In the echoing silence left by Alfia's demise, the weight of their current reality pressed down.
"Is everyone still good to go? The fight's not over yet!" Alise's voice was too sharp, too full of demanded vigor.
Her words felt like the crack of a whip, spurring them on, but the energy she demanded was nonexistent.
"Lady Riveria has been fighting that monster with only Gareth, Dimitra, Vasileios, and Ais to help," agreed Ryuu, already gathering herself.
Emboldened by their victory, she was ready to fulfill Alfia's dying wish.
"We must join her!"
"I get it, I really do, but…" Nikolaos whined, rubbing his temples.
"We're literally on death's doorstep! That beast is as powerful as a floor boss! How are we meant to go up against it like this?!"
Nikolaos looked down; his hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Alise and Ryuu's brave faces were transparent masks; the rest fared worse.
These vibrant young heroes were in a pitiful state, their stamina and mind having hit rock bottom.
Out of the thirteen of them, not a single person had energy to spare.
"I'm at my limit, too!" Clair lamented, rubbing her throbbing eyes.
The irritation was so intense, she half-reasoned that plucking them out might be more relieving. She had pushed her perception abilities to their absolute limit for too long, hence the harsh backlash.
"Alise, as a healer, I cannot allow us to fight any longer!" Maryuu also interjected.
In her role, she was the one who kept objective track of the party's reserves, never allowing her mind to run dry.
Yet right now, even she could muster little more than a feeble, sickly green glow.
Alfia had been so overwhelmingly powerful that despite her handicap, the team was forced to empty their reserves completely.
Now that the fight was over, there was nothing left.
Alise and Ryuu both made grim faces.
"We brought so many items with us, and we've used them all up…" muttered Kaguya.
She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Besides, even if we were at full strength, would we even be able to defeat that thing…?"
At that moment, the entire team heard a familiar, gentle voice.
"Lift your heads, children. You must not turn to fear and despair."
"Lady Astraea?!" exclaimed Alise in disbelief.
"Why are you here…and how?!" asked Ryuu.
"I thought deities were forbidden from entering the Dungeon!"
Her long walnut locks bunched on her shoulder as the goddess tipped her head and gave a coquettish smile.
"They are," she said serenely.
"So don't tell anybody, or else I'll be in big trouble!"
"T-trouble's not the word for it…!" Clair muttered under her breath.
Ryuu was momentarily speechless, but before she could formulate a protest, Astraea shifted to a serious expression.
"I brought enough elixirs for each of you," she said, presenting a bag filled with eighteen small bottles.
"Please use them."
They each took one bottle, leaving five spares for Riveria's team battling Delphyne.
"L-Lady Astraea, I love you!!" Neze suddenly blurted out, uncorking the precious liquid.
"I love you too, Neze, as I do all of my girls." Astraea looked to each of them in turn.
"Ugh, what about us?" Clair said, pointing at herself and Nikolaos.
"Of course I love you both too, but I am sure that your goddess, Bahamut, loves you way more," Astraea teased.
"Of course she does! She loves us a whole bunch….maybe even more than your love for your girls!" Clair replied with a proud smirk.
"No, Lady Astraea loves us a whole lot more," Alise chimed in protest, nodding her head sagely.
"Like hell she does! Our goddess cooks breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us every day. She even does the laundry!" Clair argued.
"Isn't that like what a maid does?" Iska whispered to Lyra.
"Yeah, what the heck are they making their goddess do?" Lyra replied, aghast.
"That's all?" Alise scoffed, puffing out her chest.
"Lady Astraea bathes with us, washes our hair, and even styles it. She tends to the gardens and grows various medicinal herbs and spices for us to eat!"
In a matter of seconds, the crisis conversation had devolved into a heated competition over whose goddess was the more devoted caretaker.
Nikolaos awkwardly distanced himself from Clair, embarrassed that she had dropped to Alise's level of argument.
'I really don't fit in with all these girls' he thought.
Astraea couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.
