—"I'm tellin' ye, only use this when ye're truly backed into a corner."
—"Just use it. If it looks like you're going to lose, use it. Why hold back?"
The voices of Loki and Akumo overlapped in her mind, but she had already made her decision.
CRACK-BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THOO-BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A black storm erupted. Wings of black wind sprouted from Aiz's back. The malevolent star-fire radiating from them caused the very foundations of Knossos to tremble.
—Aaaaaah!!!!!!!
It struck primal terror into the Spirit.
"What is happening!?"
The Demi-Spirit let out a shriek. The ritual song it was chanting faltered, and even its interception magic ground to a halt.
It trembled before that which had suddenly manifested within its domain.
""Everyone, attack!!!!!!""
Finn and Riveria did not miss this opening, launching a fierce offensive against the Demi-Spirit.
Grin—!
"The brat finally went and did it."
"A-Akumo-san...!?"
Only Akumo wore a savage smirk, recognizing that the true battle had finally begun.
Sshing—!
"Y-Your right arm....!!!!"
"Don't worry about it. It'll grow back."
WHOOSH—!!!!
""""!!""""
As if responding to the black storm, Akumo stoked his purple flames into a roaring blaze and smiled ferociously at the Spirit before him.
—Aaaah!!!!!!! S-Save me...!!
SLICE—!!!
"Sorry~ I've got my own circumstances to deal with."
SHRED—!!!!!!!
And so, the devastation wrought by the black storm and the purple flames began.
Slash—!
"Fire!!!"
The initial strike of the black storm instantly cleaved a body in two and severed a right arm. It meant Revis could no longer afford to think about her desires or anything else.
ROAR—!!!!!!!!!
She forcibly activated the stalled interception magic. The mana that had been on the verge of discharging lashed out at Aiz all at once.
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!
"....."
"!!!?"
With a single sweep, a black wall repelled everything.
SHLUCK—!!
"....."
Sssss—!!!!
Neither of them spoke; they simply began utilizing everything at their disposal to claim victory. Revis immediately began absorbing mana from the walls of flesh to heal and retreat simultaneously.
"[Rage (Nigel)]."
SWISH—!!!!!
It was futile.
"!!?"
At a speed on an entirely different dimension than before, Aiz struck. She shattered the indestructible adamantine floor—the very fortress walls that even Finn and Gareth had given up on destroying.
CRASH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CRUNCH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She pulverized Revis's body along with the floor.
Whish—!
"Ngh—"
'I survived by shifting the core magic stone, but...!'
Flash—!!
The black storm continued its pursuit. Aiz thrust her sword with the intent to utterly grind her opponent into dust.
"ARIAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Uwaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ultra-regeneration exceeding all limits and the manifestation of a greatsword—it was an interception that literally shaved away her life force.
Thud—!
Splat—!
Through a desperate maneuver, Revis narrowly clung to life, reduced to a lump of flesh that was barely recognizable as a head.
"A... Aria..... You bastard.....!!"
'She's completely different from the girl I knew before....!?'
"Where were you hiding such a [Monster]!?"
"Why haven't you used this until now!?"
The reason was simple and clear.
That level of status amplification was an outlier—a sorcerous power that fully deserved the name of a curse.
—"Ye mustn't use this power."
—"[Avenger] is the strongest status-boosting skill I know of. Though it's limited to monsters."
Such power inevitably demanded a price, leaving indelible scars upon the user.
—"It's so strong it'll break yer body and yer heart. Ye'll end up a puppet of the skill."
Ssh—!
—"It's a wicked flame."
That was the most serious advice and plea Loki had ever given her, devoid of any mischief.
Rumble—!!!!!!!
"Hmm..... So that was it?"
'So that's why she hid it~'
The aftershocks of that gale reached Akumo as well. He finally decided to lend Aiz a hand.
Whoosh—!!!!
"You, I'm going to need a little help?"
—Haah..... Haah.....?
"[Chaos]."
—!?
SHRED-SHRED-SHRED—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Spirit was incinerated and sliced apart by Akumo's relentless strikes. However, Akumo hadn't unleashed that attack with the genuine intent to kill her just yet.
Twitch—!
"—Ngh!!"
It was a clear message sent to Aiz below.
—'Do not let it swallow you.'
"Ugh..... Uwaaaaah...!!!!!!"
—'You have the [Flame] within you.'
"...Aaaaaah!!!!!!"
