The stench hit first—sharp, rotten, and nauseating.
A humanoid creature, its entire body covered in oozing sores, staggered to its feet and let out a guttural, ear-splitting roar at Ryuichi and the others.
"What the hell…?" Ryuichi frowned, glancing toward Rias.
Rias exhaled softly, her crimson hair shimmering faintly in the dim light.
"I've mentioned it before, haven't I? Whether it's Angels, Devils, or Humans—their outer form is shaped by the strength of the soul within. That's why the power of one's soul can affect both the body and Sacred Gears."
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the grotesque figure ahead.
"But if the soul is extracted… or contaminated… the body undergoes all sorts of twisted, abnormal changes. Exactly like what we're seeing right now."
Ryuichi remembered the rogue Devil they'd hunted down not long ago.
That one had suffered the same fate—its soul tainted by corruption from within.
In other words, every human before them had lost their soul's essence, leaving behind nothing but empty shells.
And without a soul to sustain them, their bodies had warped into unpredictable, monstrous forms—walking corpses devoid of reason.
"How horrible… That's far too cruel…"
Asia's soft voice trembled, her face pale with shock. Her kind nature could never accept such barbarity.
"There are even crueler experiments than this," Rias replied quietly. "But whether it's Angels or Devils, experiments of this kind are strictly forbidden."
She gestured toward the rows of glowing green liquid surrounding them, her voice growing cold.
"These tanks seem to be filled with some kind of suspension fluid—something that keeps organisms in a dormant state. Judging by the damage, whoever was here must've sabotaged the containment before fleeing."
"Trying to use these things against us, maybe?" Akeno said with her usual teasing smile, though her eyes gleamed dangerously.
"It won't be that simple," Rias said, shaking her head. "These aberrations are too weak. I'd say the real threat hasn't shown itself yet."
Ryuichi stepped forward, raising his blade. As he channeled magic into it, the Sword of Kings blazed to life, a bright, pure radiance running along its edge.
The mutated humanoid let out a roar and charged toward him—
—but before it could reach him, Ryuichi's sword light exploded, slamming into the creature and sending it flying across the lab in a burst of searing brilliance.
"Hmm?"
He had expected the blow to burn the creature to ash. Yet surprisingly, it remained mostly intact.
"These bodies contain traces of divine power," Rias observed sharply.
That explained everything. Whoever ran these experiments wasn't just playing around—they had actually managed to infuse ordinary humans with divine energy.
Ryuichi's eyes hardened. He swung his sword again, pouring more power into it this time.
The next instant, the creature was sliced cleanly apart, its corrupted body disintegrating into cinders.
Akeno and the others followed suit, swiftly purging every remaining test subject in the room before the rest could fully transform. Within moments, the lab was silent again—eerily so.
"We've wasted too much time," Ryuichi muttered under his breath. "Whoever's behind this has probably finished their preparations."
He knew it was a trap—but they couldn't just ignore it.
If this dimensional space collapsed and those abominations escaped into the outside world, the resulting chaos would be unimaginable.
"Heh," Rias gave a calm, confident smile. "Whoever's pulling the strings… it won't matter. Their plans are doomed to fail."
She had every reason to sound so composed. After all, she was Rias Gremory—the next head of the Gremory family.
And her brother… was one of the current Maou.
Stepping over the wreckage and shattered glass, the group pressed deeper into the research facility.
Before long, a new presence appeared up ahead.
It was a middle-aged man in a white lab coat.
He turned slowly toward them, thick glasses perched crookedly on his face, bloodshot eyes gleaming with mania. He looked like the very definition of a deranged scientist.
"Welcome, welcome," he said with a wide, unhinged grin. "My name is Ituso Gulfen—mad scientist extraordinaire!"
His voice cracked with a kind of giddy pride. Bowing with exaggerated politeness, he placed one hand to his chest.
"I've been expecting you all."
"Oh? So the Fallen Angels left behind only a weakling like you to cover their retreat?" Rias asked coolly, taking a step forward. Her crimson hair floated in the air—an effect of her magic aura flaring to life.
"Heh… I'm more than enough," Ituso crooned, his smile stretching unnaturally wide. "I had the honor of participating in this divine creation experiment. To witness the birth of miracles… that alone has fulfilled my life's purpose. And soon… my soul shall live on forever! Ah, what a beautiful thing life is!"
"Who told you that your soul would live forever?"
Rias laughed lightly, her tone sharp with disdain. Then her expression shifted, as if realizing something.
"Oh… I see. That's how the Fallen Angels deceived you."
If souls could truly live forever, then the countless Angels, Fallen, and Devils who perished in the Great War wouldn't have simply vanished.
Even for beings with near-infinite lifespans, the destruction of the body meant the same fate for the soul—it, too, faded into nothingness.
When the vessel breaks, the soul eventually dissipates.
But the man before them had long since been consumed by delusion.
He was beyond saving—no longer a rational human being, but a fanatic who had abandoned fear of death itself.
Because he believed his soul would be reborn in the hands of his so-called god.
"Tch tch tch…"
Ituso's bloodshot eyes gleamed brighter, madness swirling within them.
"The words of a Devil are never to be trusted."
Then he broke into a manic laugh, throwing his arms wide. "Now then… allow me to show you our greatest masterpiece!"
The machines behind him whirred to life, gears turning and power surging through the facility.
The floor split open with a grinding metallic roar, revealing a massive cage rising from below.
Inside that cage—crafted from holy-metal bars infused with divine energy—stood a young man. His eyes were closed, his expression eerily peaceful, his appearance no different from that of an ordinary human.
And yet, to everyone present, the pressure of divine power radiating from within him was unmistakable.
It was vast—terrifyingly so.
"Experiment Number 02," Ituso announced proudly. "One of our two most perfect creations! A being who embodies divinity itself. What better test than to pit him against you Devils? Kukuku… Ah, I can hardly wait to see his performance! He is the god we have forged with our own hands!"
Ryuichi couldn't help but chuckle softly at that.
This so-called scientist's words were so absurd, it was almost funny.
So blind. So tragically ignorant.
"You call that a god?" Ryuichi's tone was calm but carried an edge of quiet mockery. "You really don't give the word enough credit."
"You Devils," Ituso hissed, his grin twisting into something feral. "So arrogant, as always! The last group that came in here said the same thing. And what happened? They were all captured alive, every single one! Hahaha… Yes, yes, this time I'll capture you too!"
His hands twitched with feverish excitement as his gaze darted between Ryuichi, Rias, and the others. Then, disturbingly, he licked his lips.
"After all… you'll make excellent test subjects."
The hum of machinery deepened—
—and from the glowing cage, the "boy" within slowly opened his eyes.