'Bahamut, you truly have such fine children. You better win and return to them safely' Astraea thought privately.
"Alright kids, I think that is enough," Astraea spoke up, breaking the two arguing girls apart.
"Hmmph," the two huffed, turning away from each other.
Seeing that they were not going to continue their spat, Astraea continued.
"Ahem. With that much energy restored, I am sure you children are ready to go help deal with that thing," Astraea concluded, pointing toward Delphyne raging in the distance.
Astraea had braved the dangers of the Dungeon, risking severe punishment, simply to see her children and share her blessings.
"…Lady Astraea, while I am really happy you came down here to see us….truly, I am…it's just…we can't. That monster's way too strong!" Lyra watched Delphyne's titanic form.
Sweat dribbled down her brow despite the elixir's refreshment.
"If only we had something to give us the crucial edge…"
The god-slayer was a complete enigma.
It possessed the might of the strongest floor bosses ever encountered, ranking at least Level 7 or 8.
Alfia had been handicapped by her illness; their victory over her was a miracle based on seizing a slim chance.
Delphyne was completely different.
With its constant, powerful regenerative capabilities, it outclassed the witch herself.
To approach it without a specific plan was tantamount to suicide.
That was Lyra's cold assessment.
Ryuu and the others looked to her in reluctant sympathy.
None of them could think of a word to say in response, until…
"What are you talking about, Lyra? We do have something!"
"What?"
Alise, her eyes now burning with her ever-cheerful zeal, spoke up.
Everyone looked to the fiery-haired girl in shock.
"Our goddess is here!" she said, her face lighting up with a brilliant smile.
"Doesn't that tell you something?"
A deity could offer more than just restorative potions.
As Alise made her declaration, Astraea gave her a soft, approving smile.
"It's not fair," was all Nikolaos and Clair could say as they realized the unfair edge their allies now possessed.
.........
At last, a groan came forth from the center of the black wind.
"Haah…haah…! Hrh…hrh…!!"
Ais panted heavily, taking no notice of the sweat pouring off her.
The wind had only just begun to groan, but the girl's muscles and bones had been complaining for a long time already.
She was incapable of withstanding the unrestrained might of Ariel for prolonged amounts of time, and her arms and legs were feeling the burn.
Her body was covered in open gashes, her muscles were torn, and her bones felt like they had been ground to dust.
Her pinky finger was bent at an impossible angle from swinging her blade.
She wrenched the finger back into place and gripped her sword once more.
"Nizelle!"
At Ais's word, her festering hatred poured forth.
It gorged itself on her magical energy, turning her groans into screams and restoring the black wind that shrouded her.
She couldn't feel a thing anymore, but that was just how she liked it.
Her hate was never-ending; as long as she used it as fuel, the flames of battle would never die out.
Ais launched herself once more at Delphyne, without realizing or caring how closely death crept.
"Riveria!" yelled Gareth.
"You and that Dimitra lass should use magic and take care of its wings! Burn them, freeze them, whatever works! Once it stops moving, I'll attack!"
The old dwarf's fingers tightened around the hilt of his ax.
But Riveria's face went pale.
"Gareth?! What do you mean?!"
"I'll hack my way to its magic stone, even if it kills me! I don't know where it is, but if I keep slicing, I'll have to get there eventually!"
"Are you drunk, fool?! Even Ais can't overcome that creature's regeneration! All you'll do is get yourself killed!"
"Then what do you suggest?! The girl is in danger! If we waste any more time, we'll all be doomed!"
"Grh…!"
Their argument tipped the scales this way and that, leaving Vasileios and Dimitra unsure of what to do.
Delphyne was ready to sweep them aside without waiting for them to come to a decision.
There wasn't enough time to come up with an optimal plan, and so Riveria was forced to make a difficult decision.
"Ais…Gareth…Dimitra….Vasileios….I…!"
But at that moment, a chain of magical blasts, stardust, flames, and lightning struck the beast head-on.
