He was born.
On the night of the new moon, he was born as an intense power, seemingly enough to shroud the entire world, concentrated into a single point under the stars.
"Uuuugh..."
'My body feels stiff.... Where am I?'
"Phew! Whatever. I should probably head out first, right?"
The man born from the stars stretched his limbs, nonchalantly surveying his surroundings.
There was a woman staring at him with wide, shocked eyes, and another woman wearing a mask—though her expression was hidden, he intuitively knew she was the one who had summoned him.
"Ein and Lord Thanatos?"
"Aha! Yes, exactly!"
".....?"
The man tilted his head at Thanatos's over-the-top reaction, but he soon brushed it off and began loosening his muscles.
"It is exactly as it looks! A human possessing a Divine Aura!?"
"I possess a Divine Aura?"
"You didn't know? It's fine, we can figure it all out in due time!"
"I suppose..."
'Is this like back in Elsos...?'
Listening to her words, the man recalled a memory of wielding a certain moonlit dagger from his vast store of past lives. However, he felt a strange dissonance as his power and Thanatos's Divine Aura failed to resonate as expected.
Whish-!!!!!!!!
"?"
Clang-!!!!!!!!!!
"What do you think you're doing, Ein?"
Ein, who had been standing behind them, lunged with her dagger at full strength. The man caught it effortlessly with his bare hand.
"I am one who serves a Great Patron Deity."
"I am the existence that called you forth for the sake of the world's chaos, for its true salvation."
"A mere clone like you should—"
Step—
"....!!"
Step—
Before Ein could finish her sentence, the man stepped forward into the moonlight, fully revealing his form from the darkness.
"A mere clone? Those are harsh words."
The other Akumo, guided by Thanatos and Ein, was wandering through every corner of Knossos.
It was as if he were expressing regret for not having the leisure to sightsee the last time he was here.
"Looking at it again, it really is fascinating."
"Isn't it?"
Rumble-!!!!!!
"But it's been quite noisy for a while now, hasn't it?"
"It seems those children have sensed your presence as well."
His presence was provoking the Demi-Spirits.
The massive presence emanating from him, combined with his raw, pure power, triggered a reaction. It was fundamentally different from the reaction they had shown to Ais on the 59th Floor.
—Ahhh...!!!
—Let's play!!!!!
Crash-!!!
Crumble-!!!!
A primal combative instinct, a powerful will to annihilate the entity before them.
Boom-!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"L-Lord Thanatos! Two Demi-Spirits have just broken through to the surface...!!"
"Hmm~ I can leave this to you, right?"
Thanatos smiled calmly and delegated the task to Akumo. At her words, Akumo offered a faint smile and began ascending toward the surface.
"Of course."
Tighten-!!!!!!!!
As if he needed no weapon, he simply walked toward the enemies waiting for him with a heavy, measured gait.
Step, step—
—Aaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!
"How noisy."
Soon, he emerged into the Pleasure Quarter.
The district was already engulfed in flames, spiraling into chaos caused by the sudden appearance of the Demi-Spirits.
"T-The [Pioneer]!?"
"Why is he here...!!"
The prostitutes and adventurers collapsed in the streets were startled by Akumo's appearance, yet they felt a profound sense of relief that he had arrived in this dire moment.
"[O darkness that enshrouds the night sky and the world, grant me thy embrace.]"
—!!!!!!!
Whish-!!!!!!!!!!
As Akumo began chanting a spell to heal the fallen, the Demi-Spirits reacted instantly. They swung massive tentacles toward him. While the onlookers watched in terror, fearing for his life...
Catch—!
"[O light that illuminates the world and life, bless those who live by leaning on thy dawn.]"
Sssshhh-!!!!!!!!!
He effortlessly blocked the tentacles with one hand and channeled healing energy into the wounded.
—Aaah....!!!
"The monsters are... feeling fear....?"
'Is that... the strongest in Orario...!'
Whether it was pure terror or the realization that they faced an insurmountable opponent, the Demi-Spirits actually retreated. Every adventurer present stared in absolute shock.
—[――!!!]
Voom-!!!
"That's the magic from the 59th Floor, isn't it? [Fire Storm]?"
