"Your justice is not self-sacrifice; it is self-gratification. It is a final desire for annihilation, where you discard even your own death for the sake of pleasure."
"But that great wish of yours is impossible to fulfill."
"I, the 'Absolute Evil' destined to be defeated by the 'Hero,' the god of the underworld and primordial darkness, declare this to you:"
"──── O mighty one, your conclusion is to become a 'Hero'."
When the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia—led by the strongest god and goddess of that era—fell before the One-Eyed Black Dragon, the final task of the "Three Great Quests," the Dark Age began.
That great chasm carved into the earth, and the tragedies accumulated over three thousand years by the monsters born from it, required the completion of the "Three Great Quests" as the first step toward settling this long account. These tasks were: subjugating the Behemoth, King of the Land; Leviathan, Lord of the Sea; and finally, Ziz, the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
Three great calamities emerged from the Great Chasm in ancient times. Although it was a primordial pact that the adventurers of Orario had to fulfill one day, their overwhelming power allowed that "Black Ruin" to remain unchecked for a thousand years.
However, those who wished to subjugate it finally rose. They were the fruit of a thousand years of effort and the symbol of the Age of Gods: the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia.
That strongest assembly, recognized by the gods, was led by captains who reached heights no human foot had ever stepped upon—the "Great Hero" and the "Empress," of Levels 8 and 9. Under their command were many heroes of Level 7.
They were truly the strongest, invincible—a legion of heroes sufficient to fulfill the wish of the entire lower world. No god doubted their victory. Indeed, they performed miracles; the sound of the bell of "Silence" shattered the Sea Lord Leviathan, and the fangs of "Gluttony" devoured the Land King Behemoth.
The inhabitants of the lower world rejoiced, believing that a thousand years of waiting had not been in vain, and that their heroes could save the world!
Even the gods felt certain that these elites, representing the core of the lower world's potential, would truly achieve the "salvation of the world."
Only one enemy remained: the great Black Dragon, the embodiment of despair and the king of monsters that appeared suddenly and swept everything away. Only a little remained, and humanity would survive once more! Everyone believed these people would surely do it.
──── But they were defeated.
They betrayed the people's hopes and the gods' expectations, as the strongest assembly fell before a single dragon.
The defeat of these heroes, considered the strongest in history, should have been impossible. But why did it happen? The answer was simple and clear—it was the only major problem.
The Dragon was strong beyond description.
It was too powerful, an anomaly beyond the rules. The "Great Hero" who held the title of the strongest, and the invincible army, saw their power completely crushed and annihilated. Even the captain of the Zeus Familia who survived suffered fatal wounds, losing most of his strength as a result.
Everyone believed that, given the trials they had faced and the achievements they had made, they would certainly succeed. . . . . . . Therefore, this defeat was entirely unexpected.
Because of that defeat, the Loki Familia and Freya Familia exploited the situation in a scheme to seize influence from the god and goddess who had lost their power. The surviving followers were expelled from the city, and the heroes of that generation vanished.
The city of Orario—the plug that seals the "Dungeon" chasm that spews monsters, and the city of heroes where adventurers who live by fighting monsters reside—lost its absolute power and declined.
The world lost its ultimate deterrent with the loss of the two strongest Familias. From here, the Dark Age truly began, as evil, corruption, and tyranny covered the land.
In the northern region of Orario, near the main street, lies the headquarters of Ryuu and her companions, the Stardust Garden. Although its size does not compare to the palaces of the great Familias, its white appearance suggests cleanliness and sophistication.
"───── Heh, your delightful banter never gets old no matter how many times I watch it. . . Well, shall we begin? How were things this time, Alise?"
The one who greeted the followers returning safely from battle was a beautiful goddess with shimmering walnut-colored hair and skin as white as porcelain.
In her eyes, which resembled lapis lazuli, lay deep affection and a wisdom befitting only a being who transcends humanity.
She is Astraea, the chaste, intelligent, and merciful goddess of justice. She is the deity of the Astraea Familia, a rising Familia that includes first-class adventurers despite its recent founding.
"The factory burned down, but civilian casualties are zero!! And of course, we adventurers are fine too!!"
