"I will be the one to decide what is right."
---
It was blurry.
All For One's eyes could see nothing but distant silhouettes and blood.
His ears registered only a maddening, high-pitched ringing.
It reminded him of the moment he first awoke from his long coma after his final battle against All Might—when he had been reduced to mangled flesh without even a proper head, clinging to life thanks only to the vast collection of quirks sustaining him.
'One strike.'
The thought flashed through All For One's mind, making his broken body twitch in fury.
It had taken only a single strike to shatter his current body. Not even the last-second activation of his newly acquired barrier magic from the Carbuncle had been enough to stop it. The barrier had shattered before it had even fully manifested.
His body twitched again inside the crater in the wall, seething with humiliation.
The slight motion was enough to dislodge him from the stone, and he fell to the ground below with a heavy thud.
"Agh…"
Despite the mangled state he was in, All For One tried to push himself up, trembling arms straining under his weight. He managed to rise, though his legs shook, threatening to buckle beneath him.
"Dammit…" he growled through gritted teeth, his eyes and ears slowly clearing thanks to his Feral Clarity skill. The sounds of distant explosions reached him—likely the Hermes Familia engaging the dog that had done this to him.
"I'll squash you like a bug," he hissed, venom dripping from every word. Slowly, he began limping forward, driven by a singular, irrational thought: to erase the one who had done this to him.
He left behind a trail of blood—a broken figure that almost resembled a fallen angel struck down by heaven. His pure features were twisted by rage, white hair now matted with blood.
"Look out, Nelly!" a familiar voice rang out in the distance. It was the Pallum mage, Meryl.
All For One caught sight of Nelly's body crashing to the ground. Plant monsters loomed nearby—it seemed the one responsible for his condition could also control monsters, just like that red-haired woman.
He dragged himself toward where Nelly had fallen. She was a supporter, after all. She would have potions. He needed them.
Every step was agony. His strength meant nothing against the monstrous force of his opponent.
How foolish he'd been, trying to be cautious in this new world despite the risks.
Why hadn't he simply done what he did in Japan? Why didn't he target Level Twos and steal every power in sight like he used to?
Back in his early days, he had been wild. Young. Reckless. He had learned through pain and sacrifice.
He wanted his rise here to be more thought out. More organized.
But it seemed he was not immune to mistakes after all. His shattered body was proof of that.
He couldn't afford to be cautious anymore.
"B-By the gods, y-you're alive!" Meryl gasped, appearing just as he reached the unconscious Nelly. Her voice trembled, overwhelmed. "M-M-Mister, wait—I'll help you!"
"Potions…" All For One grunted, still limping forward.
Meryl nodded frantically. "H-Hang on! N-Nelly has many high potions!" she stammered, fumbling toward her fallen companion, clearly unsettled.
All For One didn't bother looking at the state of the Hermes Familia's battle ahead. He didn't need to. He could guess.
He collapsed to his knees near Nelly's bleeding body. One of her hands was missing.
"H-HERE!" Meryl shoved some vials toward him. "I-I'll check on Nelly!" she added quickly, moving away.
All For One's tired eyes locked onto the vials in his hand.
BOOM!
A massive purple explosion erupted in the distance, from the direction of the Hermes Familia.
"D-Dodon!" Meryl's hands shook, and she dropped a potion she had been giving to Nelly. Her wide eyes locked on the explosion, recognizing its source. "N-No…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
All For One ignored her. He downed the potions one by one, consuming them with urgency.
The pain dulled. Small cuts began to close. His bones, while still fractured in places, ached slightly less.
"Ah…" he exhaled, semi-pleased. He stood again. Not fully healed, but functional enough.
He turned his eyes to the frozen Meryl. "Brat," he called out harshly.
Meryl flinched, her body recoiling from the sudden cold authority in his tone as flames flickered further ahead.
"What is the situation? Is your Familia alive?" he demanded. His eyes gleamed with such twisted malice that Meryl involuntarily took a step back.
All For One cracked his neck—a sickening crunch echoing as he waited.
Meryl didn't answer—too overwhelmed. Dodon. Nelly. Her Familia. And now this terrifying man demanding answers?
"Answer," he said again, voice like ice.
"I—Almost everyone is down!" she finally cried, tears falling freely as despair consumed her.
"Useless fodder," All For One said, disappointed, stepping closer. "But you… you have your uses to me."
Meryl looked up slowly, confusion etched across her face. "W-What?"
"It's nothing personal," he said, raising his hand.
Her eyes caught the hole in his palm—an unnatural sight.
"I have a bad habit of taking." With a twisted smirk on his face, his hand grasped her face.
"AHH!" Meryl screamed as the quirk All For One activated.
Her body seized with pain, spasming violently as All For One kept his grip tight.
"Stop it!" she begged, tears spilling from her eyes, her tiny body unable to endure more.
All For One smiled, satisfaction spreading across his face as the two abilities transferred: her magic… and more importantly, her Mage development ability.
"GERRR!" A group of Violas burst into view, drawn by the magic.
"What a nuisance," All For One muttered, finishing the transfer as the monsters drew near.
"W-Why…?" Meryl whimpered, her voice broken. She couldn't understand. She had helped him. Why would he hurt her? Wasn't he with the Sword Princess? Weren't they supposed to be allies!?
"It's really nothing personal," he said mockingly, staring into her eyes. "And I like my victims silenced."
Meryl's eyes widened in horror as All For One hurled her toward the approaching Violas.
"Agh! N-Noo!" Meryl screamed in terror and pain as one Viola's jaw gripped her arm. The rest of the monsters descended on her, tearing her apart in a frenzy of savagery, splattering blood everywhere. Her cries quickly faded into silence as one Viola's jaw snapped shut on her head.
All For One wasn't bothered, already moving toward Nelly's body, taking her abilities as well before heading straight toward the battlefield ahead.
He left her unconscious form behind—trusting the violas to do the job for him.
And they did.
Passing by the slaughter, he simply ignored it—the severed head of Golmeth, the spilled guts of Eliliy, the crushed skull of Keaks. None of it mattered. Who he sought was just up ahead.
"My ultimate goddess!" Olivas proclaimed like a madman, his wide, bloodshot eyes fixated on the giant plant that greedily sucked nutrition from the Pantary Crystal Pillar. His arms were raised as if reaching for divine acknowledgment, his expression twisted with manic devotion.
Ahead of him, the remnants of the Hermes Familia were still locked in battle with the Violas.
Only five remained: Lulune, Jose, Suicia, and Pock and Pot—that was all that was left standing of the original fifteen.