"Graaaaaaaahhh?!" the beast roared at the sudden barrage.
"Magical bombardment?!" Dimitra muttered.
"It can't be! It's…!" Vasileios said.
Gareth and Riveria were also stunned.
But the dwarf recognized several figures, running like the wind to assist in Ais's fight.
"The Astraea familia!" he yelled.
"Hrh…what…?"
Ais paused and looked up in confusion, seeing the multicolored missiles striking her foe out of nowhere.
Using the confusion caused by the sudden attackers, Vasileios immediately leapt from his position, activated his taunt skill and directed its effects towards Ais.
Ais, completely confused, couldn't resist its effects as her rage was forced onto another target.
Swish! Boom!
Uncontrollably, her body jolted and lunged towards Vasileios, her sword crashing onto his shield.
Vasileios felt his legs nearly crumble at the force of the attack, but he managed to resist by activating his other skill.
"Now!" Vasileios screamed at Riveria and Gareth, urging them to restrain Ais with the opening he created.
If Ais's crazy outburst was restrained, the team could then fully focus on Delphyne.
However, another person intervened before Riveria could take action.
"You must have taken leave of your senses," a familiar voice said, "to take on a beast this size by yourself."
A voice echoed right behind Ais as she hacked and slashed madly at Vasileios's shield.
She couldn't immediately turn to see who it was as the effects of Vasileios skill forced her to solely focus on him through its duration.
In that instant, five seconds quickly elapsed; the duration of Vasileios skill ended, leaving Ais in a dazed state.
This was normal, her rage and hate had been concentrated on the monster Delphyne, suddenly the target of her rage was changed to another target, so when Vasileios's skill ended, her hate had suddenly lost its new target.
This quick flow of events placed Ais in a weird state, where her mind and body were temporarily in dissonance.
Using this opportunity, Ryuu restrained Ais as her mind and body realigned itself.
"Let's join forces. We want to help you?" Ryuu said..
When Ais regained herself and saw who had spoken behind her, her eyes widened.
Standing there holding her down, her cloak and golden hair fluttering in the wind, was Ryuu.
"Join forces…? Never! That monster's mine! Stay out of my way!"
Once she understood what the elf was saying, Ais screamed.
Ryuu silently raised one hand and…
"Ow!" …bonked Ais on the head.
"Listen to me," she said sternly.
"That hurt…" Ais protested.
"You need to calm down. Do you have any idea how difficult you're making life for Lady Riveria?" Ryuu looked Ais up and down, a full head shorter than her, and sighed.
But it was a sigh that was aimed, at least in part, toward herself.
"I wonder if that's what I looked like, back when we fought. It's embarrassing."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"…Nothing," she said, abandoning that line of thought and peering into Ais's golden eyes.
"Just listen to me. We can only beat this monster by working together."
"No! Let me do it! I want to do it!"
At that moment, a second voice came to Ryuu's rescue.
"You can't just say gimme, gimme, Sword Princess! Or maybe I should just call you 'Shorty' from now on!"
"Shorty?!"
Alise leveled a finger at Ais's shocked expression.
"You might end up hurting yourself so bad, you'll never be able to eat those chocolate treats ever again!" she declared.
"B-but I like chocolate!" Ais mumbled.
"And besides," Alise went on, in a less frivolous tone that sounded more like the voice of a gentle big sister, "you'll make everyone who cares about you sad. Only monsters make people cry! You don't want to be a monster, do you?"
"…!"
Being restrained, exhaustion began to set in on Ais's body, the hate and anger swirling around inside her finally began to fade.
At the mention of her fellow familia members, some light returned to her eyes, and she turned to look left.
There, she saw Riveria and Gareth, fighting to protect her.
Alise's words struck a chord somewhere deep within her heart, and Ais found herself slowly coming to her senses.
"It's okay," Alise said.
"We're all at our strongest when we fight together! If we join forces, that big, bad monster's going down!"
Alise winked, her smile beaming like the sun.
