With endless rustling, black-and-red Venomous Scorpions poured out of every corner of the ruin.
Floor, walls, ceiling—every conceivable space was packed with the grotesque creatures.
A single glance was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
There were simply too many.
The soil itself turned black, evoking a primal, epic dread.
Even the great monster rampages in Orari's Dungeon never produced numbers like these.
Besides, the Artemis Familia usually operated outside Orari; although monsters roamed those lands, neither their quantity nor quality could rival the Dungeon's.
Yet the sight before them left every girl stunned.
But an even more unbelievable scene followed.
The ground split apart.
A violent quake tore the semi-transparent membrane that had encased Andaris, and in the blink of an eye thick black Pincers shredded it to pieces.
ROOOOAR—!
A colossal scorpion-like aberration threw back its head and howled.
"The monster… actually woke up?!"
Andaris's roar snapped the girls out of their daze.
But the Seal had looked perfectly intact moments ago.
How could it suddenly shatter?
Countless lesser monsters now ringed them in, while a black tide blocked any path of retreat.
It felt as though the creatures had been lying in wait.
Meanwhile,
in the chat group:
[Spirit of Time: "So that's why. They never showed this part in the anime, but these Black Monsters really are intelligent."]
[I Dont Want to Eat Monsters: "Well, they were created by the Dungeon specifically to fight gods."]
[Red-haired Demon Princess: "Even monsters can use tactics now, huh."]
[Ice Queen: "Come to think of it, it makes sense. Even ordinary beasts can set simple traps."]
Before becoming a general, Esdeath had been just a girl from a border tribe of the Empire.
She had hunted with her clansmen since childhood and encountered countless wild beasts and Danger Beasts.
[Fallen Angel: "It's the Dungeon's revenge, so higher intelligence is to be expected. Still, the efficiency's low—Black Monsters are only a bit stronger than common ones, and there aren't many. If I were the Dungeon, I'd mass-produce them. Once those things could leave the Dungeon, the gods of Orari would just wait to be slaughtered."]
[Hell's Fubuki: "I have a question. Since the Black Monsters were born to target gods, why not wipe them out with Divine Power? That shouldn't break any rules."]
[Fallen Angel: "And that's exactly what's so absurd about the gods."]
[Shepherd: "As I said, the gods of Orari are here to play a role-playing game. Even the Dungeon's counter-moves are just part of the fun."]
[Shepherd: "There's another point: Andaris's Physique is special—it can nullify Divine Power, so even if a god released…"]
[Shepherd: "Death means nothing to gods; boredom does. All right, I'd better head over, or the Artemis Familia will get wiped out again. Anyone else coming?"]
[Hell's Fubuki: "I'll take a look; the Fubuki Group has nothing urgent right now."]
[Spirit of Time: "I'm curious too; the Dungeon's setting is pretty interesting."]
[Magic Old Man: "I… won't go. I have to study magic in Rias's world later. Marushiru, want to come along?"]
[I Dont Want to Eat Monsters: "Sure."]
Marushiru agreed at once.
Although the livestream was still running, you could keep watching even after moving to another world.
Soon the group heading to the other world was decided.
Rosen, Tokisaki Kurumi, and Fubuki.
Without hesitation the three chose to teleport.
If they waited until Andaris struck at Artemis, it might already be too late.
Meanwhile.
The battle inside the ruins had completely reached a fever pitch.
Andaris did not choose to act immediately, but instead let his Familia wear down the strength of the Adventurers first.
Although the members of the Artemis Familia all had a Rank of 1v3 or higher, the Captain's strength was even at Rank 1v5.
Even so, facing the overwhelming, tide-like monsters, it was difficult to hold out for long without sufficient supplies.
After all, as scouts, their greatest characteristic was their speed.
However, when monsters were overwhelming them from all directions, even a 1v5 Adventurer gradually felt powerless.
If they had been outdoors, even if they couldn't kill all the monsters, they would have had ample time and space to escape.
But in the ruins with narrow terrain, the speed they prided themselves on was useless.
".Lady Artemis, watch out!"
Just then, a Familia member pulled Artemis away from her spot.
The next second, a venomous stinger shot through the air, but having missed its target, it struck the dirt in an empty patch of ground.
Artemis belatedly realized that if she had been hit, the consequences would have been unbearable.
"Tighten the defense!"
The Familia Captain shouted loudly.
Immediately afterward, the remaining few Familia members began to contract their battle line, firmly protecting Artemis in the center.
Then, the Familia Captain looked toward the bewildered Artemis.
"Lady Artemis, next we will use all our strength to create an opening. You must escape through that opening afterward and run without looking back."
Although the Familia members usually subconsciously treated Artemis as an Adventurer.
But at this critical juncture, they knew they couldn't continue like this.
At the very least, their primary deity could not die.
Once a god died, the Artemis Familia would cease to exist.
Hearing this, Artemis's eyes widened, and her eyes became slightly moist.
Sure enough, Rosen was right. Forcing herself to train outside with the Familia members only made her a burden in the end... However, Artemis didn't stay depressed for too long, as she had already called for help earlier.
And so, the next second.
Three different figures appeared out of thin air beside Artemis.