All For One raised a twitching hand and aimed at Olivas. He focused deeply. He could feel it—something had changed inside him.
Just as he summoned a light quartz copy, a glowing yellow magic circle unexpectedly appeared... around his extended arm?
He didn't pause. Quickly, he stacked three copies atop each other, and the quartz lightning gathered with intensity—more violent and radiant than ever before. It crackled with savage power, far surpassing what he had used previously.
He felt no pain. No mental fatigue. In fact, it was almost... easy.
"So it worked..." he muttered with a grin.
The Mage development ability guaranteed stronger magic, smoother output, less mental strain.
And most importantly for him—it meant he could now stack and combine as many types of magic as he pleased.
Olivas's crazed proclamation rang out: "Soon! Soon I, Olivas Act, will show the sunlig—!"
FWOOOSH!
The rest of his words were drowned out as a blinding lightning beam struck him, melting through his skin.
"Heh..." All For One let out a small chuckle, eyes wide with satisfaction. The heat, the force—it was immensely stronger. To think a mere circle could enhance his magic to such a degree...
Olivas turned slowly, his skin charred and peeling—but already, disturbingly, regenerating.
All For One's eyes flashed with a greedy glint.
A smirk stretched across Olivas's face upon recognizing him. "So... you're alive," he said. "Impressive that you want to die twice today!"
All For One's smile never faded. "You think that pathetic tap would end me? You're even more idiotic than I anticipated."
Olivas's eye twitched. "You're that eager to be crushed again?" he sneered.
"Spare me your squeaks, guinea pig," All For One replied, chuckling darkly. "Surrender, and I promise you a quick death—like a loyal dog being put down."
It was mockery—deliberate provocation.
And Olivas was falling for it. His face twisted with rage.
"DIEEE!" Olivas vanished—just a trail of dust left in his wake as he dashed forward in a mad, blinding charge.
All For One's eyes followed his trail, almost as if he could see him.
Just as Olivas's hands were about to pierce through his chest, All For One activated his barrier magic.
Under normal circumstances, it should've ended like last time—with All For One slammed against a wall, bones shattered.
But this time, the Mage development ability kicked in.
As Olivas's hand closed in, it suddenly halted midair. The momentum behind it pushed dust across the ground, but the impact never came. The force met resistance—his hand had stopped just short.
Olivas blinked in confusion. "What?"
He didn't feel the satisfying crush of flesh. His hands weren't drenched in hot blood.
Before the dust could even clear, a stream of flames engulfed his head, making him stagger back in surprise.
"A foolish endeavor!" All For One sneered, a nearly invisible, pale-blue barrier surrounding his body by mere inches. A blue magic circle spun beneath his feet, enhancing the durability of the already strong, albeit short-range, barrier magic.
A fun fact about the Mage development ability: it allowed a user's magic to rival someone from the next Level.
In All For One's case, his magic was already strong enough to damage a Level Four. With the boost, his attacks were now guaranteed to harm them—and even stronger opponents, with enough stacked power.
Without hesitation, All For One thrust his hand toward Olivas's chest, aiming for the visible magic stone at the center.
His palm landed—only for Olivas to instantly recover, grabbing All For One's arm. The barrier stopped him from crushing it, but the grip still held him in place.
"Big mistake," he growled, squeezing with insane force. A small crack appeared on the barrier.
But All For One smirked. "I don't think so, worm."
All For One was activated.
The effect was instantaneous.
Olivas had been a heartbeat away from tearing the white-haired adventurer's arm out of its socket—but suddenly, his entire being trembled.
"AAAGHHH!!!" he screamed, staggering back, his face wracked with pain.
Olivas could feel it—his connection to her had weakened.
He couldn't hear her voice anymore!
"No...!"
His eyes widened in horror. He couldn't lose her!
Olivas's grip on All For One's arm tightened, making more cracks appear on the barrier.
All For One quickly stacked a combination and fired it through the trapped limb.
"Aghh!" Olivas let out a pained cry, his grip loosening just enough for All For One to retreat to a safe distance.
"YOU!" Olivas quickly recovered—but this time, the small burns on his chest did not regenerate, leaving him visibly deranged.
"Nonononono!" Olivas barked in panic. "What have you done!?"
All For One grinned, satisfied by his opponent's reaction. "Evening the odds."
He felt his bones snap back into place with a crack. Whatever internal and external injuries he'd sustained were slowly healing.
"What a weak regeneration factor. You disappoint me," he mocked, still smiling.
He had stolen Olivas's regeneration factor—which in turn, had slightly severed his connection to her.
But, of course, All For One wasn't aware of that.
Olivas's face twisted in rage and desperation. "I CAN'T HEAR HER VOICE!" he screamed, clutching at his head and yanking his own hair. "GIVE HER BACK!!"
All For One chuckled. "Come and get whoever you're talking about," he sneered, clearly enjoying Olivas's panicked state.
"AAAAAGHHH!!!" Olivas howled like a beast, sending an all-out command to all the Violas to focus on All For One alone.
"GRAAAAAA!"
And like that, an entire army of Violas focused on one man.
Their combined attention gave the battered Hermes Familia a much-needed breath of air, providing them with enough distraction for them to retreat to safer distance.
The Violas rushed at All For One's position, he reactivated his barrier magic—once again engulfing himself in the protection he lacked against psychically stronger opponents.
"You think your pets are going to defeat me?!" All For One shouted toward Olivas, who stood deep within the Violas' formation, a crazed expression distorting his face.
"GERRRAAA!" Plant monsters attempted to swallow All For One whole, but the barrier held, repelling them.
More came from behind, but once again, they were stopped cold by the magical shield—their efforts futile.
All For One didn't feel threatened. "Hellhound," he muttered calmly. Then, with a wide swing of his arm, blue flames erupted violently, incinerating the Violas around him in a wave of heat.
"All of you! Attack as one!" Olivas roared at the swarm, his chest still scorched from the earlier attack. It was clear he felt threatened enough to not step into All For One's range so soon.
The Violas responded in unison, descending from every direction. Their numbers seemed endless—a true threat to even All For One's safety.
"Raijin," he whispered again, completing the incantation in his mind. The speed-enhancing spell activated, his body now coursing with dark lightning.
With the boost in speed, and the heightened senses from his Feral Clarity skill, he lunged toward an unsuspecting Viola. Using it like a stepping stone, he launched himself high into the pantry's upper reaches.
"GRRHH!" The Violas, however, immediately shifted direction, their instincts drawn to the magic he had just unleashed. The temporary advantage was already gone.
"DEVOUR HIM!" Olivas howled, smiling like a madman as the Violas closed in around All For One's airborne body.
