A sound, like the pulsing of a heart, echoed through the silent cave.
Under Shirou's keen gaze, every drop of liquid trickling from the quartz pillars was absorbed by the entwined tentacles that clung to them.
At the same time, Shirou noticed that the tentacles of these Violas were not confined to the quartz pillars.
They stretched across the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cave, forming a living green barrier.
Shirou immediately concluded that these monsters were the source of the anomaly on the twenty-fourth floor.
These parasitic monsters continuously absorbed the dungeon's energy, multiplying their own tissues to form the labyrinth that enveloped the entire vault.
"What a disgusting monster," Shirou sighed, then turned his attention to another mysterious group within the cave.
Hmm, another scene the animation team cut?
Meanwhile, Shirou was not the only one observing these mysterious figures—they were also watching Shirou and his group.
Upon seeing Shirou and his sixteen companions, panic spread among them.
Then, an endless wave of murderous intent followed.
"It's the orb!"
Hearing Lulune's shout, Asfi, also keeping an eye on the mysterious group, quickly glanced in Lulune's direction.
At the base of a quartz pillar, an orb containing a fetus was embedded.
The fetus inside shuddered as it absorbed nutrients from the quartz pillar.
The scene resembled an unborn child drawing nourishment from its mother's placenta.
However, this fetus was extremely selfish, completely disregarding its mother's safety as it fed.
Shirou paid no attention to Asfi or the others. After all, he had noticed the orb the moment he entered.
But more than the orb, his concern focused on the masked figure in the white cloak.
"The lambs have arrived," he mocked Shirou and the others.
At that moment, a human from another mysterious group within the Great Void, wearing a differently colored robe, ran up to the White-Haired man and asked, "What are you doing? Why did you let them invade here?"
"The power of the Violas alone cannot stop their intrusion," he replied calmly. Then, the White-Haired man spoke passionately: "To work, Remnants of Evilus! Become the cornerstone of her protection!"
Looking at the orb, the eyes of the robed man glimmered with confusion.
"You needn't tell me. I will do it too!"
Returning to his group, the robed men—known as the Remnants of Evilus—drew their blades, their gaze dripping with murder intent toward Shirou and the others.
"Remnants of Evilus?"
Both Shirou and Asfi, hearing this, looked on in shock.
Both of them knew Evilus well.
The ones who had triggered the massacre in Orario years ago.
Those years had even been called the Dark Age.
"No intruder will leave here alive!" At the leader's shout, the Evilus warriors charged instantly.
"Be careful and don't retreat! The Evilus men are ruthless!" Asfi commanded immediately.
"Understood!"
Hearing Asfi's command, the members of the Hermes Family also readied themselves, facing the advancing Evilus adventurers.
But it didn't take long for them to understand the meaning behind Evilus.
Quickly injuring one of the enemy group, Lulune landed a knee strike to his abdomen. With the enemy's combat ability hindered, she pinned him to the ground and began questioning him about his family.
Adventurers who spent their days fighting monsters—except for a few exceptionally cruel individuals—had little experience in killing.
Similarly, they lacked the conviction to kill.
Seeing the man remain silent, Lulune's expression grew cruel as she pulled a potion from her bag.
"It's useless to stay silent. This is the Unlocking Potion!"
The captured man trembled as he watched the potion shake in her hand.
But soon, understanding struck him as he gazed toward the horizon.
"God, I offer this in obedience to my pact."
With determination, the scarred man removed a red gem from his chest. Lulune's pupils contracted as she examined the gem.
Flame Stone, possessing highly flammable and explosive properties.
Reacting quickly, Lulune kicked the enemy away, but it was too late.
A violent explosion erupted, and although she leapt to the side, Lulune was still injured by the blast.
The man's body was instantly shredded by the explosion.
"Self-detonation!" Lulune, blown backward by the scorching wind, stared at the flames.
Even burned and gravely injured, she did not react.
She was bewildered.
How could they do something like this?
Shirou was equally shocked. Although he had heard of Evilus' cruel methods, he had never expected such brutality.
Could they really be so ruthless toward themselves?
Watching the man self-destruct, Shirou's eyes nearly popped from his sockets.
He finally understood why the animation team had cut this scene. It would undoubtedly have been censored!
With this explosion as the trigger, explosions rang out across the battlefield.
As soon as they realized they could no longer fight, these men would detonate the Flame Stones, seeking mutual destruction.
Thus, Shirou had no choice but to kill them immediately.
This was the first time Shirou killed someone.
Unlike previous battles with Heroic Spirits, those had been mere puppets.
But these men were real living beings.
He knew this day would come sooner or later, but he had not expected it to arrive so abruptly.
Yet Shirou felt no regret. Once he had embarked on this path, there was no point in complaining.
Killing was killing; there was no need to sugarcoat the truth.
After all, Shirou had already decided that, for the safety of his sister, anyone in his way had to die.
This body was already steeped in sin!
"Trace on!"
After decapitating the enemy before him with a single strike of Kanshou, Shirou instantly projected multiple weapons and launched them. His targets, the adventurers of the dark faction, were immobilized on the ground without resistance.
To protect his companions, all enemies would be annihilated, even if they were human.
After that battle, Shirou learned a vital lesson.
To protect the people around him, he would not hesitate to destroy his enemies.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."