The words Akumo and Ottar had spoken to her regarding power echoed in her mind. Aiz managed to barely maintain her sanity.
—'Do I look like the darkness to you?'
—'Do not be swept away by it.'
In that moment, she achieved her growth.
'Control it...!!'
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Ngh!!"
Finally, Aiz succeeded in calming the black storm and gathering it behind her back.
"I couldn't use it. Because I kept thinking of you as a person."
'The black wind that was raging so violently...'
"Even though you possessed such great power, I thought you weren't a monster because we could exchange words."
'It's being concentrated....!?'
Aiz had fought Ottar, witnessed the fierce battle between Bell and Akumo that day, and finally looked directly into Akumo's darkness. She had been taught by everyone.
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!
"Everyone taught me."
Grip—!!
"That to defeat you, I must use everything I am."
Revis was horrified by the sight of Aiz suppressing the black storm. But Aiz, who no longer had even a shred of interest in her, simply spoke as if making a declaration.
"There were monsters who spoke the words of humans."
"There was a [Dragon] who possessed the heart of a human."
Recalling Lyd, Ray, and Wiivell, Aiz directed a gaze filled with resolve at Revis.
"You are the exact opposite—a being with the [Heart of a Monster]."
It meant she had finally defined the boundary between monster and human within her heart.
"I will see for myself. Who is 'human' and who is 'monster'."
ROAR—!!!!!!!!!!!
"Against whom shall I wield this 'power'!"
"I will confirm it with my own eyes!"
That was the definition she had reached, the conviction by which she would handle her power.
"...Heh."
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!"
Shocked by Aiz's growth, Revis finally found certainty in her own heart.
"You've changed, Aria."
".....Yes, you have certainly changed."
Grin—!
"How do you compare to when we first met? You didn't have those eyes back then."
Just as Revis said, the Aiz she first encountered on the 18th floor was no different from Revis—blindly chasing a single goal.
"What changed you so much?"
"How did you become so strong?"
Despite everything, she had grown.
"For the first time.... I've become interested in you."
Step—!
"Aria."
That sight gave Revis a feeling that she could never catch up, and thus it became a sweet desire that allowed her to endure through that distant time.
"Until today, you were my everything."
"Taking you away was my purpose."
She had thought the world was tedious. She didn't know the meaning of her existence, and the things she wanted to protect weren't of her own will.
"But it was different whenever I was chasing you!"
"Whenever I faced you! I might have actually been enjoying myself!"
But after meeting Aiz on the 18th floor, a sweet desire called self-awareness had bloomed within her.
"Whenever we crossed swords! I might have been truly engrossed!"
She laughed madly, looking only at Aiz, standing before her with Aiz as her only goal.
"So right now, I must be happy that I can face you in this form!"
"I am...!!!!!"
However, to Aiz, she still looked like nothing more than a monster.
A blind, red monster who knew nothing but how to be possessed by her own power.
"My long-cherished wish. The enemy I must strike down is not you."
Grip—!!!
"You are merely a 'passing point'."
In the process of fulfilling her wish, Revis was merely one step on the stairs she had to climb.
"..."
Revis understood those words instantly, and her mad laughter grew even louder.
"So that's the kind of person you were, Aria!!!!!"
RUMBLE—!!!!!!
"With a face like a doll, yet you have the stubbornness of a brat...."
Ssh—!!!
"Truly insolent!!!"
As if that very insolence was the reason she couldn't let her go, Revis continued to chase the single woman who had appeared before her.
"That's fine. That's how it should be!!!!!"
A massive hand of flesh manifested, forming a fist and slamming down toward Aiz with immense force.
"Give it to me, my clones!!!"
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aiz deployed the black storm again to block the fist, but—
CRUNCH—!!!
'!!'
Swish—!!!!!
The green fist pierced through even the black storm, threatening her. She retreated and observed the state of that wall of flesh.
'I can't block it all even with [Avenger]!?'
Rumble—!!!!
'Besides.... the regenerating green flesh is being dyed red.'
"If you've changed, then I must change as well."
It was a mass of meat filled with mana—an 'exoskeleton' created by a filthy Spirit.
It was a garment made solely for her, similar in nature yet fundamentally different from the [Chaos] Akumo had created.
"[Armor of Red Flesh]."
'It possesses both offense and defense, receiving an infinite supply of mana from [Knossos].'
But unlike Akumo, who controlled his immense power, they had not reached that realm. There was no way they could handle such an overflow.
