Lefiya and the others trembled inwardly as they saw Olivas standing in the distance.
The vibrant colors of the magic stone embedded in his chest and the lower half of his body, sharing the same yellowish-green hue as his eyes, made one thing unmistakably clear — the being before them was no longer human.
"How is that possible!?" Asfi asked in horror.
Not just her — the entire Hermes Familia around her felt a wave of panic rise from deep within.
Was this enemy truly human?
Or a monster imitating a human form?
The nausea building in Lefiya's stomach climbed up to her throat, and she managed to ask with difficulty, "Who the hell are you?"
Olivas looked down at the stunned crowd below and shouted, "I possess the power of both an adventurer and a monster! I am a supreme being!"
However, Shirou instantly understood that he was merely buying time.
Even if Olivas could recover from the grievous wound Bete had inflicted on him, it would still take a while.
He was using words to stall for time.
But Shirou didn't expose his intentions immediately. This was the perfect opportunity to understand his enemy's purpose.
He needed information.
"What is this place? What are you trying to do here?" Shirou asked.
Hearing the question, Olivas answered, "This is an incubator."
"By allowing the Violas to inhabit it, they'll continuously produce more Violas."
"In other words, this is a staging point — one that allows deep-level monsters to reproduce here and later be transported to the surface."
So Violas were deep-level monsters… but what disturbed Shirou even more was the very idea of monsters giving birth to more monsters.
Monsters were born within the Dungeon — that was an irrefutable truth.
The Dungeon was the mother of all monsters.
But now, that truth had been shattered.
"Then what's your goal?"
"To destroy Orario!" Olivas declared, spreading his arms wide.
Unsurprisingly, everyone present was struck speechless by his words.
Gasps filled the cavern; some even trembled.
"Do you even understand what you're saying!?" Lulune cried, horrified, staring at Olivas.
Orario was a vast city built directly atop the Dungeon — serving as its "lid."
It prevented monsters from invading the surface.
Thus, Orario stood as both the protective wall separating the outer world from the Dungeon and the last bastion of humanity.
The fall of Orario would mark a return to the ancient age of war — the endless war between humans and monsters that had brought countless tragedies to the world.
"Of course I understand!" Olivas shouted loudly in response to Lulune's question. "I'll destroy this city by my own will — and it's all for her! Can't you hear her!? She said she wants to see the sky!" he roared, pointing toward the fetus encased in the orb embedded within the quartz pillar.
Just as he was about to continue his declaration, Shirou interrupted.
"Alright, that's enough. I don't want to hear any more. I think I've heard all the useless nonsense I can handle."
Shirou projected Kanshou and Bakuya, his cold eyes fixed on Olivas.
"I've obtained all the information I wanted. It's time to send you straight to hell. If I wait any longer, your wounds might actually heal."
"Hmph, it's about time!" Bete growled. Having already noticed Olivas's intentions thanks to Shirou's earlier warning, he could no longer restrain himself.
Just as Shirou and Bete were about to begin their assault once more, two figures suddenly burst through the wall and landed inside the cavern.
"Revis!"
"Ais!"
The newcomers were none other than Revis and Ais.
Upon spotting their comrades, both immediately moved closer.
Looking at Ais, whose light armor was covered in cracks, Shirou asked softly, "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine," Ais replied curtly.
She accepted the elixir Shirou handed her and drank it without hesitation, feeling her strength begin to return.
On the other side, Revis — whose wounds were far worse — dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
"You're no match for her, are you, Revis?" Shirou asked.
"The attributes of Aria have been enhanced. She's at Level 6 now."
"Seriously? That makes things even tougher."
He was already at a disadvantage — and now, with the addition of the Level 6 Sword Princess, the situation had become truly dangerous.
As her ragged breathing began to calm, Revis's eyes shifted toward the now-vanished Viola and the recovering body of Olivas. Her gaze filled with a strange admiration.
"Is this… a crisis?" she muttered.
Placing a hand on Olivas's shoulder, Revis leapt back, creating distance between them and Shirou's group.
Ais, thinking she was trying to escape, was about to pursue — but stopped when she saw Revis land again and remain there, watching them from afar.
"You're retreating, Revis?"
"No… I still want to fight."
"?"
Before Olivas could react to her words, he felt a sharp pain as a hand plunged into his chest.
"What are you doing!?"
He stared at Revis in shock, unable to believe she had attacked him.
"Why? Isn't it obvious? For power — to defeat Aria!"
Revis looked at him calmly. "I'm no match for her right now. No matter how many magic stones I consume, the power gained from eating them will never be enough."
Puff!
She withdrew her arm from his chest, gazing at the blood-soaked magic stone now in her hand. Slowly, she brought it to her mouth.
"Don't you dare!"
Recovering from the shock of such blatant cannibalism, Ais dashed forward at full speed toward Revis.
"Stop her, Viola!" Olivas commanded desperately.
At once, one of the gigantic Violas swung its massive body, blocking the space between Ais and Revis.
"Don't get in my way!"
Wrapped in a raging storm of wind, Ais unleashed a swift, devastating sword strike that cut through the creature like paper.
The Viola was slain instantly — without even a chance to resist.
Such was the power of the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein.
Stepping over the monster's corpse, Ais pressed her attack — but it was already too late.
Having swallowed Olivas's magic stone, Revis's aura exploded. Her power surged violently as she rushed toward Ais. The two clashed midair, blades colliding with a deafening shockwave before separating again.
Looking at Ais, surrounded by swirling winds, Revis clenched her fist and smiled faintly, savoring the impact.
"So, we're equals now? No… I'm still a bit weaker. But that doesn't mean I can't beat you. But before that…"
Her peripheral vision shifted toward Shirou and the others behind Ais — and her expression hardened in fear.
Shirou, in particular, was extremely dangerous.
She needed to restrain him, even briefly, to ensure her duel with Aria could continue.
The plan to transport monsters to the surface had most likely failed — but she intended to make full use of the last remnants of their worth.
---
(End of Chapter)