, as did the armbinder.

Allie didn't move as the hands then gently removed her gag then the armbinder, and finally, unzipped the hood.

Allie blinked, and it took over ten seconds before she could see properly. She was in a brightly lit room, with over three dozen people present, including the slavers, and…

"Surprise! Welcome to our family!" cheerfully clamored the women and the single man, all of them setting off confetti fireworks. A large banner with the words "Welcome to the family!" was hanging above their heads, and the room was decorated as if to celebrate a birthday.

"What the hell is this?" exclaimed a voice Allie recognized, and she turned her head to see Alcey, looking confused. Claire and Stacey were also present, dumbfounded.

Allie looked back at the women gathered, most of them wearing various attire made of leather or rubber, but also a few dressed as maids, and recognized a few as being Lilith's Agents.

"Could it be, that the family you're speaking about..." asked Allie as she realized, and they nodded. One of them stepped forward.

"My name is Grayfia, and I am a member of the Council of Heads. You could think of me as representing your common interest whenever I meet with Noah-sama. All five of you have been selected to become both part of Noah-sama's harem, as well as Agents serving Lilith-sama. Your relatives have already been notified. You will soon gain immortality, and all the perks that go with the position. But you will share our duty as well."

"Wait, that time when I was asked, if I ever had the opportunity to be chosen to become a subordinate of the Goddess Lilith, was I talking to an Agent?" asked Claire, incredulous.

"We hijacked your master's avatar for a few seconds to have it ask that question. Your master didn't notice as we made sure he didn't hear your answer and didn't see your Avatar's lips move." nodded one of the maids. Allie knew they all called themselves Misaka, followed by a number.

She, too, remembered when her master in Chains of Lust had casually asked her once if she dreamed about becoming someone like the famous Asuna Yuuki as well, and Allie had replied yes without really thinking about it, thinking about immortality, and how handsome Noah was.

"What selection criteria did you even use to choose us?" insisted Alcey.

"You were all evaluated for a significant period of time, both within Chains of Lust, and in the real world. All five of you are attractive, both in physique and in temperament." started to enumerate Grayfia, counting with the hands of a finger. "All five of you are adults and single. All five of you have expressed interest in becoming an Agent, working under Lilith. Four of you had a fantasy involving abduction, although in your case, Alcey, we just took you because you are, to speak crudely, a mean bitch."

"You're certainly right about that." proudly replied Alcey.

"Yes. Instilling some discipline in your life will do you a world of good." nodded Grayfia. "For the other four of you, we figured that your recruitment was a one-time opportunity to make your fantasy come true. You may not think so right now, but we are confident that you will remember this day fondly in the future."

"They did the same to me, kidnapping me from my home, and I didn't have any abduction fantasy." shrugged another girl. "But after I cooled down, I forgave them. My life is much better since that day, much more meaningful, and I do not regret being chosen."

"I have a hard time believing this is happening to us." said Nina, who looked like she was about to sway. "It's a lot to take in."

"It is." nodded Grayfia. "For now, we will help you remove those gloves and the diving suits. The weather is warm in the Island, and you'll soon feel hot if you keep them on."

Allie nodded and removed the gloves. The women helped her with the suit, working efficiently, and soon, she was only wearing the black rubber bodysuit, with the neoprene booties replaced by proper leather boots with low heels they gave her. She had blushed when they removed the vibrator, still buzzing, but decided not to make a fuss about it.

She felt like making a fuss about anything would be a waste of time, as those women seemed to just do anything as they pleased.

One of the Misakas came near her with a tray holding champagne cups, and Allie took one. She could use a drink right now.

Th celebration that followed was… awkward, at least at the start. But the smiling women somehow managed to get under her guard, and Allie started to relax. After an hour, she had almost forgotten the circumstances of their arrival here, and was asking question after question to the women, about the Island, about Noah, and Lilith. Questions that they happily answered.

Allie learned that the two who had kidnapped her were named Lizel and Kirito, and the one with the long ponytail acting like the slavers' leader was Shuri Himejima. Lizel and Kirito both apologized to her about the stress and fear they had caused her, and Allie, if a bit reluctantly, forgave them.

She just didn't like holding grudges.

As the celebration wound down, Grayfia clapped her hands.

"I am going to give you a tour of your new home, but before that, I will tell you about what we have in mind for you. Starting tomorrow, we will start preparing you for your night with Noah-sama. We cannot tell you exactly when that will be, as he is currently busy in another world."