Spurt—!
Tremble—!
Blood welled up in Revis's eyes, and Aiz's body shook from the strain of maintaining the black storm.
"It's the climax, Aria."
The conditions were the same.
"Our battle."
At the bottom of the demonic castle, a life-and-death struggle that surpassed all limits began.
Click—!!
ROAR—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aside from the chaos and gales moving violently within the labyrinth, the tricksters were also in motion.
".....Now then."
Step, step—
"Shall we go?"
The God of Adventure headed toward the food storage facility of the Dionysus Familia on the outskirts of Orario.
Flutter—!
"....Shall we go?"
The God of Clowns, along with the Xenos, headed toward the massive hole leading to the man-made labyrinth.
"To confirm the truth of that day."
"I've come to end this, Demeter."
With a single phrase heard from a certain Pioneer.
—'Do you know what the best way to kill a person is?'
Step, step—!
"Found you."
Hermes walked straight toward Demeter, who was standing on the roof of the storage facility.
"Shall we end this soon? Demeter."
Demeter turned to look at Hermes, an unreadable smile on her face.
"Yes."
Ssh—!
"You've come, Hermes."
Meanwhile, the Clown was also setting foot into the labyrinth once again.
"Ow, ow, ow! Yer claws are diggin' into me shoulders!"
"I-I'm sorry....."
It didn't look particularly smooth, but Loki had no choice but to descend.
"Sorry, Ray. Forcin' ye to carry me down like this."
"Ahaha...."
"Ah! That laugh, did ye catch that from Akumo!?"
".....Maybe?"
Though the Xenos had thought it absurd at first, Loki was now chatting with her as calmly as if she were one of her own children.
"But was it really okay.... to descend like this without saying a word..."
"It's fine, it's fine. Ye couldn't just sit still either, right, Ray? If we're gonna go help, now's the only time."
Flutter—!
"I've already told Finn and the others, so it's fine."
Flutter—!
Loki, having flown into the sky, entered [Knossos] for the second time.
"It's high~ This is me second time here, but it's still incredibly deep."
Step, step—!
"Descent with a monster escort is quite the interestin' experience~"
After traveling for some time, Loki succeeded in entering the room where she had seen Thanatos.
"Looks like the Ganesha Familia really scorched this place good."
"Yes.... the green flesh around here is completely dead."
Despite the sight of everything being so thoroughly roasted that it couldn't possibly be alive, Loki searched for only one fact.
'Where's Dionysus!? Where is Dionysus!?'
"...."
'From the point where Narvi's group lost Dionysus to where I am now, Dionysus disappeared somewhere between those rooms.'
Sniff, sniff—!
"The smell of Divine Wine...."
The scent of wine, which she could now identify just by the aroma, hit her nose. Loki immediately sent Ray back.
"Ray-tan, this is as far as me bodyguard needs to go."
"Pardon?"
"Ye were just humoring me selfishness anyway. Accordin' to Finn's plan, from here on, let's go help the side that's fightin' their hearts out."
"B-But, leaving a God alone is....."
"I'm tellin' ye, it's fine! There ain't no monsters 'round here~"
Loki couldn't involve Ray, a Xenos, in what she had to do.
"...Understood. If that is what you, a God, say."
"Sorry 'bout that~ Ye already listened to plenty of me selfishness."
"It's alright. Then I shall be going."
Even after Ray left, an incredibly strong scent continued to linger in Loki's mind.
Step, step—!
"Even though it's been burned and rotted away like this....."
Sniff, sniff—!
"What a foul stench."
'That's how I know. That smell of wine I caught in Dionysus's private cellar....'
The fragrance of Divine Wine was wafting through the labyrinth so strongly it couldn't be hidden.
'Those who know it can't help but recognize it, and only those who know it can notice it.'
'A blind spot created because all nerves are focused on sight, hearing, and even the vibrations of the air felt by the skin.'
A place where someone with a distracted mind would arrive, unconsciously led by the scent. Dionysus had drunk it to comfort his wavering spirit, to quench his thirst.
"The Divine Wine, I mean."
Step—
Dionysus, having drunk the Divine Wine, was manipulated to head somewhere to settle things with Enyo himself.
'That's the conclusion I've reached.'
Ssh—
'A melted brain, impaired judgment—what surfaces is a repeatedly performed imprint.'
Step—
If you follow the Divine Wine, Enyo is there. Now all she had to do was find him, and everything would be over.
