Filvis Ein.
An adventurer plunged into the deepest abyss of despair, a being drifted infinitely far from the path of a hero.
"The only one who loves me is Lord Dionysus..."
'Only him.'
Crack—!
In the nightmare of the 27th Floor, every comrade and even her own self had been slaughtered by an avatar of a Spirit.
And what greeted her when she miraculously awoke was—
—Ah... Ah...
"This can't be...!"
'My body...'
It was despair.
"HeavenswhywouldyoubestowsuchatrialHolyTreeIbegofyouplease救savemepleasehowcouldthisbealtogetherwhy"
"SavemekillmepleaseLordDionysussavemepleaseanyonewilldoplease"
Twitch—!
"Aaaaahpleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Filvis gazed at the disgusting lumps of flesh before her with trembling eyes.
Thump!
"U—Ugh...!! Blarrgh!!!!!!!!"
Those were the members of the Dionysus Familia. In other words, her seniors.
To save her from the Spirit, they had sacrificed their lives to let her escape. This was their end.
"Noooooo!!!!!!!"
'I am not a monster...!'
"Please... anyone will do!!!!!!!!!!!!"
For the sake of those who saved her, Filvis had mustered the courage to face the Spirit.
"Aaaaagh!!!!!!!!!!!!"
What returned to her was not an adventure, nor a miracle, nor a warm victory—it was only the horrifying reality that she had become a hybrid creature and the absolute despair that followed.
Crunch!
"Disgustingdisgustingdisgustingdisgustingdisgustingdisgustingdisgustingdisgustingdisgusting"
Stab—!
Stab—!
Stab—!
Why didn't she run away? Why did this happen to her? Why does the Dungeon even exist? Why did she try to become an adventurer? Why did she join a Familia? Why, why, why, why—
In a cycle of endless questioning, Filvis became saturated with hatred for herself, disgust for her fellow Familia members, and resentment toward the world.
"This must be a dream... it has to be a dream..."
She dreamed. No, it had to be a dream.
The Nightmare of the 27th Floor.
The event became known simply by that name.
"..."
"Miss Filvis, I am truly sorry for your loss."
"...Yes."
She deceived herself. She deceived the world. She deceived her comrades.
'[Einsel]'
"Disgusting."
She discarded the self that had become a monster. Denying it again and again, she tore the corpses of her comrades to shreds. The magic she manifested split her into two.
The Elf adventurer, Filvis Challia.
The hybrid monster, Filvis Ein.
"Aren't you beautiful?"
"Pardon...?"
To her, the deity's consolation was intoxicatingly sweet.
No matter how sour the interior or how horrific the seeds hidden within that grape, she had no choice but to swallow it over and over again.
"How beautiful you are, even as a monster?"
"I want to make the whole world just like you."
"To do that, let us crush Orario together."
Filvis was saved by a God.
It was a salvation of darkness, agonizingly sweet.
Slice—!!
"For His sake."
Crunch!
"For His sake."
Snap!
"For His sake."
For His sake.
Using those words as her only ointment, her only painkiller, her only crutch—she hid her wounds and her ugliness.
Filvis stained her hands with blood.
"I am not wrong."
'It is the world that is wrong...'
And now.
"Is it truly the past that defiles you right now?"
She faced her sins once more.
"What happened here?"
"...It is nothing major."
"Fufu, such a liar~"
Thanatos approached Akumo and placed a hand on his shoulder, gazing at the chaos they had wrought with apparent delight.
"I'm surprised you're fine after fighting Ein-chan, but..."
'To think even Juggernauts were no match for him.'
Twitch—!
"Oh my~ that branch, could it be?"
"Think what you like."
Akumo walked away with a hardened expression.
Behind him lay the devastated 49th Floor of the Dungeon. The carcasses of four Juggernauts and the neatly severed remains of the original Balor were visible, and atop them lay the Black Balor, torn to shreds and dead.
"We... are only monsters..."
'I don't want to be a monster.'
Twitch!
"Because I am a monster... I must be one..."
'I want to run away. I don't want to become a monster.'
Twitch!
"I cannot go back..."
'I want to go back.'
Her limbs severed, Ein lay with a staff driven into her chest as if sealed. She could only see the grapes winding around the staff before her eyes.
'Since when... did it go wrong...'
"Ein-chan~ make sure to return quickly once you recover, okay?"
"..."
"Enyo mentioned it would be troublesome if an avatar disappeared for several days, right?"
"My Lord... Deity..."
The pain from the hole in her chest was cruel, as were the decorative grapes mocking her sight.
"Why..."
'Why did you make that face...?'
More than anything, the deep anger and the bitterness—as if he loathed the very situation itself—etched on Akumo's face as he ruthlessly tore her apart, had pierced her soul.