"What do you mean by 'prepare us'?" asked Nina.

"It will be very similar to what you experienced within Chains of lust." smiled Grayfia. "Noah-sama will not be able to share his abilities and immortality with you unless you are willing to devote yourself to him. That is a safety measure that Lilith-sama built into his power in order to prevent potential abuse, and it worked well so far, with no member of our family going on a rampage or acting in an overly selfish manner."

Allie couldn't disagree with that. If a member of Lilith's faction ever went on a rampage, only Noah himself or other members of his harem would be able to stop it.

"He comes back for a little while from time to time, remaining a few hours at most, since the new world takes up the vast majority of his time for now, so you need to be ready when he comes. We generally have little warning."

"Let's start the tour, then. Please follow me." smiled Grayfia.

Allie, Alcey, Claire, Nina and Stacey followed Grayfia and Misaka 19612 out of the building and entered a beautiful garden.

Allie still had a hard time believing that there were a whole 20 000 of the Misaka Sisters. The people on Earth, at least her own Earth, was under the impression that there were maybe five hundred of them.

They could see many small groups of women dressed as maids doing various activities, from picking flowers to make bouquets, to putting clothes on clothes lines. But there was something strange about some of them.

"Grayfia, didn't you say that the clothes agents wear are magical and won't get dirty? So why are some maids setting clothes on those lines to dry? And why are some of them wearing handcuffs?" asked Allie.

"That is a recent development." smiled Grayfia. "We are deliberately increasing the number of chores the maids can do. I know this may seem strange, but I first need to give you some context for you girls to understand."

"Do you remember what Noah told during his press conference, about Primordial Gods and Lesser Gods?"

Allie and the others nodded. It had become common knowledge, and was even part of national education programs. Many new religions have sprouted with the knowledge that gods were real, although the ones worshipping Lilith were far larger, with tens of millions of adherents already.

"Your world doesn't have any supernatural beings. My world, on the other hand, has many of them."

Twelve bat wings suddenly expanded from Grayfia's back, and Allie's eyes widened in surprise.

"I am a Devil myself, and before you ask, no, we Devils do not harvest people's souls or do evil things for the sake of it. We tend to be more selfish than humans and be more magically gifted, but that is about it, and Devils coexist peacefully with humans in my world. Of course, there are exceptions, but I digress."

"As I said, there are supernatural beings, including what Noah refers to as 'Local Gods'. Gods that are born within their world and cannot leave it. You could say that Lilith-sama created replicas of many of her fellow Gods and Goddesses, whose powers are much more limited than their 'global' namesakes. And it just so happened that four of those local Goddesses, Athena, Artemis, Hestia, and Aphrodite, offered grave insults to Lilith-sama, unaware that she wasn't a Goddess on their level. Lilith-sama punished them by ordering Noah-sama to enslave the four of them, as well as their followers."

"You mean that Noah has literal Deities in his harem?" asked Alcey, incredulous.

"Local Goddesses, yes, and you're about to meet them. Although to be honest, they aren't all that strong. I could face any of them on an equal footing even before Noah-sama shared his powers with me."

"In the family, we also have Fallen Angels, Valkyries, Shinigamis, more Devils, Demon Hunters, Magicians, and even three Dragons, although two of them are currently without a physical body. You will have many opportunities to socialize with them in the future."

"But back to the matter of laundry. After they accepted Noah as their Master, the four Goddesses I mentioned each took over one of the palaces you see, and decided to make them their new temples, dedicated not to themselves, but to Lilith-sama and Noah-sama, with them assuming the roles of Head Priestesses. And they each adopted different roles and rules. We are going to visit each of the temples."

Grayfia stopped speaking, giving them time to digest the information she had just given them as she led them toward a beautiful, and truly massive building. An attractive young woman with long green hair, dressed in a maid uniform, was standing near the entrance and smiled as she saw them walk closer. She had a steel collar around her neck, but her arms were free of restraints. When they reached her, she made an elegant curtsy.

"Greeting, Grayfia-sama. Are they our new adopted sisters?"

"Yes. Hello, Milaine. Their names are Alcey, Stacey, Allie, Nina and Claire."

Allie smiled with a nod as Grayfia introduced them.

"It is nice to meet you all, and let me add my sincere welcome to those you have already received."

"Thank you." replied Allie, echoed by her companions.