"So put away that nasty wind, okay? You don't need it with all of us here."
"…Okay."
At last, words seemed to get through to the girl.
The black wind faded away and reason returned to Ais's eyes.
"That's our leader for you," said Ryuu to herself.
"Nobody can compete with her when it comes to dealing with children."
Then her expression turned grave as Delphyne's furious roar shook the Dungeon.
"Looks like it's finished regenerating…" said Alise.
"Here it comes, everybody! We three need to keep it busy while our allies set up!"
"Got it!" replied Ryuu.
Ais looked between them, frowning.
"But what are we meant to do?" she asked.
"I slashed and slashed, but nothing seemed to work…"
Nobody knew more about the creature's terrifying capabilities than the one who had been fighting it head-on.
She glanced down at her sword, Desperate, and at the cracks running along its length.
But just then, Alise puffed out her chest so hard it looked like she was about to topple over backward.
"Don't you worry about that!" she grinned.
"As of a few moments ago, we pure, pretty, and perfect girls of the Astraea familia are now pure, pretty, and perfect Level 4 girls! Heh-hem!"
"What's that?! Every member of the familia ranked up at once?"
Riveria struggled to process what she was seeing, when all of a sudden came the voice of none other than Astraea herself.
"That's right," she said.
"I updated their status a moment ago. Their earlier victory earned them plenty of excelia."
"Wait," said Gareth.
"One shocking turn of events is quite enough for one day, I fear. I was just coming to terms with Alfia's defeat, and now this?! Perhaps I'm getting too old…"
"You're not alone," Kaguya said.
"I'm having trouble processing it myself…"
The reckless behavior of their patron goddess was enough to put exasperated smiles on all the girls of the Astraea Familia.
Among them, Lyra alone wore a grin that much resembled that of Braver.
"But just think how much stronger we are now," she said.
"That's eleven levels worth of improvement….surely we got to be able to do something with that, right?"
...........
"Tsk, it's not fair. We would have leveled up too if our goddess was here." Nikolaos grumbled, his voice low, as he helped Vasileios to his feet and pressed an elixir into his hand.
Vasileios groaned, rotating a sore shoulder.
"Aaah, thanks, bro. That was a life saver. That little looking girl really hit like a falling boulder."
Dimitra approached the boys, her eyes softening with warmth.
She ruffled Nikolaos's hair affectionately before pulling Clair into a tight embrace.
"Glad to see you're both safe," she murmured, her voice tinged with emotion.
Clair returned the hug, her gaze sweeping over the group.
"I'm glad too, to see you and Vasileios are holding up. I'm sure the others on the surface are doing okay, as well."
"Alright, Alright , enough with the emotional reunions," Nikolaos interrupted, pointing beyond them.
"How do we deal with that?"
Their brief reprieve was courtesy of Alise, Ryuu, and Ais, who were valiantly keeping the monstrous Delphyne at bay.
The colossal beast thrashed, its roars echoing through the cavern.
"Well, unless we concentrate our attacks, we'll never cut a path to its magic stone!" Vasileios explained, recalling Gareth-san's previous analysis.
"Delphyne's unique skill is regeneration, not defense or evasion. With enough concentrated firepower, we can overcome its healing rate and expose its core. Once that happens, its level won't matter… one decisive attack will end it."
He glanced at his siblings, and said with conviction.
"With the new-and-improved Astraea Familia, combined with the Loki and our familia, such a feat should be possible."
Dimitra shook her head, a hint of awe in her expression.
"To think there was enough excelia to rank up all eleven of them! That witch, Alfia, truly was something else!"
"Indeed," Vasileios agreed, a spark of resolve in his eyes, "but this does give us a chance!" Excelia from a defeated target was always divided among its recipients according to their contribution.
The fact that an amount sufficient for such a significant rank-up was distributed, even with a thirteen-way split, bore proof of Alfia's staggering power.
Nearby, Riveria and Gareth observed as Lyra tested the new weight of her weapons.