'It hurts...'
Watching her with a smile, Thanatos eventually followed after Akumo and spoke to him.
"Is it fine to just leave it? That staff should be quite the item."
"I have no use for junk."
"Heh~ to call a God's power 'junk'..."
'Is he saying it's more necessary for Ein-chan?'
Thanatos looked at Akumo with a curious expression.
Akumo was clearly a clone created through Filvis's magic, an avatar born of the original's impurity. Yet, the current figure he cut—did it truly reflect a simple manifestation of 'impurity'? A question began to take root.
"No... could it be?"
'That his very appearance...'
"...What is this?"
"What's wrong? Ye hurt?"
Prickle!
'My back...?'
During a meeting at the Loki Familia headquarters regarding the Hestia kidnapping incident and the sudden attack by Ares, Akumo suddenly felt a burning sensation on his back.
"It's nothing..."
'I haven't felt this way since I heard Cassandra's prophecy...'
—'Be careful of your own self.'
"..."
Cassandra's words from the banquet hall echoed in Akumo's mind. He couldn't simply ignore them.
"Regardless, I'm glad this kidnapping incident ended without much trouble."
However, Akumo decided to push those thoughts aside for now.
'It seems Welf's family matters were resolved well too...'
The Ares incident hadn't been limited to Hestia's abduction. The Crozzo family, who had fallen into ruin after losing the talent to forge magic swords, had attempted to coerce Welf—extending even to physical combat—to bring him back into their fold.
"Of course, they aren't the type to be taken down easily."
Ultimately, Welf succeeded in repelling them with his own magic sword, and Akumo had smiled alongside Hephaestus at his achievement.
"That's right, Akumo."
"Finn, let's pick up where we left off regarding our previous discussion."
Akumo produced an eye-shaped magical tool from his robe.
It was a Key of Knossos—an item that could open the gates of the man-made dungeon and control its internal structure.
"The key we obtained from Valetta during the first intrusion, and the one we retrieved from the Ishtar Familia."
"With these in hand, we will proceed with the second operation to breach Knossos."
"Everyone ready?"
Following Akumo and Finn's words, the executives and even candidates like Raul and Aki responded with conviction.
"Of course."
"Yes, it won't be like last time."
"I'll pay them back for the last defeat!"
"The preparations are complete."
"Don't ye dare hold us back this time!!"
"Understood!"
The voices of Riveria, Ais, Raul, Gareth, Bete, and Aki filled the meeting room, bolting their morale. They were ready to devote themselves to victory—for their adventure, their heroes, and their comrades.
"Hah...! Hah...!"
Patter—!
"Found her!!! She's over there!!!"
"Don't let her get away!!!!"
"!!!"
However, they did not yet know of the blue-haired girl fleeing from hunters, nor what kind of encounter she would have within the Dungeon.
Clang—!
Boom—!
"Aah....!!"
"W—Wiivell...?"
—Kieeeeek!!!!!!!
'A monster...!!'
"Hyaaah!!!!"
Slice—!!
"Where did it go! That Wiivell!!"
"It should be nearby..."
Bell blocked the monster's attack aimed at the girl and cut it down, saving her. At the same time, the voices of unfamiliar adventurers reached his ears. From their conversation, he could grasp the girl's situation and her current state.
"Hey you! Did you see a Wiivell around here?"
"M—More importantly, do you have any potions!? My comrade suffered a terrible burn...!!"
"Tch... why would I care! Everyone, keep searching!!!"
The rough-looking adventurer holding a greatsword was clearly searching for the girl Bell had just rescued. Bell covered her with the Salamander Wool he was wearing to hide her, and the adventurers eventually left the area.
"Are you okay...?"
"..."
The blue-haired girl who sought salvation had met a white-haired boy who undoubtedly possessed the qualities of a hero.
Rumble—!!!!!!!
"Well, this is quite interesting~"
"Buoooh...?"
The fact that a warrior had been reborn through the sheer obsession to meet his rival once more.
"What, do you recognize me?"
"White... Hair...!"
Whish—!!!!!!!!!!!
And that the one he encountered was a white-haired Pioneer who undoubtedly possessed the qualities of a hero.
Clang—!!!!!!!!
"!!??"
"You're quite strong, aren't you?"
Boom-Boom-Boom—!!!!!
"Wooooooo!!!!!!!!!"
"I prefer this kind of thing over complex schemes anyway!"
Clash—!!!!
'Roughly... Level 6? Somewhere around there.'
He was a Pioneer who sought strength and forged the path he desired.
Regarding the Great Cataclysm they were about to bring—no one could have possibly realized it yet.