A bright and active girl, glowing like the sun, answered with vitality. Her eyes shone with flawless life, while her vibrant red hair swayed like a flickering flame.
"As usual, the enemies are nothing but worthless scum. But they certainly aren't just an unorganized mob."
The other girl, who had long, shimmering black hair, spoke. Her symmetrical face and elegant movements suggested nobility and dignity.
These two were the captain and vice-captain of the Astraea Familia, Alise Lovell and Gojouno Kaguya.
Both girls possessed second-tier strength, a limited rank in Orario. They spoke in response to the words of the deity they respected.
In the "Labyrinth City" where chaos caused by organizations known as Evilus rages, the Astraea Familia stands on the side of the protectors of order. A girl from the Pallum race with short pink hair, who serves as the strategist, said in a tone full of resentment:
"That's right. . . but we must not underestimate them. Evilus has been hiding in the city since the two great powers existed."
"The Zeus Familia and Hera Familia. . . symbols of the Age of Gods, and the pinnacle of what followers of the gods reached. . . These two powers sat on the throne of Orario for a thousand years and never allowed the legend of safety to collapse."
Astraea closed her eyes as if summoning the past and remembering the former elites. Those Familias were the peak of the Age of Gods who descended to earth and granted blessings.
But that era ended. The followers of the two gods who were the strongest were defeated, the god disappeared, and the goddess left the city. Now, the followers of the "Prankster" and the "Goddess of Beauty" sit on the throne of power. However, these followers have not yet reached the rank of true heroes. Those who reached the first tier ── Level 5 ── are very few, and even Ottar, the strongest in Orario currently, stopped at Level 6.
"How terrifying was their strength then, to the point that the Evilus rats trembled in fear and suppressed their activity all that time?"
"It is no exaggeration to say they were the strongest in human history since the 'Ancient Times'. Zeus and Hera were that dominant."
They were undoubtedly the strongest throughout the thousand years of the Age of Gods, and therefore they were the ultimate deterrent. While the highest level in Orario now is Level 6, the levels of the captains of the two great powers were 8 and 9. There is an incomparable gap between the power of the past and the power of the present.
This clearly means: the absence of heroes.
" . . . By the way, where is Al?"
He was the only follower, and the only male, absent from this place. As soon as Astraea spoke his name, some faces frowned slightly ── or rather, Kaguya's face alone.
"That damn brat, is he still training in his usual spot without giving himself a moment's rest?"
"What a boy. . . I'll go get him."
●○●○●
Al Cranel Level: 5
Strength: B786 (was C621) Endurance: D569 (was D565) Dexterity: A865 (was C682) Agility: SS1011 (was S925) Magic: A852 (was B776)
Luck (Bad Luck): E Insight: G Abnormal Resistance: G Miracle: I
(Magic) "Thunderbolt": Fast-cast magic, lightning element. "Rhea Aster": Enhancement magic, light element.
(Skills) "Desire": Early growth. The effect continues until the goal is achieved. Effectiveness increases proportionally with the intensity of emotions.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
In one of the headquarters' rooms, there was a boy with white hair, red eyes, and a sharp gaze. Behind him stood the goddess, dripping blood from her finger onto his back.
The light that shone on his broad back—broad for his age, though still retaining some boyish roundness—faded to reveal features full of scars. Al's body was etched with marks of wounds of various sizes. Although healing magic and potions should have erased those traces completely, they remained because Al continued to fight without hesitation, delaying treatment time and again—a painful sight Astraea preferred not to see.
The "Status" updated with Goddess Astraea's blood was higher than any other follower she had, and the rates of increase were abnormal.
This meant he risked himself beyond the limit. No matter how great his talent, it is impossible for the status points of a first-tier adventurer to increase by 500 points in a single update.
Astraea copied the status onto a sheet of paper and handed it to him, after deleting the skill that caused this anomaly, "Desire of Memories." This skill is incredibly rare, and because she does not know the exact nature of that "desire," she preferred that no one but her know of it, so that Al would not push himself into further recklessness once he realized it.
"Listen, Al, I know you fight for Ryuu and everyone in this city. But, if you continue like this, you will. . ."