But he wouldn't allow that to happen.
"Hellhounds, times five," he said with calm precision, thrusting both arms toward the incoming swarm. Flames burst forth, forming a magical circle around each arm.
"Light Quartz, times five," he combined.
The flames suddenly shifted, infused with crackling yellow lightning. The magical circles pulsed and changed color, blending blue and gold into one. The elements warred and fused wildly.
The buildup was near-instant, even shocking All For One. The difference between casting with a circle and without was staggering—and it worked perfectly in his favor.
Olivas's eyes widened. "No!" he screamed.
But it was too late. The Violas ignored him, driven by instinct to consume the powerful magic. They surged forward—straight into the attack.
All For One smirked. "Do not rely on mindless beasts," he mocked. Ironic, considering he had once relied so heavily on Nomus.
Oh, how he missed his expensive little pets.
He released the built-up energy. The Violas, rabid with hunger, charged into it like animals chasing bait.
One by one, they were obliterated—devoured by the fusion of fire and lightning. Their plant bodies, weak to both, stood no chance.
All For One chuckled, clearly pleased. He landed on the ground but didn't pause.
Turning to his flank, he sent a lightning beam toward another group of Violas. It exploded on impact. One lunged at him from the smoke—he dodged, muttered "Fireball," and jammed a searing orb down its maw. It exploded from the inside.
Another group of Violas nearly succeeded in reaching him. He backflipped, launching a razor-thin stream of flame mid-air that finished them.
Upon landing, he ducked low, dodging yet another group. Extending his hand, he torched their roots as they passed by—killing them before they could come back.
His barrier never shut off. It stayed active, draining his mind reserve severely, but keeping him alive.
All For One's eyes darted everywhere. He was at the absolute edge of his current capabilities—using everything in his arsenal.
"GRRKKAK!"
A new wave of Violas surged forward, surrounding him.
They struck all at once, jaws closing in—but again, the barrier stopped them. Their attacks were strong—but not enough.
"Idiotic creatures," All For One said. "You would've served far greater purpose under my command."
He began casting again. Magical circles flared to life around his arms.
All For One smirked. "Now die like the mindless pawns you are."
He spun—fluid, like a dancer caught in a violent rhythm. His arms unleashed flame and lightning-infused blasts in every direction.
Violas caught in the blaze shrieked, their plant bodies consumed by the vicious fusion of elements. Even those outside the initial strike zone caught fire, their biology betraying them.
"GHRAAAA!"
It was a massacre. For All For One, it was theater. And he was the performer.
With one final flourish, he released a full-area blast of fire, wiping out the wave entirely.
"Ah…" All For One exhaled, deactivating the barrier, the strain of maintaining it finally catching up to him. A wave of fatigue rolled over his body, forcing a deeper breath from his lungs as he straightened his posture.
His sharp eyes scanned the still-massive swarm of Violas looming ahead—
They weren't attacking.
"You fucking brat..." Olivas' expression remained chillingly still as he stepped through the swarm of Violas.
All For One's focus snapped toward him.
Olivas' crazed eyes pierced through him like daggers. "I'll make you scream for what you done, adventurer," he growled, stomping the ground with a force that cracked the floor beneath his feet.
"Then I'll make sure to send whatever bitch of a deity gave you their curse straight back to heaven!"
All For One's eyes narrowed dangerously.
An intense standoff began. On one side, All For One mentally prepared himself for the crushing attack Olivas would inevitably unleash. His mind had just enough reserve for one last major combination—but if he chose to use it, he wouldn't have enough left to keep his barrier intact while casting it. He could feel it.
His options were limited—and each one was potentially fatal.
Slowly, he hid one arm behind him, muttering an incantation under his breath while reaching his free hand toward his unsheathed Damascus sword...
On the other end, Olivas stood, fuming with cold rage. Those useless parasites—the Violas—had failed to finish this worm off. But at least they had drained enough of his firepower for Olivas to deal the final blow himself.
He clenched his hands tightly.
He wouldn't kill him right away—not yet.
First, Olivas would torture him until he undid whatever he had done to him.
He would get her voice back.
No matter what.
...
"REEEE!!" Olivas lunged forward, hands outstretched like claws, ready to tear All For One apart in pure savagery.
All For One kept up with the speed this time—he had started to adapt, slightly.
Just as Olivas closed in for the strike, All For One unsheathed his Damascus sword, intending to sacrifice it for a split-second opening to land his own hit.
Olivas saw the attempt and shifted to evade the blade entirely—
BOOM!
'What—!?' Olivas' eyes darted toward the sealed pantry entrance just as it exploded open. A brute force crashed through it, uninvited, followed by two others.
"Oi, what the hell is going on?!" barked one of the newcomers—a werewolf.
The sudden intrusion was enough of a distraction.
All For One took the chance.
CLANG—CRACK!
Sparks exploded in a violent burst as the Damascus sword shattered under the pressure—but it had done its job. The redirection forced Olivas' momentum past him, his clawed hands missing All For One by mere inches and slamming into the ground with earth-splitting force.
Olivas' eyes widened.
"Checkmate," All For One whispered mockingly.
He revealed his hidden arm, aimed directly at Olivas' chest, a colorful, pulsing magic circle glowing around it.
Olivas' eyes twisted in white-hot rage.
---
Slightly earlier
---
"Dammit, we're moving in circles!" Filvis snapped, finally losing her patience with their aimless wandering. "We passed that same creepy face wall three times now!" She jabbed a finger at the grotesque structure. To be fair, it did resemble a creepy face, with its twisted, almost mocking patterns.
Lefiya wore a tired expression, already bracing herself for another useless round of banter between her new friend and her Familia member.
Right on cue, Bete snapped back. "Shut up, elf! We aren't lost!" he barked, his tone full of irritation at her very presence. "My nose doesn't lie—just like how it told me it was you in the sewers," he added in a low, sharp voice. The comment earned him a wary glare from Filvis.
"Then why aren't we there yet!?" Filvis countered, brushing aside the jab and focusing on the task at hand: finding the Sword Princess.
"If you'd just shut up, we'll be there soon!" Bete growled, his features twisting with annoyance.
"How dare you use that tone with me!?" Filvis fired back, her face flushing with indignation.
The two quickly devolved into a heated argument—voices rising, tempers flaring. Lefiya, meanwhile, remained silent throughout.
This was beyond her. Picking a side now would mean burning bridges with the other.
What a horrible party I've ended up in...
While the two bickered, Lefiya quietly stepped closer to the creepy wall.