Step—
'Followin' the imprinted perception, Dionysus retraced his steps, likely runnin' after the scent of the wine in just the right amount.'
Step—
That's how he died. He entered this dark room alone and was killed by Enyo.
"But, between the God's return to heaven and its aftermath, and the erosion of the green flesh."
'How did he endure it?'
The reason was, in a way, obvious.
Creeeeak—!
"A hidden passage."
—'Do not miss whether there is a hidden passage!'
"Just as Gareth said."
The God of Clowns was drawing one step closer to the truth, and the same was true for the God of Adventure.
"I've come to confirm the answer, Demeter."
"Ah..... I've been found out. Is it really impossible to hide it anymore?"
Demeter simply gave a meaningful smile and replied calmly to Hermes's words.
"A miscalculation.... no, it's a shame."
Rustle—!
"Even if it wasn't Loki's group, it would have been nice if even Ouranos's private soldiers had come to me."
"To disperse our forces?"
"Of course. Since the preparations are already complete, the die is already cast."
As if everything were already over, Demeter merely smiled.
"Whether you restrain me now or send me back to the heavens. The gates of the underworld are about to open."
To such a Demeter, Hermes demanded an answer with a grim expression.
"...And your Familia?"
"Who knows? Did I send them to that 'demonic castle'? Or did I use them as 'nourishment' to make the flowers bloom....."
Grin—!
"Which do you think it is?"
Eyes that had lost their luster, and that smile that seemed utterly hollow.
Tremble, tremble—!
""""....""""
Unknowingly, they were trembling as they held their weapons. There was no point in blaming their negligence, nor any reason to hide now.
Yet, they were afraid to show themselves before that smile.
'Goddess Demeter, the one everyone follows for her gentle and kind nature...! How can she be so different while wearing the exact same smile....'
'She's not the person I knew....! I didn't want to know a Demeter-sama like that.....!!'
And then Demeter, wearing a mad grin, continued to speak to Hermes as if making a proclamation.
"Hermes.... I told you before, didn't I? That I am 'dissatisfied'."
Step—!
"To me, who bears the name of the Great Mother and the Earth, the current lower world is 'unintended'."
"Humanity that indulges in gluttony, and humanity that rummages through leftovers right beside them, coexist!"
"Alienated humanity watching those who are welcomed with open arms! There are prosperous, wealthy cities and declining port cities!"
Pure hatred for discrimination—did that truly fit with chaos? Such a question continued to plague someone.
"It is unforgivable, the [Unreasonableness]!!! The [Discrimination]!!!!!!"
Could that really be the reason? Then why now, of all times?
"The [Distinction]!!!!!!!!"
Why now, for the existence that clearly laid out and manipulated the entire board? Why sacrifice herself? Why?
".....Yes, I heard. I certainly heard it."
"You would know, wouldn't you? Why I did such a th—"
"I heard it clearly from Akumo-kun."
".....What?"
Let's hear the answer to that from Hermes.
"Demeter is the Goddess of Harvest and the Goddess of Benevolence."
"Would someone like you ruthlessly sacrifice children for the sake of children? Even using Thanatos?"
Such a direct method, such a contradictory method, was not her way. It was a meaningless act that didn't even qualify as chaos.
"The one being manipulated is Demeter—you yourself."
Thump—!!!!
"Dammit, getting caught in such a pathetic trap."
Meanwhile, how long had it been since Bete, Lefiya, and the others fell into the trap? They had fallen so deep they had to use magic just to cushion the impact.
Thud—!!
"Is that the masked monster.....?"
"The one who manipulated the man-eating flowers to murder the [White Priestess]....!"
Ein appeared before them. To them, she was known only as the masked monster, but her strength was such that even Akumo had recognized her as a formidable foe.
Step, step—
They approached that monster, that Ein. Simply to hear the truth.
"I've been.... wondering for a long time."
Step—
"Exactly 'who are you', I wondered."
In Lefiya's eyes was a resolve that simply wanted an answer. She had decided she would no longer be blinded by the shock before her eyes.
"You were hidden in Enyo's shadow, but you've been strange all along too."
Step—!
"I've been feeling a sense of incongruity this entire time."
"...."
"Haven't you?"
Lefiya's demeanor, as if she knew her all too well, made Ein realize she could no longer hide it.
"You, always, at any time."
"Appeared before you."
And so, the two elves faced their moment of reunion.
However, what the two of them desired from this battle would be distinctly different.
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