The monsters intended to incinerate everything in the vicinity with an ultra-long high-speed chant. A massive red magic circle materialized, glowing with a threatening, malevolent light aimed directly at Akumo.
"[My experiences, my adventures, bloom according to my will.]"
—[I command in the name of the Agent. My given name is Salamander, the incarnation of flame, the King of Fire!]
"[I pray in the name of the ancestors. Let the earth tremble, let the embers bloom—from my axe.]"
Cling—!
As Akumo's chant began, a certain axe manifested in his hand with a clear, resonant sound.
The double-edged axe, roughly the size of a one-handed hatchet, bore a blade engraved with a sword symbolizing indomitable spirit and a skull representing the fate of the enemies who faced it.
"[Fire demon born from the axe of the distant Chieftain, sweep away the enemies before me.]"
—[Fire Storm]!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roar-!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Demi-Spirit's massive inferno surged toward Akumo, shattering buildings in its path.
"[Grenade Flame]"
Thud—!!
As he slammed the axe into the pavement, a single ember dropped from the blade and sank into the earth.
Flare—!!
Crack—!!!!!!!
Fwoosh-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like water rushing down a riverbed, the ember spread through the ground and instantly erupted, swallowing everything the Demi-Spirit possessed.
—Aaahhh!!!
"Hmm...."
'No need to cause a bigger scene than necessary, right?'
The flames were poised to incinerate her in mere seconds, but she wasn't even granted that much time.
Crunch—!
—Ah....?
"Just die."
The warrior's axe bisected her in a single strike. The last thing her eyes beheld was Akumo, now possessing prominent fangs and green-tinged skin.
He was the Chieftain from a distant land, one who had once held every race on the continent beneath his feet.
That was merely a ripple in the tide of events he would orchestrate.
"Heh~"
Days later, even when Ares orchestrated the kidnapping of Hestia, the momentum did not stop.
"Hmm~♪"
'I knew it would turn out like this.'
Swish—!
Whoosh—!
Akumo hummed excitedly, swinging the object in his hand.
"They say this is a sword used by a God, but it's not that impressive, is it?"
"W-Who on earth are you!?"
'Not just my elite guards, but the entire combined force... defeated by a single person!'
Ares could not believe his eyes.
The white-haired man stood before him. When he first appeared, every soldier's breath had caught in their throat.
Then followed an overwhelming display of martial arts, combat, and sheer slaughter.
Fwip—!!
"Lord Ares! Retreat! That man is dangerous!!!"
"Oh?"
'High chain proficiency, and he's sharp too.'
Thwack-!!!!!!!!!!!
"But you're still just a pampered young master, aren't you?"
"Cough!?"
Marius, a general-class combatant and one of the strongest in the Familia, was sent flying in a single blow.
But the reason Ares trembled in horror was not just that.
"That... that staff is...!!"
Thud—!!
"You recognize it, Lord Ares?"
"Of course I do... The Divine Aura within that staff is undoubtedly Dionysus's Arcanum!"
'But how can a mortal of the Lower World wield that madman's power...?'
"And how can you use it so skillfully....!"
In Akumo's hand was a branch he called 'Dionysus's Staff'.
Though it appeared to be a simple wooden staff, the grape vines and fruit entwined around it were unmistakably the symbols of Dionysus.
"Now then, let's get to the point."
Sssshhh—
"Cooperation, or death."
"....!!"
'That killing intent...! He's serious!'
Though Ares was a buffoon, he was still a God of War. In Akumo's gaze, he saw the eyes of a warrior he had seen countless times in his eternal life.
No, Akumo's gaze was different from any warrior he had ever seen. These were the eyes of a King. Ares felt an intense conviction that this man would never be anyone's puppet.
"You... you are not that mad God's眷属 (dependent)...."
"Haha! Was it that obvious? I tried my best to act the part."
Grin—!
"What is your reason for this?"
"Power."
".....Kwahahaha!!!"
Smile—!
"I dislike everything from start to finish. So, I'm going to change it."
Akumo laughed.
Ares laughed as well.
What they desired was not adventure, but power. Power as a means to an end; the true power to lead the future in the direction one desires.