"You're one silent type, Mr. Wall," she muttered to herself. If only her companions were this peaceful...
Her ears twitched.
"Hmm?"
She leaned in. There was a sound—faint, but definitely there—coming from behind the wall.
Wait a minute... it's hollow!
She turned toward her still-arguing companions. "Uhh…" she tried to interject, but neither noticed, too caught up in their squabble.
"Guys?" she tried again, louder this time. Still nothing.
"You and your god's words don't mean shit to me!" Bete snarled.
Filvis grit her teeth. "Do not bring Dionysus-sama into this, werewolf!"
Lefiya's eye twitched. She drew a deep breath—and shouted, "There is something beyond this wall!"
That finally got their attention.
"Haaah? What are you talking about?" Bete asked with a skeptical glare.
"Umm…" She flinched slightly under the sudden focus. "I-It's a hollow wall... I can hear sounds coming from behind it."
"I can hear it too," Filvis said, tone composed. She stepped forward, placing a hand on the grotesque surface. "A hidden path?"
Bete scoffed, ears twitching as he too caught the faint noise. "It's a fucking sealed gate," he muttered, annoyed he hadn't noticed it sooner.
The ground rumbled slightly beneath their feet.
Lefiya stumbled. "What was that?"
"A battle…" Bete muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"Maybe it's just Ais-san?" Lefiya asked, hope creeping into her voice.
"We can't be sure," Filvis said warily. "It could be a dungeon anomaly."
"Well." Bete walked up to the wall. "Let's find out!" He raised his leg and brought his boot down hard on the sealed gate, unleashing the full strength of a Level Five. The wall shattered instantly into dust.
"At least give a warning!" Filvis scolded, but Bete ignored her and stepped through.
The two elves followed, Lefiya coughing through the dust cloud as her eyes adjusted to the scene ahead—
"Oi, what the hell is going on?!" Bete blurted out. A reasonable question.
Filvis and Lefiya froze.
Lefiya's eyes widened. The ground was blood-soaked, stained with gore. But before she could process it all, her gaze shifted to the two figures about to clash—All For One and Olivas.
CLANG—CRACK!
Lefiya caught the bright sparkle of metal as the very familiar white-haired individual—Bell Cranel—used his blade to deflect an oncoming attack. The weapon shattered on impact, but it had done its job.
The offender, caught off guard by the redirection, hit the ground instead.
Cranel raised his free hand. Magic circles bloomed around it, glowing with power.
A storm of elements formed in response. Lefiya's wide eyes could make out some—blue flame, yellow lightning… even wind!
All For One released his attack. Olivas, too close and unprepared, couldn't evade.
FWOOOSH!
"AGHHA!" Olivas screamed in pain as the stacked magic hit him point-blank.
Flames licked his skin. Lightning surged through his nerves. Then wind—Aeroblastica, the final strike and All For One's newest elemental spell—didn't injure him directly, but began blasting him backward with raw force.
All For One smirked. Just as he planned. The combination wouldn't finish this annoyingly durable worm, but it bought him time.
Olivas, seared and staggering, reached out in desperation to grab him.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared.
All For One stepped back in alarm, but Olivas's hand caught his face, claws raking across his right eye—and practically destroying the socket with his monstrous strength.
"AGH!" All For One reeled, blood pouring from the ruined eye. Olivas was flung backward by the spell's final blast, crashing into the horde of Violas.
"Dammit!" All For One cursed, staggering. He only had half his vision now.
Before he could recover—head pounding from magic overuse—a familiar, irritating voice shouted at him.
"It's fucking tomato boy!" Bete barked, laughing as he rushed over. "What are you doing here of all places—hahah!"
All For One looked up. One side of his vision was nothing but red. The other side was Bete's punchable face.
"The mutt…" he muttered in recognition.
Bete heard that. His grin twisted into a snarl. "What the fuck did you just sa—!?"
"Are you alright?" Filvis cut in, kneeling beside All For One, a concerned look on her face.
"I'm fine," he dismissed her curtly.
He tore his sleeve, fashioning a crude bandage.
"Do you need help—" Filvis offered again.
"I said I'm fine," he interrupted, wrapping the cloth around his bleeding eye. The bleeding slowed—it would probably stop thanks to his regeneration, but he couldn't be sure if it would completely heal.
So much for his new healing factor.
He tried to stand, legs wobbling. His balance was off. Still, he faced them with suspicion.
"Why are you here?" he demanded. Their unexpected arrival had helped him avoid being torn apart, but still—they arrived in the middle of his battle.
"It's none of your business!" Bete barked, already eyeing Olivas's position. The Violas had formed a wall, shielding their master.
"We came to aid the Sword Princess, if needed," Filvis answered, her gaze scanning the horde. "You wouldn't happen to know where she is?"
All For One sighed. Reinforcements. Wonderful.
"She was separated," he replied shortly. His eye turned to Lefiya, who averted her gaze for some reason.
All For One recognized her, of course, and recalled her magical power. Her wide-area magic was perfect for this situation.
"Who was that?" Bete asked, nodding toward where Olivas had fallen. And what were those things? The new species he'd heard so much about?
"The enemy," All For One said straight to the point. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't allow any more agile fighting.
"You should stay down," Filvis advised. "You fought well. Let us handle the rest."
All For One chuckled. "You two don't stand a chance." He pointed at Filvis and Lefiya. Lefiya, though, seemed to be in a daze.
Filvis frowned. "And why is that?"
"That worm is at least a Level Five," All For One replied, tone flat. "He took out the Hermes Familia."
"Stop joking, you weakling!" Bete growled. "Just because he wiped the floor with you doesn't make him any challenge to us!"
All For One narrowed his eyes. But before he could retort—
"He might be right!" a shaky voice called out.
Lulune came from behind them, eyes teary, supporting the no-longer-bleeding Asfi alongside Suicia. Andromeda looked barely conscious, her skin an unnatural shade of white. Jose, Pock, Pot, and even Falgar—dragging himself with a haunted look—were also present.
They had taken advantage of the distraction, retrieved the wounded, and circled around the battlefield until they reached the entrance and saw the new group.
"Where the fuck did you guys come from?" Bete raised an eyebrow.
Lulune's lips trembled. She was overwhelmed.
"F-Fenris…" Asfi coughed weakly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Asfi, please don't talk!" Lulune begged.
But Asfi continued. "W-What he said... it's true. H-He is more dangerous than any of us could have thought."
Bete's expression morphed. He didn't care for weaklings' words, but he recognized Perseus—and knew she wouldn't just say things without reason.
Asfi took a slow breath. "Only you have a real chance..."