Although Al arouses the envy and awe of his colleagues as the youngest first-tier adventurer, his features, which still carry some innocence, make him subject to teasing. Despite his dislike for it, the female adventurers who are slightly older than him treat him like a younger brother and love to pamper him.
"Al-kun!! Are you eating sweets?"
Ardee Varma, the second-tier adventurer and follower of the Ganesha Familia, was one of them. She ran toward Al, her beautiful blue hair shimmering, a wide smile on her face, and cotton candy in her hand.
"Sweets? How old do you think I am, for heaven's sake?"
●○●○●
Destruction and loud screams stained the surroundings. In the 18th floor of the Dungeon, the safety floor. The beautiful forest full of greenery and crystals emitting a faint light was incredibly quiet and peaceful, as if it were not inside a dungeon inhabited by monsters.
Those blue and green colors stretching in the lower world, nicknamed the "Labyrinth Paradise," seem to be an exact reflection of the surface world's landscapes. The monsters living here are those that migrated from other floors, as no monster is born on this floor.
Safety zone ── where crystals formed from the rocks making up the Dungeon's walls and ceiling glow with a faint light, ensuring darkness does not dominate the place.
"It's, it's Evilus!! Aaaaaaaaaah!!"
"Are they adventurer hunters?! Damn you, won't you let us explore the Labyrinth in peace?!"
That paradise in the lower world, which spreads a stunning "blue sky" that does not suggest it is inside a labyrinth, began to be stained with blood. The sounds of clashing swords rang out with cries of anger and despair.
Adventurers, even those who had achieved a rank-up and became high-level adventurers, were fleeing in terror, their bodies stained with blood.
"Oh my, oh my, could it be that you're running away? And leaving your companions' corpses behind? Does this satisfy you?"
"You should have fought here!! Even if you didn't reach the rank of 'Heroes'!! At least do something that doesn't shame the name of adventurers!!"
The one laughing while chasing them were men wearing white robes, standing coldly like ghosts. Among them was a man laughing quietly but in a sadistic tone, a smile filling his mouth visible from behind his hood as he addressed the fugitives with pleasure.
He removed the hood to reveal hair the color of pale blood and a face overflowing with ugly expressions of malice.
He stood with the white-robed soldiers behind him, opening his arms with affected movements like a clown on a stage, as if enjoying the tragic scene stretching before him.
"If you are unable to do even that. . . then please, I want you to delight me with a bright feast of blood to entertain my disappointment in you!!"
"W-waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
"──── Did you think I would allow you to do that, you idiot?"
Suddenly, a shadow fell over the head of the man who was about to sink his blood-stained dagger into a fleeing adventurer.
In the next moment, a sharp sword flash shot out, knocking the man's dagger away. The sound of clashing metal rang, and part of the broken blade flew into the air before embedding itself in the ground.
"───── Oh my, oh my, some beautiful young ladies have arrived here."
Without looking back at the fleeing adventurers, the man smiled at the three girls who suddenly appeared before him.
"Damn it!! Finn's reading of the situation hit the mark again!! How does that boy's head work?! Honestly, I might accept marrying him, O Hero of the Tribe!!"
"It is entirely impossible for him to marry someone with a wicked smile like yours. ──── And also, you're annoying; be quiet for a moment."
Kaguya, wearing an elegant combat kimono, swung her katana and struck down the white-robed followers while unleashing her sharp tongue, but her eyes did not fail to monitor that "ominous" man.
Lyra and Alise joined Kaguya who had preceded them. Lyra began reducing the number of enemies using explosives and boomerangs, while Kaguya and Alise's sword skills shone in close combat, causing the enemies to dwindle in the blink of an eye.
" . . . You, why are you hunting adventurers? Is your goal money or magic stones?"
"You ask me why. . . that is a question that truly puzzles me."
Alise asked the man, who was watching his companions ── the Evilus followers ── fall one after another with pleasure. The man laughed as if the matter was amusing from the depths of his heart.
At the sight of that smile, Alise and her companions felt a cold chill. They didn't know how to describe it, but the aura this man radiated was clearly deviant and twisted.
"I will answer your question with another question. . . Do you need a reason to enjoy seeing beautiful things?"
"Huh?"
Without turning his gaze to Lyra, who was staring at him angrily, the man opened his arms with theatrical exaggeration and looked at the sky.
