That torrent of light possessed the greatest volume of energy observable on the surface.
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!
On the 8th floor of the Man-made Labyrinth, everything in a linear path—monsters, Adamantite, and even Orichalcum—was shattered into dust.
It was, quite literally, a transcendent portrait of the heavens that surpassed the logic of the Lower World.
"A pillar of light!?"
"A God has been sent back!?"
"Who!? Who ascended!?"
"...No way!"
Every God watched that pillar of light in sheer astonishment.
"I can't even stand!!"
"What is happening!?"
The situation was the same within Knossos—no, it was even more chaotic as they were caught in the torrent of power. The Hermes Familia, which had been retreating, was thrown into a panic, unable to move amidst the violent tremors.
"Whoa!? W-Whoa!!"
"Captain!? What is this..."
"...!!"
'My thumb is throbbing more than it ever has before!'
Finn felt as if his thumb might snap. Sensing an ill omen far greater than anything he had felt even during the Great Feud, he immediately shouted to Tiona and Tione, who were questioning the situation.
"Abort the search for Enyo!! Regroup with Loki at full strength!!! Do not stop!!"
Finn's roar spurred them into immediate action.
"I-It stopped...?"
Step-step!!
"Lefiya, pull yourself together!! The enemy is still here!"
Thwack—!!
"Kh!?"
It wasn't Lefiya's side that had stopped. Distracted by the sudden earthquake and the massive impact, she allowed Ein to land a blow and was forced back a great distance.
"...It seems it has begun."
'It needs to end quickly.'
With the simple thought that she had a job to do, Ein stood still after blowing Lefiya away.
'If Aki is here, it means the exit is close!'
"Miss Filvis!"
"Ah... Ahhh..."
"Miss Filvis...?"
Lefiya called out to Filvis, her mind consumed by the need to escape the Labyrinth, but Filvis merely stood there with a look of profound shock.
No one knew the exact cause of that shock.
"My body... my sword feels heavy... T-This can't be..."
"It's dark...! I can't see ahead...!"
"How can this...!?"
However, the sensations felt by the Dionysus Familia members behind her were undeniably real.
"A God has ascended."
"Was it Loki, Thanatos... or perhaps Dionysus?"
Ein spoke nonchalantly, gesturing toward Filvis. It was as if she were signaling that the end was truly near.
"The King's return draws near, Filvis."
"Our clown act is over now."
"..."
'Not yet... it's not yet time to stop...!'
Filvis could not lift her head at that gesture.
Was it because of her heavy body, or because of Lefiya, who was watching her?
"Uwaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Miss Filvis!"
Like a person possessed by rage, like someone who had lost all reason, Filvis charged forward, poised to plunge the dagger in her left hand into Ein.
Grab—!
"Cough!"
Naturally, Ein easily caught her by the throat.
""...""
Crack—!
"With this, the foundation is complete."
Filvis's neck was snapped, her head twisted at an impossible angle. She died instantly.
And then, the altar activated.
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
—~♪
Boom—!!!!!!
—~♩ ~♪
The Demi-Spirit residing in the hidden chamber awakened, and meat walls began to flood the entirety of Knossos.
Splatter—!!!!
"R-Run...!!"
"Save me!!!!!"
From the low-ranking adventurers to the second-tier adventurers leading their units.
"Retreat immediately!!!"
Recognizing the meat walls they had encountered on the 24th floor, Aspi urgently ordered everyone to flee. The Hermes Familia retreated at full speed.
—Kwahhh!!!!
"The exit is close!"
"Hurry, all of you!!!"
The situation was no different for the unit led by Ais and Riveria.
The suddenly appearing meat walls swallowed and dissolved every Man-eating Flower except for Revis, and then they targeted the adventurers.
"You knew it would turn out like this from the start...!?"
"It's not ideal to let the clones absorb you as nourishment."
Thud, thud—
"I said even a corpse would do, but that thing won't be satisfied with you if you're withered and dead."
With those words, Revis turned her back, stepped through a gap in the meat walls, and vanished from the area.
Swoosh—!!!!!!!!!!!
"I-I'm going to die...!"
Even the remnants of the Evils were certain to be dissolved by the encroaching meat walls. But then—
Slice—!
—...?
Drip—!
It had been cut. The Demi-Spirit creating the meat walls perceived it as such. However, it felt no pain; it only heard the sound of something flowing away.
—Ah... Ah...?
But the creature soon realized.
Snap—
"I-It stopped...?"
"Huff... huff... what on earth...?"
Every connection to the meat walls it had been linked to had been severed.
"The meat walls... they stopped...!!"
Sensation was draining from its body.
Thump—!!
—Wh... at...?
It had no way of knowing that the white light it had seen—the white light that had grazed it—had surged up from the depths of the Dungeon to reach even this place.
"...It seems he won."
Grin—!
"I should go see him off."
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"""""!!!?"""""
Feeling something within that white light, Ein smiled beneath her mask and departed.
"W-Wait!!!"
Step, step—
"I said wait!!!!!!!"
Lefiya called out to her retreating back, but Ein simply headed toward the surface to greet Akuo and announce her victory.