"ADVENTURERS!" Olivas's voice thundered through the Violas as they parted, revealing his charred form—still very much alive.
"Tch," Bete clicked his tongue and cracked his neck. "You will only slow me down. Stay here. I'll deal with this bug myself."
All For One stayed quiet. As much as he wanted to finish the job, he was spent.
"AGHAAA!" Olivas screamed, vanishing in a blur.
The Violas surged forward as well, coming for All For One's group.
Bete charged, slamming his leg upward to block Olivas's reappearance—just in time. The two clashed, dust flying, Olivas snarling like a beast.
'Fucking tough!' Bete thought. 'Tomato boy wasn't joking!'
---
Revis's massive sword slammed against Ais's saber desperate—the force behind it still as tremendous as it had been during their first encounter.
Ais jumped backward, breaking the exchange and landing gracefully at a safe distance. She eyed the red-haired tamer with the closest thing she could call a snarl.
While still strong, she had actually managed to hold her ground this time, not being overwhelmed by Revis's strength like before.
"What's with that look, Aria?" Revis rested her greatsword on her shoulder. The weapon was a disgusting thing to look at, something she had manifested from whatever had infested the pantry paths.
"Did the death of your comrade disturb you?" she mocked, wiping blood—Tabitha's blood—from her skin. Her words were clearly meant to provoke Ais into striking first.
Ais's expression darkened at the name she used.
"Don't call me that," she said, venom dripping from every word.
She had already hated this woman, but now—seeing her so casually brush off the blood of her victim—she was beginning to despise her.
Ais gritted her teeth silently. She was separated—she couldn't believe she had been caught off guard like that. Her clumsiness had also cost the life of a member of the Hermes Familia.
And more personally... Cranel.
He is just a Level One, and yet she had so selfishly and foolishly agreed for him to accompany her. Now he was alone, with the rest of the Hermes Familia, and she could do nothing but hope—for her own conscience's sake, and for far more selfish reasons—that he wouldn't be killed.
"Deny it all you want. I don't care." Revis pointed her greatsword toward Ais, her expression hardening. "Your presence is demanded, and I'm going to see it through!"
She charged without warning, bringing her greatsword down in a massive overhead strike.
Ais leapt lightly at the last second, dodging the attack that shattered the earth beneath her and left Revis briefly out of momentum.
Ais quickly retaliated, swinging her saber in a series of graceful, rapid stabs. Revis took a few steps back, one swing managing to cut her cheek lightly.
"Don't get carried away!" Revis snapped, clearly caught off guard by Ais's speed and precision. She stomped the ground with inhuman force, cracking the entire foundation they were standing on and forcing Ais to stumble back.
Quickly taking advantage of the opening, Revis launched a wide horizontal slash meant to disarm her—or shatter every rib Ais had.
Ais's eyes caught the incoming attack. Her face remained locked in the same fierce snarl from the beginning of the fight.
Then, with an unexpected display of swiftness and calculated risk, instead of retreating—Ais advanced.
Revis's eyes widened at the apparent suicidal move as her blade came down.
But Ais jumped at the last moment, landing directly on the flat of Revis's blade with an elegant touch. The redhead was stunned by the maneuver.
Ais brought her saber down in a flurry, cutting Revis's face at multiple angles. She finished the sequence with a precise slash to Revis's right arm joint, forcing her to drop her sword.
And finally, Ais kicked Revis with the back of her heel, sending her crashing into a wall—bleeding from multiple cuts delivered in mere seconds.
Ais landed with a final, satisfied swing of Desperate, holding the blade forward, signaling that she was far from finished.
Revis's face twisted into a snarl.
"Cursed adventurers," she spat, rising from the crater she had formed in the wall. Ais noticed her wounds—already healing. "Leveling up so unexpectedly, always making my work harder."
She pressed her hand to the ground, drawing forth yet another blade—nearly identical to the one Ais had just disarmed her of.
"You are a troublesome girl," she said, pointing her new sword at Ais with venom in her eyes. Then, uncharacteristically, she smirked. "Are you afraid of what my allies are going to do with your petty party?" she added, revealing that she wasn't alone.
Ais's eyes widened.
She had hoped that this...this...this bitch!—was the mastermind behind everything. But it seemed her hopes were misplaced.
"I wouldn't be so sure of their survival," Revis chuckled with deliberate provocation. "After all, the Violas are all concentrated there."
She sneered. "It will be fun dragging you through their remains."
Ais gritted her teeth, her mind flashing to her temporary comrades—who, gods knew, were likely facing hell. Her face twisted in a hatred she rarely showed toward mortals.
In her eyes, Revis was just another monster—one that needed to be butchered in pursuit of what she truly sought.
"Your end will be by my hands," Ais declared, her tone absolutely serious—deadly.
Revis's smirk vanished. "I was about to say the same thing."
And with that, the clash of monstrous strength against monstrous strength truly began.
---
"GHRRRRR!"
The roars echoed through the pantry as the Violas began flooding their position, while the two titans—Bete and Olivas—collided yet again with explosive force, shaking the very floor beneath them.
And as the brutal reality that they were about to be surrounded by hordes upon hordes of Violas from every direction settled in, Lefiya made a choice.
A stupid one.
She had a silent breakdown, completely zoning out of the situation.
Inside her head, it was as if she were trapped in a nightmare—a very, very bad dream that had been haunting her throughout this horrible, terrible day.
She stood in a daze. After quickly averting her eyes from Bell Cranel, she briefly noticed the injury on his right eye—an injury he simply shrugged off. Something like that would've left her screaming in pain, and she knew it. Even considering the level difference between them, it was beyond her pathetic pain tolerance.
'Why does this keep happening to me?' she thought to herself, vulnerable and trembling. The day's events were stacking atop one another, crushing her spirit at the worst possible time.
"Form a circle!" someone cried out. She barely registered it. Her eyes were downcast, silently begging to be left alone.
All of her self-loathing and spiraling thoughts were because of that stupid, white-haired human.
First, she had been humiliated when she discovered that he knew a technique she had struggled with. Then Riveria-sama, the mentor she admired so deeply, decided to ignore her hopeful heart, casting aside their lessons for whatever nonsense she deemed more worthy than her own student... And now—
"Sn...of it, Le—!" another muffled voice reached her ears, but she was too engulfed in her own misery to care.
Lefiya remembered what had just happened earlier—a feat she hadn't even known was possible, let alone for a Level One...
'But he had magic circles,' she tried to rationalize, 'which means he's likely above Level One.' It was a logical explanation. But no matter how she spun it, it brought her no comfort.
