In a small wooden cabin, in the middle of the dense forest on the outskirts of the great Magic City of Sharia, a tall man was sitting at the table.
His eyes were golden and reptilian, and his hair was silver-gray. His presence, even motionless, was intimidating to ordinary people.
In front of him, suspended under the arms in his large hands, was a child.
She did not seem to be more than two or three years old. Blue hair, eyes of the same tone, large and lively. She looked very cute and delicate — a comical contrast with the man holding her.
This was the second daughter of Rudeus Greyrat and Roxy Greyrat.
Lily Greyrat.
The little girl stared at the man attentively.
But there was no fear on her face.
Only curiosity.
"Gaha!"
She raised her arms, waving her little hands while smiling completely carefree.
For a brief instant, the man's impassive face softened.
A rare faint smile formed.
And disappeared almost immediately when he noticed someone entering through the kitchen door.
It was Rudeus Greyrat.
The Dragon God Orsted placed the little girl on his lap and handed her a small wooden toy she had been playing with before.
Rudeus seemed different from years ago.
There was more serenity in his expression. A calm smile on his face as he saw his daughter playing with the Dragon God.
He carried a tray with two cups and a teapot.
He sat at the table.
"So… a new Labyrinth?" he asked while pouring the tea. "Are you sure you've never seen anything like it in other loops?"
Orsted leaned slightly back in the chair, his expression returning to its usual severity.
"I am absolutely certain. Hitogami has used tactics to lure me into dangerous Labyrinths to ambush me. But he has never been able to create a Labyrinth out of nothing, much less one this strange."
Rudeus slowly rotated the cup of green tea between his fingers, thoughtful.
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
"I guess it's a stupid question…" Rudeus finally spoke. "But are you sure the cause of this is Hitogami? I mean… what if it's just the butterfly effect?"
Golden eyes turned toward him.
"It is Hitogami." The answer came without hesitation. "Although he has never done this in previous loops, it is the same pattern of action. Furthermore, he possesses a firepower he never had before. Theoretically, he now has enough knowledge and power to do something like this."
Rudeus rested his elbow on the table.
"But why? As you said, Hitogami is usually more direct. Why would he try to lure us to Begaritt in such an obvious way? Or if he isn't luring us, why make such a commotion? If we noticed… the Beast God will notice as well."
Orsted did not change expression.
"Most likely it is because the Beast God is making his own moves. There are many inconsistencies in the way Hitogami is acting in this Loop. But, based on my experience, this must be his final move."
He paused briefly.
"Hitogami is cornered. And he knows it. But this time, he is fighting with everything he has. He seems to have abandoned some of his old habits in the face of imminent death. He is probably following someone else's strategies."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Possibly Geese Nukadia."
Rudeus looked away toward the window.
The sun was rising at that moment, and the sky was clear.
He let out a low sigh.
"Is that why we're going? Because Hitogami is changing how he acts?"
Orsted leaned slightly forward.
His gaze sharpened.
"What truly worries me are the Resurrection Stones. They have already appeared a few times in other loops. But they should only happen about sixty years from now. If they really are what I think… Hitogami's next actions will be unpredictable and potentially disastrous."
He continued:
"They simply are not something we can ignore right now. Besides, now that they revealed their position, it is the best chance to kill Hitogami's Apostles."
Rudeus sighed again.
"So we're going anyway?"
Orsted nodded.
Silence filled the cabin again.
Only the soft sound of Lily fiddling with the toy and the light clink of the cup against the saucer.
After a few seconds, Rudeus stood up.
"Alright. I'll contact Ariel and some friends… It's better to eliminate the threat before it grows too much."
He turned to Orsted.
"How is your mana capacity?"
The Dragon God's expression tightened a little.
"Low. I can help in an extremely critical situation, but it would be dangerous to face the Fighting God and the Technique God as I am now. I need you to do most of the work. If possible… I need you to win without me having to intervene."
Rudeus nodded seriously.
He went to Lily, picking her up.
He looked at Orsted.
"Contact me if there is anything else. See you."
Then he spoke to his daughter in the gentlest voice:
"Lily, say bye-bye to Uncle Orsted."
The little one smiled and waved her hand.
"Bye bye!"
A small smile formed on Orsted's face.
Rudeus left the cabin without waiting any longer.
Orsted remained there for a few moments.
His eyes turned to the helmet on the table beside him.
A helmet capable of suppressing his Curse.
Over the years, besides training Rudeus Greyrat, he had also begun training Kalman III, who officially became his subordinate.
But, as time passed, the relationship between him and Rudeus ceased to be simply boss and subordinate.
They became partners.
Orsted preferred it that way.
To experience something close to companionship.
Interacting with a child who did not see him as a demon was still something strange to him.
He did not know exactly how to deal with it, but he realized he liked it.
More than in any other loop.
That thought led him to another.
What would the Beast God do if he truly reached Hitogami?
Was the title Apocalypse Beast something destined?
Was he the one who would bring destruction to the world?
In a way, beings like Rudeus and Rygar had already escaped the control of the First Dragon God's Temporal Technique.
They were unknown variables.
The Six-Faced World would be destroyed when Hitogami died, without a doubt.
How would Rygar deal with that?
Would he seal Hitogami?
Would he be defeated upon discovering the truth?
Or, once again, would he defy common sense… and find a way to kill him without destroying the world?
Even without showing it, Orsted was uncertain about what would happen in Begaritt.
Even so, he had a bad premonition about it.
He could not simply sit and watch.
In any case, knowing the Beast God was also after Hitogami slightly lessened the weight on his shoulders.