"What is the meaning of this...?"
'The meat walls should have arrived by now...!!'
Thanatos was bewildered by the scene before him.
Sss—!
"The meat walls aren't moving!"
"Just focus on breaking through for now!!"
The walls of green flesh generated by the Spirit's clones, spanning hundreds of meters, should have swallowed and killed countless people.
"Thanatos... was that your doing just now?"
"As if I could do that...!!"
It was Enyo's plan—a mad act intended to kill even him. Yet, it had killed nothing; it simply stopped and was being cleared away by the adventurers.
Glance—!
"...A blade mark...?"
'Could it be...!!'
What finally caught his eye was a massive line carved through the floor and ceiling.
"The Arcanum I felt earlier... it wasn't just the residue of a forced return...!"
And the traces of Arcanum that had brushed against the Gods' senses just moments ago—those were likely the result of that white light.
Thud—!!
"So it was indeed Enyo who activated it, Thanatos."
""""!!""""
In the midst of the confrontation between the Loki Familia and Thanatos, Ein appeared in the room.
"...Ein-chan."
Step, step—!
"What is the meaning of this?"
'Stopping the activated meat walls yourself?'
Seeing the confusion in Thanatos's eyes, Ein simply approached her and spoke with a hint of a smile.
"So you're capable of making such a face?"
"What...?"
"I thought you were a God who only spoke of death and souls."
Thanatos was the one who had joined the Evils to slaughter countless children of the Lower World, cooperated with Enyo to create numerous Demi-Spirits, and driven Barca into a frenzy to annihilate the Loki Familia.
"See? In the end, you too cherish the children."
"..."
"Even though several died because of you, and you were deceived by Enyo into bolstering his power."
Grab—!
"Even that is what it means to be Chaos, Thanatos."
'That is all I have to say to you.'
These were not the words of the Ein who had been cold and filled with blind fanaticism for Enyo.
"You... who exactly are you looking at...?"
Enyo was supposed to be a being of meticulous malice, capable of weaving such a plan. Ein was supposed to be more intoxicated by Enyo than anyone else.
"...That's enough."
Clang—!!!!
Ein did not answer her. She lightly parried Finn's spear as he aimed for her back.
"Now, there is only one being who can truly possess me."
Smile—
"That is what it means to be a King. Even you Gods are no different from us."
Living things that fall for schemes, are deceived, and feel bitterness at the loss of those around them.
"Everyone! Take down that creature immediately—"
Twitch—!!
"""!!!"""
'This aura...?'
'Arcanum...!'
Just as the Loki Familia was about to charge at Finn's command, another ripple of Arcanum echoed.
"Ein-chan... don't tell me..."
"Being unable to see the end of the battle is the punishment he has decreed for you."
At Ein's words, Thanatos immediately understood the will contained within the Arcanum she had just felt. She began to laugh joyfully.
"Ahahaha!!!!"
'So that's what it meant~'
"This is marvelous~!!!!!!"
Clench—!!!
"Enyo!!!! You were nothing but a clown yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Flash—!
Thanatos pulled a dagger from her robes.
"It's a shame I won't see the end, but..."
Stab—!
Plunging the blade into her own abdomen, Thanatos laughed maniacally. Recalling someone she had brought into being, she finally understood everything.
"Thanatos!? What do ye think ye're doin'!!?"
"Even so, I'm glad I did it! My children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
'Accept my final gift, Enyo!'
Despite Loki's shock, Thanatos simply drove the dagger deeper to accelerate her forced return.
Boom—!!!!!!
Rumble—!!!!!!!!
A hole opened, accompanied by a violent vibration. It was likely the sound of another meat wall, prepared by Enyo himself, being activated.
"Nothing has ended yet."
Not the trial of heroes, not this battle, and certainly not the end of Enyo.
"You may have won today's raid, but the battle of warriors belongs to us."
The first operation of the Great Faction Alliance, led by the Loki Familia, to conquer the Man-made Labyrinth.
Result: The remnants of the Evils repelled; Barca, the descendant of Daedalus, subjugated; Enyo, Ein, Revis, and other primary forces escaped.
Casualties: Filvis Shallia, one person.
"Orario's collapse is certainly drawing near."
'The residents on the surface and most adventurers are still in the dark...'
As Loki said, they had managed to escape through the hole Thanatos created before the meat walls could overtake them. However, that hole, along with the one created by Dionysus's ascension, allowed the meat walls to erupt and create a hellscape.
"It's completely silent for now, but..."
"It might just be a facade, pretending its growth is finished."
Loki stared at the sealed area of green flesh, her mind filled with thoughts of the escaped Enyo and the second battle that would soon follow.
"There is no grace period. Is that it?"
"Hermes."
"Yo, Loki, Demeter. What a coincidence to meet on a morning like this."
Hermes approached Loki with a trickster's smile.
"We both happen to be alone, with no one else around."
"...."
"Would you like to have a little chat?"
"...About what?"
As if asking something obvious, Hermes adjusted his hat. Loki's slit eyes opened, revealing her crimson gaze.
"The mastermind behind all of this..."
"The question of who Enyo really is."
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