It didn't change the fact that the same person she'd so foolishly proclaimed her rival—the one who had become the source of her rising inadequacy—had just combined three diverse and immensely powerful spells into one massive area-of-effect attack... with seemingly no effort at all.
And without even a proper staff!
All of this made her dream of becoming an equal to Ais-san and the others feel like nothing more than a teenager's fantasy. After all, if a low-level human could outclass her in the one thing she was supposed to be an ace in—her magic—then what was she even worth?
What value did a clumsy, slow elf like her bring to the Loki Familia?
They might as well kick her out and find someone more competent!
She didn't even register the hand gripping her shoulder.
'What a disgrace of a mage I am...' she thought bitterly.
SLAP!
The sting landed across her left cheek—not painful, but grounding. Her hand slowly raised to the spot, her eyes finally refocusing, awareness returning like a splash of cold water.
Standing in front of her was Bell Cranel—All For One—the very person who was unknowingly making Lefiya's life miserable. A visible scowl twisted across his face. The makeshift cloth bandage over his right eye was soaked in red, the bleeding clearly not yet stopped. His grip on her shoulder tightened.
Her eyes darted to the circle that had formed around them. Filvis and the remaining Hermes Familia members were fighting desperately to hold the line against the Violas. Perseus sat within the circle, her abdomen tightly bound with makeshift bandages, barely clinging to life.
"What's happening...? Where's Bete?" Lefiya muttered, dazed and confused. She hadn't been paying attention at all!
All For One gritted his teeth. "Wake up, you idiot!" he snapped. His voice hit her like a shockwave, slicing through the fog in her mind.
"W-What?" Lefiya stammered, caught off guard.
"Start casting, now! We're being overwhelmed!" he barked, gesturing sharply to the defensive formation—just in time for one of the Pallum siblings—Pot—to scream in terror as she was snatched away from her brother.
"Pot, no!" Pock's eyes went wide with panic. He surged forward to chase after her, only to be yanked back by Falgar's iron grip.
"I forbid you to break the formation!" Falgar's voice was hollow—a broken man clinging to discipline only because it might ensure at least some of them survived.
"She's my sister!" Pock yelled, heartbroken, eyes wet with tears.
"It's already too late!" Falgar roared, swinging his sword in fury. The blow cleaved through several Violas at once, his movements a controlled, cold rage.
"Damn you all!!" Pock cried out, grief consuming him. With trembling arms and burning eyes, he brought down his mace, crushing an unsuspecting Viola's head like pulp.
"Dio Grail!" Lefiya's gaze snapped toward Filvis, who was holding off three Violas with her barrier magic. The beasts slammed uselessly into the glowing dome, unable to breach it.
Filvis didn't let up. She leapt back and immediately followed up with her second spell—"Dio Thyrsos!"
A radiant blast of golden lightning erupted from her staff, incinerating the three plant monsters in an instant. Their cries of pain died with the flash. But Filvis had no time to rest; a fresh wave charged in from her flank.
Lefiya stood frozen, heart hammering.
They were surrounded—completely. Monsters pressed in from every direction. The swarm felt endless, like a tide of death threatening to devour them all.
All For One grabbed her by both shoulders, tightening his grip to an unpleasant degree—surprisingly forceful, even for the physically superior elf.
"Listen," he snarled, his voice low and razor-sharp, giving her a glare that could melt metal. Even with only one functioning eye, it burned with menace. "Start casting something useful like a good asset right now, or everyone here dies because of your inaction!"
Despite his usual composure, All For One was strained. Sweat dripped from his brow. He was nearly out of Mind, barely able to stay upright. The odds were overwhelmingly against them.
Their survival—and far more importantly, his survival—depended on this squirming elf who was hesitating at the worst possible moment.
Lefiya swallowed hard under the intense pressure, nodding frantically.
Their situation was dire. And she was the last remaining trump card.
Everyone was depending on her.
...She shamefully felt good because of that.
All For One stepped behind her, giving her the space she needed to concentrate and begin chanting.
'Okay, you can do this!' she thought to herself, pushing away the rising tide of self-doubt. There was no time for hesitation.
Her mind raced briefly, sifting through possible spells to find the perfect counter to the overwhelming numbers closing in. She needed something with wide range and great force...
Then, it clicked.
Among the mindless swarms of the Violas, a new, far more tempting target had just manifested—the glowing magical light forming at Lefiya's feet.
"The flame will soon be released—" she began, eyes wide, lips trembling. Nearly the entire swarm of Violas turned toward her as one, a wave of killing intent falling upon her like a crashing warhammer.
But despite the primal fear clawing at her chest, Lefiya continued chanting.
Asfi glanced weakly at the light before slumping over again, unconscious.
The Hermes Familia saw it too. They understood what it meant.
"Tighten the formation! Concentrate around her—don't let them interrupt her casting!" Lulune shouted, her voice hoarse.
Falgar gave her a sharp nod, rallying the battered Familia to form a protective perimeter.
Filvis, not needing a single word, understood the shift in the monsters' attention. She leapt through the air, landing before Lefiya and placing herself at the vanguard between the elf and the oncoming swarm.
"Don't stop, no matter what, Lefiya!" Filvis called out, slicing through a lunging Violas with graceful precision.
"GREEEKKKK!"
The Violas shrieked in unison, a hideous war cry signaling the beginning of their new assault.
Lefiya's eyes widened at the sound of her temporary comrades rallying to her defense. A warmth surged in her chest.
She wouldn't let them down.
"Creeping war, unavoidable destruction—"
One of the Violas broke through, mauling a Hermes Familia member as Lulune screamed, "Jose!"
Lefiya didn't know the face behind the name—but the pain in Lulune's voice was enough to affect her. She bit her tongue to stay focused.
"The horn of battle sounds aloud, the cruelty of conflict will envelop all. Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno—" Another scream tore through the air.
Lefiya forced herself to keep going. She couldn't look. She couldn't break.
"You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war—"
A third scream. Feminine. The sickening crunch of bones beneath Violas' maws echoed in the pantry.
That was the third death. Her flank was now entirely unguarded.
"GHRAAAAAK!!"
The formation was crumbling—only three people remained fighting to hold it together. The Violas surged through the gaps like floodwater, their attention singular.
All of them wanted to feast on Lefiya.
'Is this the end!?' Her heart thudded in her chest. What should she do? She was alone, vulnerable, and the chant wasn't complete!
"GRKKEEEEE!!"
The closest Violas lunged at her, maw wide open, jaws ready to snap down on her small frame. Lefiya shut her eyes instinctively in fear.
