With the capture of Apollo's and captains that The remained of Apollo's faction moved as if caught between instinct and inevitability some trying to flee, others forcing themselves forward, weapons raised in gestures that no longer carried conviction.
Cassandra had seen this many time it's just this time it wasn't a dream.
Gunfire echoed through the hall in steady intervals.
As black Widows advanced without hesitation, their movements identical to what had been shown before—angles, timing, even the spacing between shots falling into place with quiet accuracy.
Bodies dropped one by one same point as Cassandra remembered—though remembering it did nothing to lessen the impact.
If anything, it made it worse.
Because there was no uncertainty left to hold onto.
she turned away abruptly,her hand rose to her mouth, but too late. The reaction forced through her anyway, her body rejecting what her mind had already accepted long before this moment.
A few steps away, Daphne exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through her hair.
"we should have stayed with Wiene, coming up with Luther was a mistake " she muttered.
Cassandra forced herself upright, though her eyes remained unfocused.
"Maybe you are right but no point of complaining now" she said
Daphne after looking at the body is one more time shifted Her gaze to Luthar who just stood Like the center of something that had already been decided.
Her expression tightened.
The realization settled slowly that apollo Familia was finished and with it—so were they.
Even if they walked away from this alive, it didn't change what came next. No familia would take them in. Not after this.
To everyone else, it would be simple.
They had abandoned their own.
Avoiding death hadn't spared them.
It had only delayed what came after.
Daphne exhaled quietly, her gaze unfocused as her thoughts turned inward, moving past the blood, past the noise—toward something colder.
A few steps ahead, Luthar stood near the chamber. His attention wasn't on the Carnage instead it remained fixed on the device.
As if checking for any visible movement
Only after hearing the Footsteps near him did his focus broke.
Lili stopped directly in front of him.
"You're late."
Her voice felt little angry, "let me guess when I was getting beaten half to death out there," she continued, her eyes locked onto him, "you where thinking what would be the right time to interveen."
She wasn't saying this because she just felt it was because Luthra have done something similar multiple times.
Her grip tightened at her side.
"if I haven't said I was already planning to blow the whole place up," she added, her voice lowering slightly. "then your going to probably wait and appear like a hero in last moment."
Luthar didn't react immediately.
He looked at her not dismissively, not impatiently. Just long enough to understand what she was saying.
Then he spoke "I could have."
There was no denial not even a deflection.
that only made it worse.
Lili's expression sharpened.
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because arrival wasn't the problem," Luthar said evenly.
His gaze didn't shift.
"safety was."
The words landed without emphasis, but they carried weight all the same.
"if I tell teleport immediately in the hall ," he continued. "then black widows and other girls would have to be left back in the dungeon."
A brief pause.
"Floor fifty isn't survivable for them."
For a moment, Lili said nothing.
Then she let out a slow breath, some of the tightness in her shoulders easing
She stepped closer to the chamber, her attention fixing onto it with deliberate focus. Her posture adjusted slightly, as if she were examining something specific—something that required her full concentration.
Luthar observed her for a moment.
Then "The repulsor," Luthar added, his tone even. "I didn't remember installing in your armour."
The statement came without warning.
Lili didn't react immediately but weighted for few seconds then start speaking.
"I ask Anton and his son to install " Lili said, still not looking at him. Her hand moved slightly, brushing along the side of her armor.
Luthar's gaze didn't shift.
"The output is unstable and it's also create a extra weakness ."
Lili gave a small shrug. " but It worked."
There attention quickly shifted as Tsubaki approached beside them, her gaze sweeping the hall before settling on Luthar.
"why don't I see Freya. She should be first one to arrive."
"There's a delay," Luthar replied.
Tsubaki frowned slightly. "so when she going to arrive?"
"Six minutes, twenty seconds."
She held his gaze for a moment, then looked away. "…That specific." Luthar didn't respond. Lili stayed where she was, still facing the chamber, while Tsubaki let out a quiet breath, her attention drifting back toward the hall. "I hope you're not watching everything with some kind of spy setup," she added, almost idly.
It didn't sound like a real concern, but more like something that wouldn't be surprising if it were true.
Luthar didn't answer.
His gaze moved past them instead, settling on the scattered bodies across the hall.
"It's time we start cleaning," he said.
Tsubaki gave a small huff.
"Yeah. Figures."
She turned away without pressing it further.
Lili remained where she was.
"Lili," Luthar said.
Her attention shifted, not fully turning, but enough to acknowledge.
"Assist with the cleanup." he pointed to the device "while I handle this."
He stepped toward the chamber, his focus returning to the device. The structure responded as he reached it, its size reducing quickly until it became portable once more.
Lili exhaled quietly, then pushed off from where she stood.
"Yeah, yeah… I'm going to assist with the cleaning. But don't forget to send the few servos to clean. I don't think anyone's going to enjoy cleaning all this blood," she muttered, already moving toward the others.
Luthar didn't respond, but the lack of it was answer enough. He picked up the device without a second glance and made his way toward the elevator.
As the doors slid open,he stepped inside after the doors close down the lift began its descent.
When it opened again, he was already at the underground level where Wiene stood off to the side curiously watching everything around.
He passed her without pause.
His pace didn't change as he moved forward, the device still in his hand, his attention already elsewhere.