Without wasting time, Leon gave clear, concise orders. He assigned two demi-spirits to Freya Familia. Given their combat strength, anything less would've been a waste.
In the original records, Ottar had easily torn through a demi-spirit alone. The rest of the Freya Familia weren't weak either, each of them held enough force to overwhelm their opponents and had played pivotal roles in turning the tide of previous battles.
So, Leon split them accordingly. Ottar was dispatched to a location alone. Allen, Hedin, and the others were assigned a separate demi-spirit.
Elsewhere, Finn and his squad had already moved out to confront another. Tione and Tiona's team were also en route to their target. Ais, accompanied by Alicia and her team, advanced toward a different objective.
That accounted for five of the seven targets. Only two remained—the last demi spirit related to the Gate of Heaven and finally, Nidhogg.
"All that's left is Riveria and the others." Leon muttered, raising his head to glance at the cave ceiling above.
With that, he extended the glowing lattice of Light Veins and Shadow Threads upward through the layers of the artificial labyrinth. The magical network crawled through the rock like living roots, scanning the environment and seeking out the magic signatures of the missing parties.
Soon, he located Riveria's group but that wasn't all.
Leon's expression shifted slightly as his network detected numerous adventurers moving throughout the artificial maze.
"…Huh?"
There were more people down here than expected.
Aside from Riveria's squad, Tsubaki had arrived with a full team of master smiths and a small arsenal of magic weapons. Even the Ganesha Familia had mobilized, with their characteristic boldness echoing through the corridors.
And among them… several other high-level adventurers—core forces from various familias.
"…They sent in the elites?" Leon narrowed his eyes slightly.
He pulled out his communication orb and activated it.
"Fels. Did you mobilize the other adventurers?" He asked directly, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity.
A few seconds later, the orb flickered, and the masked figure of Fels appeared, his expression unreadable as always.
"Yes." Fels replied. "Although I trust your strength, Leon… you're still just one person. You can't be everywhere."
"Ouranos feared that we wouldn't eliminate the six demi spirits in time, so we authorized the core adventurers across Orario to enter the artificial labyrinth."
"I'm coordinating them now."
Leon said nothing at first, his gaze distant. Fels was right—he was only one man. But Leon knew something that they didn't.
Neither Fels nor Ouranos understood just how much stronger the current Loki Familia had become.
Leon, Ais, Tione, and Tiona—each were assigned one target. Finn and Bete formed another duo capable of handling one, and Riveria and Gareth, especially with Haruhime's support, could match the last.
They didn't need backup. Even so, Leon didn't argue. He understood their concern. And it wasn't like the reinforcements were weak. If they arrived on time, they'd at least be useful buffers. Better that than watching Orario burn because of pride.
Besides… they meant well.
"…Fels." Leon asked, his tone shifting. "Can I use the orb to contact the Ganesha Familia?"
"Yes, I've connected you to them already. Try it, Shakti should be within range." Fels answered, his voice fading as Leon ended the call.
Leon switched channels.
After a few moments of tuning—
"This is Leon. Member of Ganesha Familia, respond."
In the dim corridors of the artificial labyrinth, Shakti was leading her forces at full sprint when Leon's voice rang out from the communication orb pressed against her chest.
She slowed slightly, pulling the orb from her uniform.
"This is Shakti. Leon, what is it?"
"I've located your position." Leon said without any preamble. "From here on, follow my commands."
Shakti blinked but then gave a crisp reply. "Understood."
She transferred command authority to Leon immediately.
"Good. Turn left at the next fork. At the next intersection, go straight, then left again. Keep going, and then turn right. I'll guide you step by step." Leon said calmly.
Shakti relayed the orders, and the Ganesha Familia adjusted course instantly.
Leon wasted no time. Next, he switched communication channels again and reached out to another familiar voice.
"Riveria. Follow my instructions immediately."
"I understand." came Riveria's calm reply.
There was no need for explanations. Finn had already set the precedent, this operation, this entire strategy, was being led by Leon.
With precise coordination, Riveria and Shakti's teams began converging toward Leon's location, following the instructions transmitted through his magical network.
Leon, meanwhile, remained where he was, waiting at the nexus of the cavern while monitoring every battlefield.
His gaze flickered slightly as he checked in on the situation.
By now, Ais, Finn, and Tione's squads had already reached their designated battlefields and were engaged in intense combat against the demi spirits.
Haruhime had done her part flawlessly. Using her magic, she granted the buff to a carefully selected group—Finn, Bete, and Anakitty on one team, and Alicia alongside Ais on the other. But she didn't overextend herself.
Though her transformation into an angel had unlocked incredible potential, amplifying the strength of high-level adventurers like Finn (Level 6) or Bete (Level 5) demanded tremendous mind.
So Haruhime conserved her energy, waiting for a call for aid from Riveria or Gareth before offering further support.
The strategy was perfect.
Three demi spirits, each with strength comparable to two Level 7s, now faced elite strike teams.
After Haruhime's enhancements, Finn and Bete both reached combat levels equivalent to Lv. 7. Anakitty climbed to Lv. 6. Alicia joined Ais as a support.
Tione and Tiona?
They didn't need any buffs. After their awakening, both had already achieved power levels comparable to Lv. 7. Buffing them was unnecessary.
And Ais…
She needed no help.
Haruhime's magic would've barely made a dent in her monstrous potential. So she focused her remaining strength solely on Alicia.
Haruhime didn't stop with just Hero's Power, she went further.
Alongside the golden radiance of her magic, she layered an additional enchantment: Uchide no Kozuchi. This potent boost surged through Alicia's body, and in the blink of an eye, the elf who had only just ascended to Level 5 had her strength elevated to a fearsome Level 7. Alicia's aura flared wildly.
Across the three primary battlefields, the tide had clearly shifted. The demi-spirits, once unstoppable forces, now found themselves pinned and suppressed by the adventurers, unable to take the offensive.
However, in the remaining two sectors, Ottar and the rest of Freya Familia had only recently arrived. Though Leon had provided them with a detailed map, they were still en route and had yet to reach the demi-spirits' precise locations.
"It seems Dionysus set all of this up long ago." Leon muttered under his breath as he observed the unfolding battle.
"Even if he's gone, the demi-spirits linked to the Gate of Heaven continue their rampage…"
Just like in the original version of the plan, activating the Gate of Heaven required an extensive chant. A long and complex incantation—powerful, but time-consuming.
'…Which is a relief.' Leon thought to himself.
'The longer the chant, the more time we have to counter them before they complete the invocation.'
Still, Leon's expression remained serious.
Once all six demi-spirits tied to the Gate of Heaven were destroyed, the immense magical energy they had stored would flow directly to Nidhogg lying in wait on the eleventh floor—a terrifying creature that bore a striking resemblance to the mythical One-Eyed Black Dragon.
Its roar alone was powerful enough to level Orario.
Leon had originally planned to personally deal with one of the demi-spirits before turning his attention to Nidhogg, but after evaluating the current situation—
It's no longer necessary.
His allies were strong and their coordination was flawless. Each demi-spirit would be overwhelmed in turn.
Which meant one thing—
He could proceed directly to the eleventh floor.
***
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