'I'm sorry,' she thought, full of self-loathing. 'Even after everything... I couldn't save anyone.'
Then, surprisingly—arms wrapped around her in a sudden, forceful motion. She was pulled into a tight, protective embrace.
'W-W-What?!' her mind stuttered. She opened her eyes to the horrifying sight of Violas jaws crashing against a shimmering, pale blue barrier—mere inches from her face. They couldn't reach her.
'How!?' Her thoughts were spinning.
Then a voice growled from behind her, close and strained.
"Don't lose concentration. Finish your spell."
It was All For One.
The pathetic Hermes Familia hadn't even lasted five minutes.
He'd had to act. Had to compromise—burning what remained of his Mind reserve to form a barrier spell around them both in a last gamble.
It was imperfect. And the range was already short by default. Physical proximity was annoyingly necessary.
Lefiya's face turned beet red. But despite her flustered state, she ignored the man she slightly hated, ignored the swarm of monsters terrifyingly close to her, and resumed her chant.
Lulune, Falgar, and Filvis—the last three standing—continued fighting the swarm, with Lulune securing Asfi's unconscious body. Thankfully, the Violas seemed to not care about her at all.
"Burn them through, Sword of Surtr—" Lefiya chanted with rising determination. "My name is Alf!"
Cracks formed in the barrier. It wouldn't last much longer.
All For One narrowed his eye, calculating. If it came to it, he'd sacrifice Lefiya to save himself.
But it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
Lefiya raised her staff, her eyes blazing with defiance and hope.
"Rea Laevateinn!!"
Upon the completion of the chant, it was as if a bomb had been dropped.
A complete wave of flames erupted forward, wiping out the monsters pressing against them. The wave burned through the Violas like dry leaves, ripping through their numbers in a relentless blaze of shimmering annihilation.
Yeah, that was fitting.
It went on for two minutes—burning, searing, annihilating every Violas in the pantry, sparing none at all.
Lefiya poured every last drop of Mind and willpower into that one spell.
When it finally ended, silence fell. The floor was littered with the scorched remains of monsters.
Though the walls were visibly trying to birth more monsters, it would take time before that happened.
Lefiya swayed on her feet, her body on the verge of collapse.
But All For One dropped first. His knees gave out, taking her down with him.
Lefiya gave a startled "eep!" as she landed awkwardly on top of him, unable to move or lift herself.
All For One exhaled, relief washing over him after the close call.
He was alive.
Now all that was left… was to get out of this damn place.
Absentmindedly, he patted Lefiya's head, his voice tired and low.
"Good job."
Lefiya's face turned the shade of a tomato.
"That was amazing!" Filvis exclaimed, her voice enthusiastic as she was the first to rush forward and help Lefiya up—though she did not offer such support to All For One. A bright expression lit up her features as she gently supported her fellow elf.
Lefiya, still blushing from the praise—and whatever that was she had just experienced from her self-proclaimed rival—nodded with a shaky smile, barely able to meet her eyes.
All For One—his head pounding from magical and physical exhaustion—steadied himself painfully, casting a quick glance around the ruined pantry. The threat of the Violas was no longer a priority.
Then his gaze fell on the remains of the cage they'd first encountered upon entering this floor… and something struck him as off.
He could feel something inside it.
Hermes Familia—or what remained of it—dragged themselves toward the trio of All For One and the two elves. Their expressions were twisted in a blend of pure fatigue and silent horror, each of them clearly shaken by everything that had transpired.
All For One couldn't blame them.
Lefiya's eyes landed on Lulune. The two were already familiar with each other thanks to the events on the 18th floor.
"Lulune-san, are you alright? What happened here?" she asked, her concern genuine but misplaced.
It was a stupid question, and All For One rolled his remaining eye. How could someone be so clueless?
Lulune responded with a choked sob. Tears streamed down her face as she finally allowed herself to break, clutching her head as guilt consumed her.
"What have I done!?" she cried, her voice cracking with self-loathing. The blood of her comrades felt thick on her hands—enough to drown her soul.
Falgar, watching from the side, understood her pain. He knew why she was saying that.
It had been her who foolishly got caught in the web of their mysterious benefactor. It had been Lulune who, albeit indirectly, pushed them into this doomed quest—blackmailed by that damn benefactor.
This quest had all but annihilated what was once the Hermes Familia.
Twelve out of fifteen members were dead. Their Familia was functionally wiped out.
And yet… Falgar couldn't bring himself to blame her. Nor could he bring himself to comfort her.
In fact, he didn't have the energy for anything anymore.
At least Asfi was alive, secured in Falgar's arms—unconscious, but breathing.
Lefiya looked utterly lost at Lulune's outburst and Falgar's empty silence. She turned to Filvis, hoping for guidance, but the other elf only shrugged.
"You damn dog!" Olivas's roar echoed throughout the pantry. "You will pay for this!" he snarled, clutching his bruised face—still bearing the mark of Bete's boot.
Bete laughed maniacally, taunting him.
"This is the Level Five I was warned about!? Please!" he mocked, though he was clearly struggling to maintain composure. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his legs trembled from the sheer force behind Olivas's blows.
"You fight like a damn rookie! Were you really part of Evilus? No wonder they lost!" he barked with laughter.
Olivas let out an animalistic roar in reply—and the two titans clashed once more. Their figures blurred into motion as the entire pantry shook from the force of their blows.
The rest of the group understood clearly: interfering in that fight was suicide. It was far above their current caliber.
With that situation off their hands, Lefiya hesitantly turned back to the exhausted All For One, seeking an explanation for what had unfolded.
He didn't answer.
Instead, All For One dragged himself toward a semi-melted cage that had somehow survived the annihilation spell Lefiya had unleashed.
Something about it was calling to him.
He began digging through the rubble inside the cage—something felt wrong. Off. A pull… but not from his Quirk. This was instinctual.
"What are you doing?" Filvis asked from behind, still supporting Lefiya on her shoulder.
All For One almost ignored her but decided otherwise. Too much coldness could breed mistrust—and he couldn't afford that.
"There was an odd piece of jewelry inside this cage," he said calmly, lifting a particularly large slab of stone. "I'm recovering it."
"Jewelry...?" Lefiya muttered. "W-Was it a big green one?" she asked, suddenly cautious. Her mind raced with suspicion—could it be similar to the one that birthed the monster on the 18th floor?
All For One paused as he removed the last chunk of debris, eyeing her suspiciously before answering with a simple nod.
He pulled the object into view: a perfectly intact green jewel. It shimmered—almost unnaturally.
Lefiya's heart sank.
'Oh no...' she thought, dread flooding her system.
