The malice of fate poured down like a torrential storm, leaving the despairing Filvis with no means of escape.
The freakish body was far too resilient—no matter what method she tried, she couldn't end her own life.
At that time, she truly was like a walking corpse.
Everyone scorned her, despised her.
There was no sorrow greater than a heart that had died—this was precisely it.
And then, at that very moment—
Dionysus appeared.
"How beautiful!"
He praised Filvis.
Though her body was unspeakably hideous, in the eyes of that god, it seemed more beautiful than anything else in the world.
Filvis felt as though she had been granted salvation.
She joined the Dionysus Familia, filled with admiration and reverence for the god who knew of her ugliness yet never once rejected her. She swore she would do anything for him.
People still sneered at her, but she no longer cared. As long as Lord Dionysus continued to praise her, it was enough.
It was then that she awakened her third Magic.
Magic was deeply tied to one's interests, self-identity, and essence—in other words, the Magic one awakened was inevitably something they loved most or resonated with their truest nature.
Eiji's interest, essence, and self were all the sword—a mighty sword, a sword like light itself.
Thus, he awakened the Magic known as [Aurora Blade].
Filvis, however, awakened a cloning Magic—[Einsel].
This was the symbol of her inner conflict, proof of her desire to split herself in two, and both a scream against and an escape from the cruel injustice of fate itself.
And so, Filvis and the Masked Figure became two separate entities.
To prevent her heart from collapsing—or perhaps as a form of escape—Filvis pushed all her negative emotions onto the Masked Figure, happily following Lord Dionysus every day.
The Masked Figure accepted all of it—the self-loathing, the rage, the regret, the cruelty—countless forms of malice, growing ever more wicked as a result.
The divide between the two widened further, to the point of outright schizophrenia.
That was why, when they merged back into one, her psyche seemed so unstable.
In the vast chamber, everyone was left speechless.
How tragic.
Too tragic.
Filvis herself had done nothing wrong, yet she had been inexplicably targeted by the corrupted spirit.
No matter how cruel life could be, death was usually a release—but Filvis was different. She endured torment day and night, unable to die, never once finding respite.
It was during that time that Filvis met Lefiya.
Innocent and radiant, Lefiya lacked the typical haughtiness of elves yet cared deeply for her companions. Even Filvis, whom she had just met, was treated with warmth. In Filvis' eyes, she was nobler than any elf she had ever known.
She couldn't help but be drawn to her.
And so, time and again, she defied Lord Dionysus' orders—investigating Lefiya's safety in the 58th floor of the Dungeon and the man-made labyrinth, repeatedly trying to pull her away from the heart of the storm.
But Lefiya never listened to her, ultimately leading to Dionysus' exposure.
Fists rained down like machine-gun fire.
Filvis laughed maniacally, the bloodied Bete beneath her barely breathing anymore.
Too strong.
So strong it made everyone tremble!
Her power, surpassing even Level 7, left the adventurers behind her too terrified to move.
Raul and Anakitty, collapsed in the distance, were the perfect examples.
"Please stop, Filvis—!"
Lefiya seemed to want to say something.
But in an instant, a flash of white light struck.
A slender, staff-like bolt of white lightning hit Lefiya, charring her entire body black as she collapsed without a sound.
"Lefiya can't win against me."
Filvis, now distracted, spared the dying Bete and turned toward her.
"For Lord Dionysus, I have no choice but to kill you... But it's fine. This way, we can be together forever!"
A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by a deranged, murderous grin.
She raised her foot and stepped forward, slowly approaching the fallen golden-haired elf.
"...Lefiya!"
Anakitty's weak scream echoed from afar.
"..."
Bete silently lifted a finger, his lips trembling faintly.
The adventurers grimaced, torn between wanting to help and fearing Filvis would slaughter them like livestock, hesitating at the entrance.
Lefiya's muscles were paralyzed, her body unresponsive—escape was impossible.
Even if she could move, dodging Filvis' attacks was out of the question.
The sixth corrupted spirit seed, perched on the wooden vines above, continued chanting its eerie, rhythmic song.
Despair filled everyone's hearts.
They had all given up—this enemy was unbeatable.
But Lefiya refused to surrender.
Her azure crystal lay nearby, struck by the lightning, its signal seemingly lost.
"It's not over yet..."
She whispered in her heart.
"Just like that time, please come protect me—"
"Die, Lefiya!"
Filvis swung her sword down with a crazed expression.
Lefiya closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate.
But—
A golden flash streaked into the room before anyone could react.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang out.
"What?!"
Filvis looked down in shock.
A golden sword of light had cleanly blocked her strike.
Then, suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief.
The sword, moving on its own, abruptly twisted and thrust straight at her!
She instinctively raised her blade to block, but an overwhelming force shattered her weapon instantly, sending her flying into the distant wall, her insides churning violently.
"Sorry, I'm a little late."
The owner of the golden sword stepped into the room.
Lefiya's mouth opened, but no words came—only an unwavering gaze of trust.
"Wow, Bete, you look terrible!"
Eiji ran to Bete's side, laughing heartily.
He snapped a few blackmail-worthy photos with his student handbook before pulling out a high-grade potion and pouring it over him.
The Freya Familia had stockpiled mountains of elixirs—he might have borrowed just a few before leaving.
For some reason, despite being gravely wounded and near death, Bete felt exceptionally spirited—so much so that he could fight this bastard for three hundred rounds!
"Stay out of my way—Veil of Bone Gouging!"
The corrupted spirit clone flew into a rage, both mouths on either side of her chanting simultaneously.
Under the horrified gazes of the adventurers, violent lightning erupted from her body.
Snap!
Eiji flicked his fingers.
The golden light swords hovering mid-air abruptly changed direction, instantly accelerating beyond the limits of her neural reflexes to pierce through the monster's chest in a flash!
All six corrupted spirit clones—completely annihilated!