"Are you on welcoming duty?" asked Grayfia.

"Yes." replied Milaine. "Aphrodite-sama knew you would give them a tour and would likely want one of us to accompany you inside the temple, to answer specific questions. Follow me inside, please."

Grayfia nodded, and they followed the maid into the building.

Allie was impressed by the furniture inside. Its quality was obvious, without being ostentatious. It all looked both functional and comfortable.

Milaine showed them the common areas as well as a few personal rooms, and they met several more maids inside, who curtsied and smiled as they passed but didn't interrupt. Just like the maids they had seen outside, they wore steel collars, and almost all of them had their hands shackled, but they didn't seem to mind. One of the maids they saw was another Misaka.

"Aphrodite-sama believes in expressing our devotion to Noah-sama and Lilith-sama through service, and for this reason, she decided that herself, as well as we, her followers, would all become His maids, ready to serve Our Lord both in the hallways, and in His bed. Because we didn't have enough to do in the island, She requested that the automatic cleaning functions within every palace be turned off, and that we maids use outfits that can be stained and damaged."

"We maids of the Aphrodite Temple are now in charge of keeping the common areas of every palace in pristine condition, so you can expect to see some of us everywhere. We work five days a week, and each working day, we get to choose between remaining on the Island and working as a maid, or going outside wearing the black uniforms I am sure you are all familiar with, and doing humanitarian work." grinned Milaine.

"That is an accurate description of your role, Milaine, thank you. But do not leave out the details." smiled Grayfia.

Milaine nodded, and to Allie's surprise, lifted her frilly skirt. Her jaw dropped when she saw that in place of panties, Milaine was wearing a steel chastity belt lined with black rubber. There was a small red button just above the front plate, where Allie would have expected a lock or keyhole.

"Aphrodite-sama also believes that good maids should be constantly aroused and kept in a submissive mindset." smiled Milaine. "And she established a strict hierarchy for her followers. First are the slave maids. In addition to the chastity belts and collars, they wear shackles around their wrists. They do almost all of the chores. The belts have inserts that will gently move or vibrate and keep them stimulated throughout the day."

"If I had to give you a number from zero to ten between not feeling any arousal, and being so horny you feel like you're about to cum, I'd say the baseline is around three or four. And if the slave-maids have done a good job with their tasks, they will be allowed half an hour of intense pleasure after dinner as a reward. And I mean intense. It's not uncommon for rookie slave maids to faint from the pleasure."

"You may also have noticed the remote tied to my waist. It controls the two vibrators inside me. Anyone, except myself, is allowed to take it and use it to stimulate me directly, for any reason."

Milaine then pressed the belt's red button with her right index, but nothing happened.

"If anyone beside me presses the button, the belt will unlock itself, and that person will be free to use me in any way they wish. Once they are done, I will put the belt back on and lock it before I do anything else."

Allie could feel herself getting wet yet again at the thought of becoming a slave maid, kept in bondage and chastity, and used whenever anyone pleased. From the slightly flushed faces of Stacey, Nina and Claire, she guessed they shared similar thoughts.

"That's interesting." smiled Alcey, looking at Milaine with barely disguised hunger. "And anyone can play with you?"

"Any member of the family." nodded Milaine. "Even other slave-maids. Outsiders aren't allowed to, obviously. We do not wear those belts or any restraint if we are needed outside of the island."

"There is a fierce competition among us to get a turn cleaning hallways in the main palace, where Our Lord resides. We all hope to catch His attention and have Him spend His lust on us. That's also a good way to be promoted to the next rank in the Temple's hierarchy!"

"Above the slave maids are the staff maids. You can recognize them easily since their hands aren't shackled, and I am one of them. We each supervise a team of ten slave maids, and our role is to ensure their work is beyond reproach. At the end of the day, we get a full hour of reward, but if any of our slave maids messes up and earns herself a punishment, we will share the punishment with them."

"Above the staff maids are the floor maids, and there are nine of them, one per story of the temple. They wear latex maid outfits, and each of them supervises every staff maid whose room is part of their assigned floor. They carry a datapad that controls every belt of every slave maid or staff maid, and they will often edge you during your service. A good maid should remain graceful, quiet and smiling even under duress, and they will test each of us at least once a week. Those who fail to maintain proper etiquette will earn a punishment."

"That sounds… difficult." exclaimed Allie. "What kind of punishment are we talking about?"