Thinking about what would happen after Hitogami's fall now was useless, since he might not even fall.
Orsted stood up.
His mood was strangely light.
He left the small cabin.
There were still things to investigate before everything was blown to pieces.
---
The New Labyrinth in the Begaritt Continent.
The Ever-White Labyrinth.
It received this name because of its location — in the heart of the Ever-White Desert.
It was discovered by the Treasure Mage, Kensai.
At first, the adventurers who returned with the first news about it were treated as lunatics.
Stones that could resurrect the dead?
An Oasis in the middle of the Ever-White Desert?
They even dared to say they crossed the entire desert without being attacked by a single Naraje Scorpion.
That alone was already absurd.
Everyone knew the desert was infested with these creatures. It was practically impossible to walk a few hours without encountering one.
But where there is ambition, there is always someone crazy enough to test their luck.
At first, only a few decided to check.
What they found was… sinister.
Dozens and hundreds of Naraje Scorpion corpses scattered across the white sand.
Even the Scorpion Kings were among the dead. All torn apart and ripped to pieces.
Some reports mentioned the sight of a gigantic red ogre wandering the desert. Of course, the freezing cold of the Ever-White Desert was still a real obstacle.
But that was quickly forgotten when the first renowned adventurers returned from the Ever-White Labyrinth.
They brought proof, the Resurrection Stones. Divine items capable of literally reviving people.
The news spread like wildfire across the continent. Caravans began departing daily.
After all… who, in this vast and cruel desert, had never lost someone important?
The desire behind the Resurrection Stone grew uncontrollably.
Greed easily overcame fear.
Few cared that the Labyrinth was extremely dangerous. Its main monsters were Trolls — Rank B creatures from the very first floors.
Kensai publicly announced the Labyrinth had at least one hundred floors, perhaps even more. The mortality rate far exceeded the number of Resurrection Stones obtained.
But no one seemed to care.
The ambition for a second chance at life was too strong. Thus, masses crossed the desert every day, toward the Oasis.
And, naturally, among these masses were members of the greatest military organization in the world.
The Iron Legion of the Kingdom of Gaia.
At that moment, inside the Oasis, in a stone house built by magic, a man with a bird-like beak and blue feathers all over his body observed a shining purple stone in his hand.
He was a member of the Demon Race.
His physical build was that of an experienced warrior.
At his feet rested a large dwarven axe, sturdy and perfectly balanced, and he wore a simple brown cloak.
With his other hand, he held a standard Iron Legion communication device, sending a detailed report about the situation in the Oasis and inside the Labyrinth.
His name was Pathfier, the Bird Demon of the Iron Legion.
He had been stationed on the Begaritt Continent for some years, since it was his homeland. He was one of the first Legion members to arrive to investigate the new Labyrinth.
He interrupted the report for a moment, organizing his thoughts.
There were four main points to report.
The first — and most important — was the limit of the Resurrection Stones.
They could only revive someone who had died a few seconds or minutes ago.
However, the deeper the floor, the greater this limit seemed to be.
Theoretically, the stones from the lower floors could resurrect someone dead for much longer.
Potentially anyone.
The second point was that Kensai, the Treasure Mage, was clearly hiding something.
He controlled the information and promoted the Labyrinth enthusiastically. But he hid, with equal effort, the real number of victims.
His objective seemed to be maintaining a constant flow of adventurers. The reasons remained obscure.
The third and fourth points were connected.
Two monsters wandered around the Oasis.
One of them was a Red Ogre — the same race as Baron, a Legion member. But this one seemed even stronger.
The other… was a human.
All he knew about him was that he wore a dark-blue cloak.
Although human, he was even more terrifying than the Ogre. No one who left alive had truly fought him, and no one clearly saw his face.
He killed everyone who saw him directly, or at least everyone he noticed. And he killed everyone in a single instant.
Strength, power, magic — none of it made a difference.
He seemed like a legend, some kind of reaper.
Having finished the report, Pathfier stored the device and stood up.
He still needed to descend deeper into the Labyrinth and directly investigate Kensai's intentions.
Upon leaving the stone house, he dispelled the construction with a simple wave.
He mastered Advanced Earth and Wind Magic without chanting.
Additionally, he was a North King and a Beast Saint.
Without a doubt, the most suitable for that mission.
He was genuinely happy to be able to repay the Iron Legion for everything they had done for him.
He walked through the Oasis calmly, the forested area around the water source already familiar to him.
But after walking only fifty meters, he saw.
Sitting on a high branch.
A human with a dark-blue cloak.
Pathfier clearly saw his face.
And froze upon recognizing him.
When the man jumped from the branch, descending casually, Pathfier's instinct warned him before he even touched the ground.
Run.
Without hesitation, he burst into flight.
His touki strengthened muscles and bones, he reached a speed few could follow.
But the instant the blue-cloaked man touched the ground, his blade was drawn like lightning.
The movement was so fast the environment seemed to slow for a brief instant.
Then came the sound.
A clear sound of cuts.
It ran through the night forest.
Trees were severed as if an invisible blade had passed through the air.
Completely ignoring the distance between them, dozens of meters, the Bird Demon had no chance to react.
His body was split in half.
Just like the trees.
Without even looking back, the blue-cloaked man turned his back.
He walked away whistling carefree.
But then, one minute later, the purple stone in Pathfier's pocket began to shine.
By coincidence, it had touched him at the moment of the cut.
The lower half of his body, a few centimeters from the upper, was reconnected while the stone emitted its mystical light.
The glow gradually faded.
And light returned to the Bird Demon's eyes.
He was confused and disoriented.
But there was a name in his mind.
Gall Farion.
-----
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