"Eh? Ehhhhhh?!"
A shocked cry erupted from behind.
"W-what's going on? The masked person is Lady Filvis?"
Raul's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the masked figure.
Though he'd only seen her a few times, there was no way he could forget that face.
"But... wait, didn't the masked person and Lady Filvis appear simultaneously before?"
Someone behind them gasped in astonishment.
Exactly.
During the underground waterway incident, the masked person had suddenly appeared to open the labyrinth gate—yet Filvis had clearly been present among Loki Familia's ranks at that time!
There was no opportunity for her to disguise herself like that and open the gate!
"But after that bastard injured the masked person, we charged in only to find no trace of them. The blood trail and scent just vanished, as if they'd disappeared into thin air."
Bete glared coldly at Filvis while casually cursing Eiji.
"Until now, Lady Filvis has used two magic spells in our presence: Bacchus's Staff and Holy Grail of Salvation. But as an elf, you must have three magic slots..."
Lefiya took a deep breath, her eyes uncontrollably welling up with tears.
"Your final magic is a clone spell, isn't it?!"
The group fell into stunned silence.
Clone magic.
No one had ever heard of such an incredible spell.
Yet this explanation suddenly made all the puzzling events fall into place.
"I told you—killing her would've solved everything!"
Suddenly, a voice dripping with malice echoed through the chamber.
To everyone's shock, another masked figure emerged from behind Filvis.
She bore Filvis's exact likeness, but her face was grotesquely contorted, features twisted like a wild beast, eyes radiating murderous intent.
"Your unnecessary actions exposed Lord Dionysus!"
"How could I kill Lefiya?!"
Filvis immediately shot a furious glare at her doppelgänger.
"So you killed yourself instead?!"
Lefiya interjected loudly between the two Filvises.
"Exactly! If it meant keeping you away from this battle, I'd willingly die once—even if it meant you'd live afterward like a soulless puppet! Honestly, this is all because you're too stubborn! If only you'd listened and run away with me, I wouldn't have resorted to this!"
Filvis redirected her exasperated glare toward Lefiya.
What kind of yuri-fueled dialogue is this?!
The spectators behind them suddenly buzzed with excitement.
Before the labyrinth expedition began, Filvis had approached Lefiya, begging her to leave Orario together and live quietly somewhere far away.
She'd known the artificial labyrinth would become perilous—that Lord Dionysus planned to unleash the Spirit Hexagram there, a cataclysm capable of annihilating Orario and everything around it.
But Lefiya had stubbornly refused, spouting nonsense about not abandoning her comrades and fighting alongside everyone, completely disregarding Filvis's feelings!
To force Lefiya away from the battle, Filvis had staged her own death, allowing the green flesh to consume her.
And consumed she had been.
But she had the ability to split into clones.
Unless both of her clones were destroyed simultaneously, she couldn't be killed. Moreover, she could recall and release these clones at will, making her virtually immortal!
Even after being severely wounded by Eiji's supersonic projectile, she could simply recall her clone and appear completely unharmed.
"But none of that matters now."
Filvis's expression gradually calmed.
"I must fulfill Lord Dionysus's orders. He is the only one who truly understands and accepts me! For his sake, even you, Lefiya, I won't hold back!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the calm Filvis and the malicious Filvis merged into one in a flash of light.
"Lefiya, I don't want to hurt you... Ah, but if you stand in my way, I'll have to kill you... No, wouldn't that be even better? I could keep you with me forever!"
A new Filvis appeared before everyone.
Her lips curled high, revealing a deranged smile as she cast a gaze of morbid obsession and murderous intent toward Lefiya.
"Watch out, idiot elf! Her mental state is unstable!"
Bete's instincts screamed danger as he charged forward.
"All of you, just die!"
The pure-white elf let out a cruel laugh.
She took a step, her figure instantly turning into a blur.
Bam!
Bete was sent flying in the blink of an eye.
"What?!"
Everyone gasped in shock.
Bete, a Level 6, was knocked back in a single strike?
"According to the corrupted spirit, my potential far surpasses Revis's!"
Filvis tore open her chest.
A multicolored magic stone was embedded in the center of her chest.
"...An irregular?"
Lefiya felt as if she had been struck over the head.
A green body.
Red, thread-like veins covering her skin.
Muscles pulsating unnaturally.
"Disgusting!"
Someone behind her instinctively voiced their revulsion.
"Hahahaha! Though I haven't consumed a magic stone, with my two selves merged and my potential as an irregular, my strength now surpasses Level 7!"
Filvis wore a bitter smile.
But then she burst into mad laughter once more.
A fighter beyond Level 7!
Another Revis!
The situation was beyond dire!
...
"Surpassing Level 7? That's way too much of a stretch!"
Loki nearly threw her eye-crystal in frustration.
The six triple-chanting corrupted spirit clones were already a nightmare to deal with—how could an irregular Filvis beyond Level 7 appear now?
Was this meant to drive the allied forces to utter despair?
No wonder Dionysus wasn't the least bit worried. The current allied forces were no match for the demonic city of Knossos!
The gap in strength was far too vast!
"What's wrong? Care to deduce some more, Loki?"
Dionysus looked utterly at ease.
"I've finally crafted such a brilliant plan. It'd be a shame if no one appreciated its brilliance!"
His mocking gaze was like that of someone watching a farce.
He saw everyone in Orario—mortals and gods alike—as mere monkeys, while he alone stood high above the clouds, reveling in the thrill of controlling everything!
"I knew I'd be exposed sooner or later. After all, my opponent was the infamous Loki. Your reputation is known to every god in the heavens."
Dionysus swayed his head rhythmically.
The flawless execution of his plan filled his expression with smug satisfaction.
"That's precisely why I prepared this elaborate fake death scene. I didn't reveal it to anyone and even used Demeter as my scapegoat. How did you discover me?"
"Hmph! You want reasoning? Then let me give you more reasoning!"
Loki grew increasingly irritated by his gloating smile.
Now it all came down to who could play more and stronger cards.