"It depends on the infraction, but the punishment will generally involve strict bondage, moderate impact play like a spanking or a light flogging, and denial." smiled Milaine. "Nothing really painful, and we work hard because we want to earn Our Lord's and Aphrodite-sama's approval, not because we want to avoid punishment. We also take pride in doing a good job!"

"I understand." smiled Allie. She owned a restaurant, and she didn't cut any corners, like others establishments that used microwave ovens and frozen food as their default. She, too, took pride in her restaurant producing quality food with almost exclusively fresh ingredients.

"Finally, Aphrodite-sama is the Head Maid, and the only maid who has a permanent spot within the main palace. She shares that honor with Grayfia-sama. I'm so envious." smiled Milaine.

Grayfia nodded and patted Milaine's head.

"Keep working hard, Milaine. We do keep tabs, and your efforts will be properly rewarded."

"Yes, Grayfia-sama. I will keep working hard." beamed Milaine.

"Well then, you now have a fair idea of what the lives of Aphrodite's followers are like." said Grayfia, turning to Allie and her companions. "Let's go to Hestia's temple next."

Allie nodded and followed her out of the building. Milaine remained by the door and curtsied to them as they left.

She didn't really know what to think of what she had just learned. Her brain wanted to be more than just a maid locked in chastity, while her traitorous body was very aroused by the idea.

"Grayfia-sama…" asked Allie, deciding to change the way she addressed Grayfia after realizing she was a very powerful and influent person. "…how many followers do each Goddess have? And I have seen one of the Misaka sisters…"

"I do not mind if you just call me Grayfia. Every member of our family is free to join one of the temples or leave it as they wish. Many choose to rotate between them, experiencing each for a while before wanting something new or different. While the collars and restraints you have seen may suggest otherwise, we do not actually restrict each other's freedom more than necessary. Except for you, Alcey. Until you learn to restrain that mean personality of yours, you will be part of Artemis's temple."

"I can't wait." sarcastically replied Alcey. "It's probably the worst of the four, right?"

"The most extreme, yes. But back to the subject of rules, there are three everyone has to follow, regardless of being part of one of the temples or not."

"Do not act in a way that would taint our Family's or Lilith-sama's reputation, do not assault another member of our family outside of a punishment or agreed-upon context, and do not have any romantic or physical relationship with a man other than Noah-sama. This is it."

"You just kidnapped the five of us. I think it counts as tainting your reputation." retorted Alcey with a deadpan expression, but Grayfia only smiled.

"And we already informed your relatives and employers that you had been selected as Agents and were undergoing training for the role. They all are happy for you."

"But back to your question, Allie. Of the four Goddesses now serving Noah-sama, Aphrodite currently had the highest number of followers within the island, just over a thousand of them, due to the fact that they were only her maids and attendants previously and had no place in a battlefield. She went to fetch them after she became loyal to Noah-sama."

"Hestia had the lowest number of followers, only about fifty of them. Artemis and Athena each have a little over three thousand followers. But they aren't part of the family yet."

"Those numbers I gave you only account for the followers those goddesses already had at the moment of their capture, and the vast majority of Athena's, Artemis's, and Hestia's followers are still imprisoned in stasis by Lilith-sama, waiting for Noah-sama to get around to teach each of them the pleasure of submitting to him. At the current time, only a handful of Hestia's Guardians of the Hearth, Artemis's Huntresses, and Athena's War Maidens are living in the island, and their temples are largely empty. You will find many more of the Misaka Sisters in them."

Allie nodded, already wondering what the other three temples were like, if Aphrodite's already was like this. As far as perversion and lewdness was concerned, she didn't think they could raise the bar much.

No one was waiting by the entrance of the next palace, and Grayfia entered without ceremony.

"As I mentioned, the temple of Hestia is the most understaffed currently, and Hestia has chosen a very specific role to contribute to the family." said Grayfia as she led them towards a large room.

"Here are the Moderators and Compliance Officers of Chains of Lust." smiled Grayfia as they took in the view.

Inside the large room were several dozen black, vertical shapes, each suspended to the ceiling by several cables and tubes, and it took Allie seconds to understand what she was looking at. Each of the shapes was a woman wrapped in thick, shiny, black rubber, their heads covered by a featureless helmet. A black tube was connected from the helmet to the ceiling, and judging from the location, Allie guessed it was linked to some kind of mouthpiece.