An innate sense of power coursed through her veins.
She turned to them, a determined glint in her eyes.
"Might take us a while to get used to our new strength," she admitted, "but now that the gang's all here again, how about we have a real raid battle, like we were always meant to? Give us a buff, Nine Hell."
As the remaining team gathered…..everyone except Ryuu, Alise, and Ais, who continued to engage Delphyne….Dimitra took charge.
"Shields in the front, range in the back," she commanded, her voice steady.
Kaguya tightened her grip on her sword.
Riveria and Gareth exchanged a grim nod.
In bitter defiance of their previous wounds, they summoned the last reserves of their strength, preparing for the arduous task ahead.
"Alise! Riveria's magic is here! And all the others, too!" Ryuu's voice cut through the din of battle, punctuated by her deft evasion of a searing fireball.
The jade glow of Veil Breath enveloped her, Alise, and Ais, a powerful buff enhancing their speed and resilience.
Ryuu spared a glance backward.
There, arrayed against the monstrous Delphyne, stood Gareth, Riveria, Lyra, Dimitra, and the rest of the Astraea and Bahamut familias.
Swords were unsheathed, shields raised, staffs readied.
"Right!" Alise chirped back, a ferocious grin spreading across her face.
"Then let's finish what we came here to do! It's been a long time coming!"
With a powerful leap, Alise surged toward the dragon, the other adventurers following close behind, a unified wave of determination.
Only one figure remained stationary, observing the unfolding epic.
"Erebus…" Astraea murmured, her gaze fixed on the battle.
"These children are about to draw the curtain on the battle you started."
The searing air, thick with sparks and the scent of ozone, carried her words to the top of the bluff where the dark god stood, but Erebus offered no reply.
With astonishing swiftness, Ryana, utilizing her advanced detection magic, pinpointed the precise location of Delphyne's magic stone.
Immediately, the frontline fighters….Ryuu, Alise, Clair, and Nikolaos among them….closed in, engaging the colossal beast up close and personal in a relentless attempt to overwhelm its defenses.
Behind them, the three great-shields wielded by Gareth, Vasileios, and Asta formed an impenetrable bulwark, protecting the vulnerable back ranks.
Maryuu moved with practiced efficiency, treating the party's wounds before they could grow too serious.
At the very rear, Riveria and the other ranged fighters stood, the primary focus of the party's defense and support.
Finally free of distractions or interruptions, Riveria began to recite the verses of her ultra-long incantation….a spell so potent it could strike across floors, the very reason for her vital inclusion in this monster-slaying unit.
The air crackled, energy coalescing around her.
At last, she unleashed it.
A torrent of elemental fury erupted, joining the other spells in a fearsome barrage that tore into the dragon, destroying its massive wings, shattering its armor-like scales, and carving a devastating path directly to its pulsing core.
Then, the wind sang once more.
Ais, her silver sword wreathed in a swirling tornado of compressed magic, surged forward.
She combined all her magical power and exceptional skills into one devastating, focused swing. The blade, a blur of silver and green, struck true, shattering the exposed purple orb into a million iridescent pieces.
.........
The monster was no more.
Its final cry, a keening wail like a mother's grief, shook the very foundations of the dungeon floor.
Then, its enormous body began to dissolve, imploding in a shower of ash.
Crimson-tinged black dust, like macabre snow, fluttered through the air, painting the eighteenth floor in ephemeral hues as it settled.
"…Did we win?" Clair, battered and broken, spoke first, her voice a fragile whisper.
She seemed poised to collapse at any moment.
"Yes… we did," Ryuu answered softly.
"Victory is ours," Kaguya added, her voice equally strained.
The ash gently settled, leaving no doubt that Delphyne was truly gone.
A moment of stunned silence hung heavy, as if the adventurers couldn't quite believe their ordeal was over.
Then, a collective roar erupted.
"We did it!"
"Well done, everyone!" Celty cried, running to embrace her allies on the front lines.
Ryana let out a deep, shuddering sigh.