The movement seemed like a prayer to a god, but the emotions emanating from his figure were neither joy nor faith.
They were something else entirely.
They felt something resembling a mysterious madness emanating from this man.
"I want to look up at the clear blue sky."
"I want to contemplate the blooming flowers of various colors."
"──── My desire is exactly the same. In this imperfect world. . . I only want to see the brightest colors of blood."
The man said that with a suspicious smile that precedes disgust filling his face. It was a logic that was incomprehensible and entirely deviant from nature.
" . . . You are a deranged person."
"Heh, heh, 'deranged'. . . Ah, it's truly a crooked title with a ring that touches the heart. Yes, yes, it will certainly be a dear title that follows me forever!!"
"And I know you too. You beautiful and foolish followers of Justice ───── By the way, is 'he' not with you today?"
"Do you mean that brat? He's not here. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Oh, really. . . that is very unfortunate."
" . . . What, do you mean to say we aren't scary in your eyes if he isn't here?"
Kaguya's eyes narrowed at the man's words, her voice carrying a silent anger. But the man did not care; instead, he answered with an amused smile:
"Impossible!! I only feel sorry knowing he's absent. I respect and revere those called heroes."
"'He' is a special person among them. . . Heh, truly it is a pity. Ah, ah. . . I desperately wished to meet him even once."
"Sorry, but we have no intention of letting our mischievous younger brother meet a madman like you."
Lyra said that in a tone full of contempt in response to the man's madness-filled words. The man made a sound in his throat and opened his hands as if objecting to her words:
"Oh my, you hate me so much. ──── But, the fact that his absence causes me a problem is a reality."
"Huh?"
Lyra furrowed her brows at the sight of the simple human expression of confusion that appeared on the man's face.
"Actually, I told 'those ladies' that he might come, and I don't know how I'll justify his absence to them. . . if things go south, I might be killed."
" . . . Killed? You?"
According to Alise's estimation, this man is stronger than her and Kaguya. Although she doesn't want to admit it, she would inevitably lose in a man-to-man confrontation. So what does he mean by saying he might be killed?
"Oh, it seems I've talked too long. . . Well, shall we begin?"
The man directed a smile full of pleasure at the three girls who were lost in questioning. When he turned his blood-colored eyes with narrow pupils like foxes' eyes toward them, Alise and her companions felt an involuntary shiver and instinctively took a combat stance.
"────!!"
Alise and her companions responded quickly to the man who attacked them with a freshly drawn dagger as if he were a wild beast. Lyra threw a boomerang, while Kaguya swung her sword.
Stabs and strikes were exchanged between the man and the three. Silver flashes flew and sparks scattered. While the man's blade scratched Alise's cheek, Kaguya's sword dealt a minor wound to the man's arm.
But the man did not stop; he approached them and struck with his daggers. The two fighters avoided the attack with difficulty, but the man followed up with a powerful kick.
They immediately took a defensive stance to avoid a roundhouse kick with enough power to hurl their bodies away. Despite avoiding a direct hit, they were pushed back by the force of the momentum.
" . . . I see, you're truly strong."
The man muttered as he gripped his bleeding arm, then raised his blood-stained hand as red drops fell from it.
"(Cough), you talk too much. . . "
" . . . Are you one of the leaders of Evilus?"
Even though it was only a few rounds, the "skill and cunning" this man showed in facing Alise, Lyra, and Kaguya alone and surpassing them could not belong to a commoner.
When Alise asked that, concluding he was of leadership level, the man smiled slightly.
"Well, who knows. . . Oh?"
" . . . Damn it, are they reinforcements?"
Evilus soldiers who were fighting moments ago appeared shouting, "Master Vito!!". They were running toward them with their weapons.
Their number was not ten or twenty but much more. In that moment, the idea of withdrawal crossed the minds of Alise and her two companions.
"Heh heh!! It's starting to get crowded, ladies of the Astraea Familia?"
It is madness to face this number in addition to this man. But could they escape? As if the man read their thoughts, he directed his soldiers to surround them to ensure they would not flee.
Then the man began walking slowly toward them.
──────── This is bad.
