"Why! Why would anyone invade this place!"
"Where's Dix? Where did Dix go?"
The Ikelos Familia members hiding in the dark were dragged out one by one—only to face the merciless hunt of the Loki Familia.
They were adventurers with real strength. Most were at least Level 2, with some even reaching Level 3. In any small or mid-sized Familia, they would have been considered the backbone.
But now, they were nothing more than prey, cut down one after another.
Because standing against them was the strongest Familia in all of Orario.
"Stop talking and run! As long as we—"
A silver flash cut him off. His head was already gone, blood spraying as the man beside him froze in shock.
"Aaaaah!"
Human resolve shatters easily, especially when trapped in despair.
At that moment, the last thread holding the Ikelos Familia together snapped completely.
"Tch. You lot sure enjoyed picking on the weak, raising hell in the Dungeon. And this is all the strength you've got?"
Tione flicked her curved blade with disdain.
It was rare to see an Evilus group with such fragile hearts. Weak as they were, they still bullied the Xenos—creatures rejected by both sides. Shameless to the very end.
The Ikelos Familia survivors had been driven into a dead corner.
"Damn it! Why won't it open? Why can't we get out?"
They had fallen back to the secret passage entrance, but their 'keys' failed to open the door.
"Aaaah!"
"Stay away from us!"
Realizing there was no escape, several of them broke down, screaming in terror.
Faced with certain death, all those with weak wills collapsed completely.
Watching their disgraceful display, Tione's face twisted with disgust. To have the guts to commit atrocities in the Dungeon, yet lack the courage to face the consequences—scum like this deserved nothing but death.
With a push of her foot, she shot forward like a blur, blade flashing across their throats.
Almost simultaneously, every last one froze, clutching at their necks before collapsing together in silence.
"Remember to do some good in your next life."
Leaving only those cold words behind, Tione turned and walked away, expressionless.
Small groups were wiped out by the stronger elites.
Larger ones were surrounded and cut down with overwhelming numbers, leaving no chance for anyone to escape.
Under such a sweep, the entire artificial floor became a slaughterhouse, the ground awash with blood and corpses.
Only the area where the Xenos were held remained untouched, a final patch of clean ground.
"With that, it's over."
The only regret was that no one outside had triggered the entry mechanisms—Bell lost his chance to capture someone alive.
"A fitting conclusion."
Loki felt no pride. Her children cutting down a mob of rabble was nothing to celebrate.
"That fellow Ikelos is a pure god. He knew what was happening and chose not to stop it, just to amuse himself. He indulged his child fully aware of what they would become."
In a sense, that made him truly pure as a god. Compared to him, the so-called "normal" deities almost seemed out of place.
Bell would have preferred gods to remain out of place—but he knew that was only wishful thinking.
The gods were the purest beings in existence, but their sense of good and evil was utterly different from that of mortals.
Bell understood this well.
It was like the games he once played.
Back then, as long as it was fun, he would try anything without restraint. Perhaps in those moments, he wasn't much different from how he now viewed the gods.
To him, games were just games—things meant to bring joy, excitement, and thrill. Naturally, as a player, he never bothered to separate the game world from reality.
That was why the phrase "Meta Breaker" existed among gamers.
For the gods, in their purity, this world was a game. And since it was a game, then for them, everything was permitted in the name of amusement.
To the people of this world, gods with such an attitude were the embodiment of a Meta Breaker.
"You seem like you've got something to say."
"No, nothing."
"Really? Shouldn't a child of Genkai be complaining by now? I mean, tons of gods have already caused chaos down there."
"I hate self-righteous gods. That's the only thing I want to say. Arrogant fools who do whatever they please for their own entertainment. Honestly, maybe the world would be better off if only a handful of gods were left."
"...You really don't hold back."
She'd thought the kid might soften his words, but instead, he spoke them straight and sharp. Loki even found him far more cutting than she had ever been.
"Well, I am speaking in front of Loki-sama."
That made the corner of Loki-sama's mouth curl upward. A fine thing to say, wasn't it?
"I imagine Loki-sama feels the same way."
Bell's words earned only a smile from Loki. She didn't answer.
What was there to say? It was true. Even back in Tenkai, she had despised those hypocrites—a bunch of fools rotted into madness by time.
Loki had never bothered to argue with them. She knew reasoning with gods was pointless.
"Don't use human morals to measure gods. Very few of us share the same values as children of Genkai. Most of us are selfish, petty, and willful. So you'd best keep that in mind."
"I will."
"Mhm."
After playing serious for a moment, Loki slipped back into her usual harmless demeanor.
"Well then, it's time we went to meet the real star of this little mess."
She was curious to hear what Ikelos would say.
But knowing gods as she did, even then, Ikelos would probably be no different from the rest—seeking entertainment right to the bitter end.
If so, then this promised to be a good show.