"It was touch and go," she murmured, the words barely audible.
"Is everyone okay?" Maryuu asked, moving among her fallen comrades, offering what aid she could.
Dimitra, utterly spent, tumbled onto her back.
"I just want a baaath!" she groaned, a weak chuckle accompanying her plea.
Joy surged through the weary group.
Some wept openly, tears of relief mingling with the dust and exhaustion.
Astraea watched from a distance, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she observed the triumphant children.
Meanwhile, Ais stood alone, her armor in tatters, when Riveria approached her.
"Ais," the high elf stated, her voice tight.
"…Riveria."
Ais met her gaze, noting the elf was just as scarred by the battle, her robes torn in several places. Ais looked away guiltily, bracing herself for a reprimand.
"Ow!"
Without a word, Riveria's fist connected sharply with Ais's head.
And she didn't stop there.
"Oof! Bah! Ouch!"
Again and again, Riveria's delicate knuckles delivered a series of sharp thumps against the younger girl's skull.
Blue flames of fury seemed to ignite in her jade green eyes, causing both Ryuu and Celty to tremble at the intensity of their elven royals ire.
At last, Gareth stepped in, his booming voice a welcome intervention.
"Now, now, Riveria, that's quite enough," he rumbled.
"If Ais is to learn her lesson, perhaps a conversation would serve better, wouldn't it? Besides, all this roughhousing will stunt her growth!"
The furious elf finally unclenched her fists.
"Owww…"
Ais clutched her head, tears welling in her eyes.
Riveria, huffing with exertion, then extended her arms.
Ais flinched, expecting more punishment, but instead, Riveria's warm embrace enveloped her shoulders.
The high elf's soft cheek rested against her own.
"R-Riveria…?"
"You idiot, Ais. Never do something so foolish again."
"…Okay, Riveria… I'm sorry."
At Riveria's motherly words, Ais softly closed her eyes, burying her head against the high elf's stomach.
Awkwardly, she raised her own arms, wrapping them as far as they could reach around Riveria's waist.
The heartwarming scene coaxed a fond smile from Gareth.
A short distance away, Ryuu watched the exchange.
Alise approached her, a weary smile on her face.
"All's well that ends well, right, Leon?"
"Yes… It's finally over."
Suddenly, Alise stumbled and leaned heavily against Ryuu's side.
"A-Alise?!" Ryuu exclaimed, steadying her.
"I'm tired, Leon… Can you give me a piggyback?" Alise murmured, her eyes closed as if in sleep.
Ryuu's cheeks reddened.
"I don't think I can, Alise. I'm worn out, too…" she admitted, though her own features softened into a gentle smile despite her exhaustion.
"Hey, Leon," Alise whispered, her voice faint.
"Let's go visit the graves after this."
"…Yeah."
"Let's go see all the adventurers who gave their lives for us."
"…Yeah."
Ryuu fought to keep her smile from dissolving into a frown, but a single tear escaped from her sky-blue eyes, tracing a path down her dust-streaked cheek.
Alise's slender arms tightened around her shoulder.
"…That's it, then."
Evil stood watching justice from afar.
There was no smile on his lips, yet no anger or sadness, either.
It was as if he simply acknowledged the way things were, like an audience member basking in the afterglow of a truly moving play.
At that moment, a second god appeared.
"Yes, Erebus. This is the end."
The dark god turned to see Astraea, clad in her white robes.
"Good has triumphed, and evil has fallen," she declared.
From behind her emerged her eleven followers, while Gareth and the allied forces of the Loki, Bahamut and Hermes familia appeared on the opposite side, completing the encirclement.
All eyes were focused on the lone enemy god, stripped of his last line of defense.
"Excellent work," Erebus remarked, a grin spreading across his face.
"I played the part of evil to the best of my ability, but in the end, your justice and persistence won the day."
No more tricks remained up his sleeve.
No more means to alter the board.
Yet even now, the cornered god hardly seemed concerned by his predicament.