Numbers defeat courage, and the enemy surpasses them in rank. The place where Alise and her two companions are is a narrow alley, and it is almost impossible to break through the crowds to escape. Before their eyes, the enemy approaches with a madness-filled smile.
"Damn it, we have no choice but to fight."
Kaguya prepared herself, spitting her words in anger. Lyra and Alise followed her lead, ready to move at any moment.
"Heh heh, wonderful!! This is how adventurers should be!! Come, delight me with ──── what?"
At the end of the man's gaze, half of the common soldiers coming toward them had been "blown" into the air.
─────── "Luminous Wind"
─────── "Thunderbolt"
More than thirty soldiers were harvested by wind and lightning or cut to pieces.
Alise and her two companions were stunned by this sudden incident, but they soon realized who did it.
"Alise!! Lyra, Kaguya!!"
"Did we make it in time?"
When they turned, they found Ryuu and Al had arrived. They felt relieved at the arrival of reinforcements, but the man did not change his expression; instead, he settled for a calm smile.
" . . . Your companions then. If I have to face other high-ranking adventurers in addition to you, the situation clearly turns against me."
"────── But, fortunately, 'he' has come too."
"With this, it seems I won't have to worry about 'those ladies' killing me."
As he watched the boy strike down the soldiers with power rivaling an entire army, a smile full of pleasure floated on the man's face.
"Huh? What are you talking about? This boy is arrogant, but in our Familia he is considered ────── "
Lyra's words stopped as if she felt a sudden chill. ── Who were "those ladies" he meant?
The answer came immediately. A massive explosion of fire erupted suddenly, stealing their vision and shattering the surrounding crystals.
"This magic ── were they waiting for us in an ambush?"
"Could it be. . . !!"
Al muttered as he tore through the attacking waves of fire with a spear, while Ryuu screamed in a voice that did not hide her terror. She felt magic power from "her own kin" in that offensive magic that far exceeded the size of her own magic.
The Astraea Familia, the city's protectors—despite their young age, they had overcome many hardships and trials and were considered among the strongest women in the city.
But, even for them, there is an evil lurking in the darkness of this city that they cannot face. At the head of that evil are the leaders of the two Familias considered the most extreme and fearsome within Evilus.
Pash, that ugly "human monster" and the de facto leader of the Abat Familia, specialized in violation and injustice and possessing the strongest members of Evilus.
And the captain and vice-captain of the Alecto Familia, the extremist combat wing that includes the worst and most dangerous demons ──────
" . . . You appear everywhere I go. Are you stalkers or what?"
The smoke screen faded gradually. When Al saw the two figures standing there, he sighed with extreme boredom.
"How cruel!! Even though we love you and think about you all the time!!"
"Cold, harsh, and emotionless!! Our merciless hero pays us no attention no matter how many words of love we whisper to him!!"
"But, this side of you" "Yes, even this side"
"" ────── We love you so much, Al, to the point that we want to kill you and tear you to pieces!! ""
Two girls wearing clothes resembling dancers' outfits appeared from the smoke. As soon as their eyes fell on Al, they screamed in high-pitched voices and expressions full of joy.
The words woven with a beautiful voice resembling singing were undoubtedly a confession of love. But, what lay in those words was pure madness.
Their appearance resembled beautiful princesses in stories, and they looked like nothing more than two human girls of fourteen or fifteen years of age, if not for their shimmering "pointed ears."
However, their eyes, which shone with a spark carrying not a shred of reason, and the massive waves of magic power that made Ryuu and Alise instinctively realize they had no chance of winning, were definitive proof that they were extraordinary beings.
"That girl, and this girl, we must kill them all for your sake, Al, my sister and I!!"
"Yes!! Otherwise, the souls the God gave us would be a waste!!"
The two girls laughed as they pointed to Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra, then to Ryuu. The smile dyed with mad joy on their doll-like faces was enough to freeze the blood in the veins of those who saw them.
They are beautiful elves, but they are monsters that have departed from human logic. Ryuu, who is supposedly of "their kin," does not know the meaning of the words they utter; in fact, she cannot know.
"" And afterward, we will melt and mingle with you in the blood of those girls, and exchange love in absolute bliss!! ""
Because they are "demons," and they can never meet on the same path as Ryuu, who is an Elf.
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