The suits they wore had a single leg and forced the wearer's arms to hug themselves like a straitjacket.

Some of them were swaying, and Allie thought she could hear some muffled moans.

"The girls inside those bondage suits are connected to Chains of Lust. They investigate complaints, analyze data, and it is them who first flagged you girls as potential additions to our family."

As if Misaka 19612 had sent a telepathic message to one of her Sisters, one of the rubber cocoons lowered itself until the feet were firmly planted on the ground, and its back and helmet opened. In seconds, another Misaka was watching them, unconcerned by her naked torso, her arms freed, the upper half of the suit hanging from her waist.

"Misaka 14317 is happy to see you all." nodded the Sister.

"Misaka, would you mind telling them in detail how a typical day as a member of Hestia's temple is?"

Misaka 14317 nodded.

"Misaka wakes up, eat breakfast with the others, takes a shower, then enter this suspended suit. Misaka will connect to Chains of Lust and start working, dealing with requests, investigating complaints. Each time a ticket is closed, or a good review is received, the vibrators inside the suit will move or vibrate, edging Misaka."

"With every ten tickets solved, Misaka will be rewarded with an hour of pleasure and be allowed to orgasm. For lunch, Misaka will be fed a smoothie. They are tasty, and the flavor is different every day. After eight hours of work, the suit will open to free us."

"After eight hours? What happens if you want to leave before?" asked Nina.

"Misaka has a safe word for emergencies if necessary."

Allie glanced at the other suits, although maybe calling them cocoons might be more accurate. She imagined herself inside one, and...

"Is all of this convoluted setup really necessary?" asked Claire, confused. "You could have done the same job with just a bunch of beds and Amusphere headsets, like normal people do."

"Hestia-sama said to Misaka that her followers should experience latex bondage every day as an homage to Lilith-sama, and this was killing two birds with one stone." shrugged Misaka. "Misaka is fine with it. This makes work very pleasant."

"After work, the suit will automatically clean itself, and Misaka will take a shower, then have free time until dinner. Then Misaka will…"

"Thank you, Misaka. They do not need to hear about your private time." cut in Grayfia with a smile. "We will visit Athena's temple next."

Misaka nodded, and the motors on the ceiling started to retract, raising the top of Misaka's suit again. Misaka nodded to them, then slipped her arms into the sleeves and opened her mouth to accept the helmet's mouthpiece, and the suit sealed itself around her body before she was lifted up, her feet fifty centimeters above ground.

"Are we going to have to work like this?" asked Nina, blushing as she stared at the swaying cocoons.

"As I told you before, aside for Alcey, membership in the temples is voluntary." said Grayfia as she shook her head. "After you receive Noah's abilities, as long as you do not violate the three rules I mentioned previously, how you will spend your time will be up to you."

"You should keep in mind, however, that we subordinates of Noah-sama and Lilith-sama receive those gifts for a reason, and we are expected to help make the worlds under Noah-sama's jurisdiction better places for the people who live in them."

"If you do not spend at least a few hours every week helping civilians, we won't say anything for a while, but we will notice. And if this lazy streak goes on for too long, some of us will eventually take it upon ourselves to straighten you up."

"Of course." nodded Allie. "I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully if I could cure cancer patients and just refused to do it anyway."

"Of course." nodded Grayfia, smiling. "We did evaluate your temperaments as part of your selection, and I do not expect my warning to prove necessary. Just be sure to keep a healthy work/life balance and not burn yourself out. You will help more people on the long term this way, and Noah-sama doesn't want any of his girls to become a slave to her own powers."

They walked toward another palace, this one clearly themed after old Japanese castles, and Allie wondered just what she would encounter then. They could see one person waiting for them in the distance, dressed in black, with a giant owl waiting by her side.

"It seems Athena herself is waiting for us." smiled Grayfia. "This will be your first time meeting a Goddess."

Allie felt herself straighten, growing nervous.

"How should we address her?" asked Nina.

"Calling her Athena-sama, or even just Athena is fine, as long as you do it with a respectful or friendly tone. The four Goddesses have been… humbled, after Noah-sama was done training them, and he made it clear that even though they led their own temples and were part of the Council, they were not inherently superior to the other members of the harem. They are not allowed to give orders to those who are not part of their temple."

As they walked into talking distance, Allie was smitten by how stunningly beautiful Athena was. There was definitely something to her that hinted at her being more than human,

She was dressed in a black rubber bodysuit, with a black leather corset and leather boots, and a black leather collar was around her neck.

