"W-what is this—where are we!?"
As towers shouldered up from the gloom and streetlamps bled a dim, sickly light, the Dark Faction soldiers felt terror drag long nails across their hearts. Their leader, Vito, stared with trembling pupils. For him, the world had always been black and white—only the red of blood had color. But now… color bloomed everywhere.
From every alley's shadow, from the seams between buildings, twisted, many-hued monsters crawled out on jointed limbs. They howled and screeched and poured toward the Dark Faction ranks.
"Monsters! Get away from me!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Panic made them hack at the shapes, blades flashing—yet each creature was like living shade; cleaved in two, each half simply re-knit into another snarling horror and pounced anew. Fear bred fear. As the shadows of terror multiplied, men died screaming.
[Ding! Randomly plundered trait: Killing Intent Sense (Green) …]
[Killing Intent Sense (Green): After years steeped in slaughter, you can easily perceive killing intent.]
Watching the traits pop one after another, Takumi let the domain ebb away.
This [Phantasmal Nightmare] field was something he'd built by taking the Slit-Mouthed Woman as the core concept and weaving in the cursed techniques. Inside it, beyond its guaranteed-hit buff, the domain lured out a target's deepest fears and gave them form. Those shadows of terror would keep killing until no invader remained—then their souls would be trapped in that uncanny cityscape, tormented forever… or become part of the nightmare themselves.
When Vito's group vanished utterly, Alise and the others still wore the pallor of fright. That city—so eerie and oppressive—had rattled them.
Alise looked at Takumi's calm face and couldn't help asking, "Takumi… those people…?"
"Dead."
"…"
Relief loosened several shoulders—followed by a more complicated awe. Too strong. Not one of them believed they could have withstood what he'd just done.
"Wow~ So the rumor's true—born hero Takumi. A brand-new adventurer who can sling that kind of magic?" Alise recovered her brightness, teasing with a grin.
Takumi rolled a shoulder. "A little parlor trick. I've got stronger ones. If you want to learn, I can teach you."
"Huh? Really!?" Alise's eyes flew open. Lyra and Kaguya likewise stared, interest plainly lit.
Takumi tipped his chin at Lili. "Lili's the best proof. If you're willing, I can help—there will be… a few conditions, of course."
"Mhm~ That's right. Takumi-sama is the best. I used to be pitifully weak, but now I won't lose to any of you!" Lili chimed in without missing a beat, playing along with perfect timing. She knew exactly what he was thinking—he'd set his sights on a few of these girls. She felt no jealousy; given her limitations, sharing the workload sounded downright sensible.
Their curiosity properly stoked, the girls leaned in—just as a masked elf came skimming up.
"Are you all right? Takumi-san—Arde-san, you're here too." Ryuu's voice cut through, surprise in it.
Lyra blinked back to herself and shot back, "We're fine. Takumi wiped the officers and troops… What about your side?"
The beastkin girl Naz, right behind Ryuu, grimaced. "The adventurers who fled are safe—we've sent them to shelter in the Rivira inns. But… the ones hit first…"
Around them, several bodies still lay cooling on the stone.
"Damn it! If we'd just made it a little sooner—" Ryuu trembled, frustration and anger making her voice small and tight.
Kaguya rounded on her at once. "Spare me the grandstanding, idiot. Think you're a hero? With our current level, there's no way to save everyone."
"Take that back, Kaguya!" Ryuu flared. "Even if our power is not the strongest, declaring from the start that we 'can't save them'—drawing a circle around ourselves and calling that justice—that's what's wrong!"
They were about to clash again when Takumi stepped forward, forestalling even Alise.
"Enough. I'm not here to take sides—but justice without strength is wishful thinking. Real heroes don't bicker about it. If you failed, then be angry. Grieve. And get stronger. Act now—or figure out how you'll do better next time. If 'justice' only lives in your mouth and not your actions, you don't deserve the word."
His voice pressed the air flat. Kaguya and Ryuu both opened their mouths, then closed them, eyes dropping with complicated looks.
"Haa… Sorry. Got a little heated. Mostly I'm just too lazy to listen to a pointless argument." He exhaled, then fixed his gaze on Alise, tone turning crisp. "Business. When I killed Vito and his lot, I sifted his memories. Their purpose here was to draw Astraea Familia down to the eighteenth floor. The Dark Faction's real target is Orario itself—they intend to smash the city's order."
Every Astraea girl stiffened.
"What!?" Alise's face drained, panic biting hard.
Takumi's expression was thorned with things he didn't say. In Vito's soul, he'd seen the plan of their god—Erebus. To inspire Orario's adventurers and raise a new generation of heroes, the god had chosen to become a necessary evil, pretending to side with the Dark Faction. He would pose as the great villain, set himself against the Familias of Orario, and forge trials for its adventurers.
Originally, he'd invited Alfia and Zald to play parts; Alfia's refusal had forced the Absolute Evil plan ahead of schedule. That was why Vito had taken the job of baiting a Familia down into the Dungeon.
"To nurture heroes by making yourself the evil they must overcome—what a delightful freak." Takumi's eyes cooled. "For the sake of their ideal, they treat the Lower World like a game board."
However lofty Erebus's stated aim, to Takumi it stank the same as true evil. He understood the divine logic now: it wasn't so different from his own—it just boiled down to satisfying desire.
....
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