"After such a long time.... I've met a true warrior."
Sldie—
"Take my arm if you wish."
"Now, let's not go that far."
—Kuaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slice—!
"Indeed...! I love this too much!"
Slash—!!!!!!!
Akumo was holding a sword.
It was a blade of pure white, reflecting the God of War's untainted fighting spirit and conviction in strength.
—Kuaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zzzzt—!!!!!!!
"A laser?"
Boom—!!!!!!!!
The 49th Floor Monster Rex, 'Balor'.
A giant with a dark body and a massive dragon's head, it was undoubtedly the strongest monster in the current Dungeon.
Slice—!!!!!!!!!
"Ahhh~ such joy!"
Balor's full-power attack was cut down in a single strike, the shockwave merely destroying the surrounding environment.
"You are clearly a clone....."
'Why... why do you shine so brightly.....'
"You should be a monster just like me."
Ein could not accept it.
This Akumo was supposed to be the embodiment of the soul's wickedness, born from her magic.
Slice—!!!!
Clang—!!!!!!!
—Kuaaaah!!!!!!!!!
Rip, rip, rip—!!!!!!!!!!
Yet he fought with a brilliant white sword, more radiant than anyone. He proved his strength by clashing head-on with the supreme Monster Rex, severing Balor's arms and cutting through its attacks.
"Why.... why on earth....."
'You should be the same as me.....'
"You should have been consumed by despair....."
—'Only rage remains within me. No, rage was everything.'
"That's how it was supposed to be..!!!!!"
Ein was overwhelmed by confusion and a sharp sense of betrayal. Whether his strength aided their plan was secondary. Even though what he showed was undeniable despair, she couldn't understand how he could be different from her, and it drove her to fury.
Thump—!!!!!
"Hey there~ Ein."
".....Shut up."
"What's the matter all of a sudden?"
Tighten—!!
"You are nothing but a tool!!"
To her, the sight of Akumo saving people in the Pleasure Quarter, brilliantly defeating Demi-Spirits, and now effortlessly suppressing Balor was utterly detestable.
Finally, Ein grabbed him by the collar and screamed. His mere existence seemed to shake her to her core.
"A monster created from the filth rejected by the original...!!"
"A monster distant from purity, nothing but a mixture!!"
"You... you must never shine so brightly....."
Her desperate cry sounded like something she was telling herself.
'Ein.... So that's how it was?'
"From the moment I first saw you until now, I've felt a constant sense of dissonance."
Why she acted this way, why she was so broken, how shattered her heart truly was—Akumo had tried not to care. Since she was the one who had brought him into this world, he hadn't intended to ask her anything specific.
But when he saw the emptiness within her eyes, Akumo had to make a decision.
"Ein."
"....!!"
Grab—!!!
"Just what is it that you're so afraid of?"
"Stop it...!!"
"Does being a monster matter that much?"
".....What?"
Akumo calmly reached for her mask. Ein immediately grabbed his wrist, squeezing as if to crush it, but his next words froze her in place.
"What kind of wounds you carry, or what ideals you pursue..."
"I don't know."
"But I can tell you one thing for certain."
"Stop deceiving yourself with those hollow eyes."
Ein couldn't comprehend his words about her being hollow.
"I only live for my Patron Deity! What is so wrong with that!?"
"Gods are Gods. We are people."
"That's why I serve the G—"
"Face reality."
"!!"
"Think about who is actually responsible for you being a monster."
Never once had she thought of herself as clean.
Never once had she thought she wasn't a monster.
—'Run...!!'
—'You have to survive, even if you're the only one!!!!'
She had trampled on their wishes.
Was it for the sake of something as trivial as 'nobility' that she had turned her steps toward despair?
"I am.... a monster...."
—'You are not dirty, Filvis-san.'
"What is the reason?"
"..."
The voice of a certain Elf overlapped with Akumo's, echoing in her ears, and she could say no more.
Sldie—!
"Like I said, I don't know what you want or what your past is."
"I don't have the desire to know, nor a reason to need to know."
Akumo lowered his hand from her mask and spoke quietly as he vanished into the shadows of Knossos.
"Is it truly the past that is defiling you right now?"
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