"Welcome, everyone. Do not worry about my Owl, he won't bite or claw anyone. You can even pet him if you wish."

"Wasn't he killed by Noah-sama when you fought him, thought?" asked Grayfia.

"He is part of my power, so he cannot truly die, and I simply needed a lot of time to restore him." shrugged Athena.

"I see. Athena, as you know already, those are Allie, Nina, Alcey, Claire and Stacey."

"It is nice to meet you all." smiled Athena. "It was us members of the Council who voted to add you to our family."

"Was it a unanimous vote?" asked Alcey after they introduced themselves.

"Not at first." smiled Athena. "In your case, some of us didn't want someone who is more dominant than submissive, and hasn't done anything to deserve immortality. But Grayfia-sama reminded us, not without cause, that Lilith-sama's Domain included dominating others, and that you would be a good fit in that aspect, once you learned some more empathy. And if you tried dominating Noah-sama himself, well, you wouldn't be the first, and he likes those kinds of challenges."

"There is also the fact that Noah-sama, while liking diversity among his women, has a thing for redheads." smiled Grayfia.

"There is that, yes. Let me guide you inside my temple. It is quite empty, I'm afraid, as I only had four of my War Maidens currently, a few dozens of the Misaka Sisters, and a few others."

"Why do you not tell them about your rules, Athena?" suggested Grayfia.

"With pleasure. I intend for my War Maidens to compete with the Valkyries for the role of defending our world from the Hollows. But where the Valkyries are a force jointly shared between Noah-sama and Odin, the War Maidens will exclusively serve Noah-sama. The War Maidens will have ample free time, or course, like every other member of Noah-sama's faction, but most of their 'work time' will be spent patrolling both the Surface World and the Underworld to deal with Hollows."

"Hollows are monsters that prey on both the souls of the living, and the errand souls of the dead that feel too attached to the human world to pass away properly." explained Grayfia. "They are born from the accumulation of negative feelings, so there's no end to them. We have two Hollows in the harem."

"Monsters in the harem?" asked Alcey.

"It's a long story, but they are a lot more women than monsters." replied Athena. "The stronger a Hollow becomes, the more human they look, and their intellect grows. Aside from partial bone masks they cannot remove and the presence of a hole in their body, you wouldn't be able to say they are Hollows at a glance, and they are good people."

Athena stopped in front of a door.

"Inside that room are a Misaka and another of my followers. While their role is to defend civilians from Hollows, I still want them to spend at least one hour every day in bondage, as a refresher. And this is their favorite part of the day!"

Athena opened the door, and Allie entered with the others, unsure of what she would see.

One Misaka was dressed in a red rubber bodysuit and black rubber boots and gloves.

Another was on her elbows and knees, covered from head to toe in white latex and leather. Misaka threw a ball, and the girl acting as a pet shuffled away to fetch it.

"Pet play?" asked Alcey with a raised eyebrow.

"Exactly. They will take turns switching roles, and the theme changes every week, but it will always involve bondage, and vibrators."

"From what we have seen so far, this seems to be something all the temples have in common." nodded Allie.

"It is." nodded Athena. "That is how Noah-sama trained us, and we eventually learned to enjoy it. We want to share that happiness with our followers and sisters."

"I think you would fit in well in that temple, Alcey, after you are trained." pointed out Grayfia. "You would have many opportunities to act as a dominant there. Maybe Athena would even make you a permanent Dom in her service."

"That's not impossible, if she proves herself." nodded Athena with a small smile.

Alcey made a non-committal nod, not really convinced.

"Last is Artemis's temple." said Grayfia.

"I'll be following you." smiled Athena.

As they left the Palace, Allie hesitated and cleared her throat.

"Athena-sama, if you had the possibility to turn back time… would you have changed anything?"

"I regret the rude words my previously arrogant self directed toward Lilith-sama." smiled Athena. "I do not regret the outcome. Our Master tore through the illusions and falsehood we had blinded ourselves with. Did you know that he stopped us as we were starting a war against the gods of Asgard, all because we had been played by a pair of traitors? Now, I am certain that my War Maidens' truly work for the good of innocent people, instead of harming them by mistake. Besides, sex with Master is so great that no woman, mortal of goddess alike, can stop herself from wanting more, even if that means being his sex slave."