"I'll admit it," he continued.
"You win. Nobody likes a sore loser."
Contrary to his words, it didn't feel as if Erebus recognized his loss at all.
He stood calmly, one hand on his waist, enduring the scornful gazes of Lyra and Kaguya.
"You're talking awfully tough for someone who's about to be mincemeat," Lyra retorted.
"I do hope you're not expecting us to simply forget everything you've done and let you go?" Kaguya added, her voice laced with fury.
"Oh, good heavens, no. But what kind of evil would I be if I pleaded for mercy now?"
The girls bristled, poised to lash out, but Erebus only smiled back.
"Go ahead," he challenged.
"Hate me. For what greater joy is there for evil than to be reviled and hated?"
"Grh…!" Lyra and Kaguya scowled, fists clenched, and a few others moved forward.
But the Loki and Bahamut familia quickly bade them to stay.
"We are but mortals," Dimitra stated, her voice firm.
"It is not for us to judge your actions… We'll leave that to your fellow gods."
"Your evil deeds end here, menace," Riveria declared.
"Have you any last words?" Gareth inquired.
Erebus paused, then answered.
"I do have a request, if you'd be so kind."
"What is it?" Gareth snorted, clearly impatient.
"I wish for you to send me back, Astraea. It is only right that evil should meet its end at the hands of justice."
Astraea met his gaze but remained silent.
"And as for where it should be done," Erebus went on, "I'm thinking somewhere high up, surrounded by the endless sky. Somewhere quiet, where the two of us can be alone, without these meddling mortals around to disturb us."
Astraea's followers were not amused by the brazen demands of their captured prey.
"Y-you're joking!" Lyra exclaimed.
"Are we sure we don't want to take a swing at him?" Kaguya muttered, balling her fist.
"Wow! I'm amazed!" Alise scoffed.
"I knew he was arrogant, but this is ridiculous! gods truly are a different breed!"
"Please stay quiet," Ryuu cautioned, her voice low.
"You're not making it any better."
"Oh, and one more thing," Erebus added, as if an afterthought.
"What now?" Riveria tutted with unconcealed spite.
Erebus turned, gazing out over the dungeon's precipice.
"Let my lovely follower go," he said.
"You don't have to help him; just leave him."
A collective gasp swept through the adventurers.
"Maybe the monsters will get him, maybe not. Either way, you'll have done your part. So, just let him go."
The team was aghast.
They wondered if the god might still be plotting something, and didn't agree to his request right away.
But far below, on the ground, Vito looked up towards his dark master.
"…E-Erebus…?"
Cut to ribbons by Kaguya and left for dead, there was no way he was escaping the dungeon without a miracle.
Erebus met Vito's gaze, then turned to face Astraea once more.
"He's only one guy," the dark god insisted.
"What's the worst that could happen? Then again, if you're burning for revenge, I understand."
"…Fine. We shall grant your request," Astraea relented.
"Oh, how benevolent. I knew you'd see it my way."
With that, Erebus walked past Astraea.
"Let's be off then," he declared.
"Evil to the very end."
The adventurers glared at him, but restraining their various emotions, they calmly escorted him toward the surface.
The Hermes familia surrounded him, while the Loki and Bahamut familia followed.
Only the Astraea familia hung back.
After a short while, Lyra kicked a stone in anger.
"Dammit!" she swore.
"That guy pisses me off!"
"I don't think I'll ever find it in myself to forgive him, no matter what Lady Astraea says," agreed Kaguya.
"Every time I look at him, I think of all those he's taken from us."
The other girls clenched their fists or stared at the ground, silently echoing her words.
"Perhaps this is what it means," said Ryuu, "to fight evil instead of joining it."
The elf girl found it hard to breathe.
To her, this was more than a simple triumph.
Victory had come with its own difficulties.
Only Alise stood silent as the god left, as if searching for a truth that has yet eluded the others.
Astraea, too, said nothing, and only cast her eyes downwards.