"But doesn't that bother you, others knowing that you are a slave? I mean, you're a goddess!" exclaimed Alcey.

"No. I take pride in wearing his collar. After I surrendered myself to him, he treated me very well, and it isn't like I am languishing in a dank, dark cell. He keeps us all on a loose leash."

They arrive in view of the fourth temple. No one was waiting for them, and Grayfia and Athena opened the door for them.

"As I mentioned previously, Artemis's temple is the one you girls will find the most extreme." warned Grayfia. "Remember that everyone besides Alcey is there voluntarily and can leave at any time."

"M-More extreme?" exclaimed Nina.

"Yes." nodded Athena. "Artemis wants her Huntresses to specialize in ferreting out corruption and hunting criminals among the mortal worlds. And also contribute to fighting Hollows on the side. But she's also the one who Master took the most time with, training her into complete submission, and it shows."

"She hasn't developed too big a taste for latex, but when it comes to bondage, she just can't get enough." sighed Athena. "Artemis decided that being restrained and plugged with vibrators was her new normal. That she should be untied only as much as necessary to fulfill her tasks, then put back in strict bondage, and edged several times each day. And she expects the same of her followers. Her temple is a masochist's paradise."

As she spoke, she led them to a room on the second floor and knocked.

There was no answer, so she knocked louder, and Allie heard a muffled groan coming from the other side.

"I assume that means 'Enter'!" declared Athena as she opened the door.

Allie saw a well-furnished and cozy room, but her attention was on woman lying on the bed.

Her long, silky-smooth legs were folded by leather straps, and her waist was locked inside a chastity belt. The Goddess wore a short-sleeved blue latex leotard, a blue leather collar, and her arms were bound in a reverse-prayer position by a short black leather armbinder.

She grunted at them with a nod, and Athena walked to her and removed the blue ball gag filling her mouth.

Allie's eyebrows rose as she realized the gag was actually a rather long and thick rubber cock, and the goddess licked her lips once before smiling at them.

Allie once again was stunned by how beautiful Artemis was, with her long blue hair, perfect features, and body whose curves were worthy of, well, a goddess.

"You must be the new girls. It is nice to meet you." smiled Artemis, chuckling. "I would shake your hands, but mine are a little tied up right now."

"You could remove that armbinder, you know." chided Athena. "How did you even put that one on? Did someone help you?"

"I did it myself!" boasted Artemis. "It's a good exercise for control and spatial awareness, using Light Hands to manipulate things without being able to see."

"I'm sure." sighed Athena. "You can become quite motivated when it comes to finding better ways to bind yourself."

"Hehe." chuckled Artemis.

"Alright, I think the new girls have seen enough." smiled Grayfia. "If they choose to join one of your temples, they will know what to expect."

Allie and the others nodded.

"Do we have to choose one of the temples?" asked Nina.

"No. Each of you will be assigned a mentor. Rias, Asuna, Fubuki, Ravel and Raynare were the first to volunteer themselves. If you choose a temple, they will act like big sisters and check on you several times every day, answering your questions, giving you advice, and making sure you grow into the role. If you do not choose a temple, however, they will be your trainers. We want you to be ready for your first night with Noah-sama."

"What will you girls choose?" asked Athena.

Allie thought about the restaurant she owned. She would have liked to just leave and resume her normal life, but it was clear this wasn't an option. Her choice was between one of the four temples, all more perverted than each other, and being trained by a girl she didn't know.

…If she was honest with herself, part of her was actually looking forward to it. She had tried Chains of Lust a while ago, both because of her curiosity, and to experience something so many people talked about, and after getting used to it, she found out that she did enjoy being treated as a submissive.

Allie considered and rejected being trained by one of the women Grayfia mentioned. Simply because she didn't know how she would be treated, and not knowing was scarier.

Artemis was too extreme for her, and she didn't want to have to fight monsters, so that ruled out Athena as well. It came down to a choice between being stuck in a black cocoon, or in a maid outfit with chastity belt and shackles.

"I'll… join Aphrodite's temple." decided Allie, hoping it was the right decision.

"I do not wish to join any of them." said Nina.

"Maybe I'll try Hestia's temple, as long as I can change at any time." hesitated Claire.

"Aphrodite's temple for me, I suppose." shrugged Stacey."

"Alright, that's decided." grinned Artemis. "Grayfia, help me out of those, please. I have just the perfect full-body bondage corset in mind to get Alcey started with."