"Something the matter?" Filvis asked, concerned by Lefiya's visible anxiety.
But Lefiya couldn't speak. Her eyes were locked on the jewel.
All For One inspected the strange object more closely. There was something inside it. A shape. A vague outline.
A fetus—an unborn monster curled inside the green crystal.
He didn't understand why, but his hand moved toward it, drawn as if by whispers—urging him to take it.
"GHREEEEEEEE!"
"It's the same!" Lefiya screamed, recognizing the pattern instantly. "It's the 18th floor all over again!"
All For One snapped out of the trance just as the monster hatched, screeching with madness as it lunged straight for him.
His body was too tired to dodge. His Mind reserves were too empty to conjure magic. The creature's jaws opened wide in hunger.
CLINK!
All For One's wide left eye narrowed into a maniacal grin as he caught the monster mid-lunge with his green arm protector, barely lifting his arm in time.
Thank you, Eina.
The monster thrashed and snarled, biting into the bracer—its fangs starting to pierce through.
And the two idiots near him still did nothing.
Thinking quickly, All For One pulled his Damascus hidden knife from inside the bracer and plunged it into the beast's eye with all the force he had left.
"GHRAAAAAAA!!"
The monster shrieked and recoiled, retreating with his knife still embedded in its socket.
All For One collapsed. What the hell was that? Why had it felt like he was being mentally manipulated!?
He turned to the two elves, eye narrowing in accusation. They had just watched as he was being attacked.
Filvis looked entirely unfazed. But Lefiya looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack, eyes wide as she watched the monster slither mindlessly away.
"Kill it!" she shouted. "It'll become stronger!"
As if on cue, the pantry shook again—but not from Bete and Olivas's fight this time.
No.
This time, it was because of the giant plant—the one sucking the crystal pillar dry. It had finally decided to move.
"Oh no…" Lefiya turned pale as she realized what had happened.
"I think we should back away," Filvis said flatly, already dragging Lefiya toward the battered Hermes Familia.
All For One didn't follow.
His gaze locked on the now-shifting giant Viscum. It was changing—its vines twisting unnaturally as it pulled away from the pillar.
Was that a head forming?
Olivas stopped in his tracks, halting his advance on the sweating Bete. His eyes widened as the Viscum began its transformation.
"No! It's not ready yet!" he screamed in a frantic motion. How has the fetus been awakened!?
"RGHAAAAAA!" The Viscum shrieked in a monstrous, high-pitched roar as its head twisted and morphed. Slowly, its next form began to take shape—Female Body Type.
A demi-spirit had just started to be born.
"Eat shit, worm!" Bete slammed his back heel into the unexpected Olivas, sending him rolling away in pain.
Olivas gritted his teeth as he stood up. "Damn you all, adventurers!" he howled in rage. This isn't how it was supposed to go! It was far from how it was supposed to go!
All For One couldn't understand what on earth was happening, but his eye gleamed with interest. With sharp precision, he scanned every tiny change occurring within the Viscum.
"Fascinating," he muttered.
A parasitic monster... The Dungeon had no shortage of those—but this? This was something entirely different. It seemed to reshape the host into a specific, desired form.
"GHRAAAA!" The massive, parasitized Viscum crashed into the pantry crystal by accident, shattering it completely.
"It seems to lack stability," All For One observed aloud, curiosity simmering. He wondered what its final form was meant to be.
It began moving erratically, thrashing about as if searching—for something. For someone.
Then its gaze landed squarely on their group.
Oh no.
It roared as it slithered toward them.
He turned sharply to the others, alarm bells screaming in his mind. "You!" he pointed at Lefiya. "Do you have enough Mind left for another spell?!" he barked, urgency snapping in his voice.
The huge plant was closing the distance far faster than expected.
Lefiya, wide-eyed, shook her head. "I'm all dry… completely empty…" she whispered, almost defeated.
All For One looked around desperately.
The mutt—Bete—had resumed his fight with the other worm; they couldn't count on him.
He and Lefiya were entirely out of commission.
'What to do? What to do!?'
"GHRAAAAA!" The roar snapped his attention back to the monster barreling toward them. It would completely bury them when it reached them.
...Is this the damn end for him?
After everything he had done to survive this cursed day!?
He refused to budge.
He stood tall, defiant, staring down the oncoming horror.
His useless temporary companions were not as brave.
"We are finally doomed," Falgar muttered, voice devoid of fear or heat—just cold, empty acceptance.
But All For One refused accept defeat.
Even as it loomed right above him.
"Accursed thing!" he cursed.
"RGHHEEEE!"
BOOM!
A red figure exploded from the ceiling, slamming directly into the demi-spirit's body. The impact sent the viscum-fused abomination crashing against the pantry floor, debris and dust flying everywhere.
"You damn whore!" Revis cursed with all her might, clutching her regenerating abdomen. It seemed she had severely underestimated her opponent.
All For One's eye widened as he glanced up at the ceiling—unsurprised to see Ais Wallenstein staring down from above, a stern look etched into her expression.
"It's Ais-san!" Lefiya exclaimed in relief, her tense muscles relaxing slightly.
"Revis!" Olivas shouted to his companion. "Finish the job—everything has gone wrong!" he warned, narrowly dodging another strike from Bete.
"Stop barking!" Bete growled.
Revis, realizing what exactly she was standing on, quickly leapt back to a safer position. It was far too early for hatching—but with Aria now present, this might turn in their favor.
"Haaaaah—" the incomplete demi-spirit staggered upright, its massive body trembling as it looked up toward the source of its pain. Its instincts were on fire.
Ais's expression darkened as her eyes scanned the group, silently noting the new faces—and the ones that were missing. She closed her eyes in a brief moment of respect for the fallen… then opened them again, fire burning behind her gaze.
She readied her Desperate, pointing it downward at the corrupted monster.
"I will cut you down," she whispered.
Then, "Awaken, Tempest." She activated her wind magic.
The demi-spirit's instincts surged. It sensed something it desired most—spirit magic. And Ais Wallenstein had just become a beacon of it, radiating an aroma too tempting to ignore.
"RHAHAHAHA!" the beast bellowed in twisted glee as it launched itself at the pantry ceiling, its huge body lifting effortlessly with unnatural strength.
Ais let her Ariel build, quietly waiting for the abomination to come closer—to its death.
"RGHAAAAAA!" The twisted features of the demi-spirit contorted into a smile as it approached, eager to devour the foolish girl who dared stand motionless before it.
And almost like plucking a weed from a garden, Ais swung her Desperate—and the wind, as sharp as a Behemoth's teeth, cut the corrupted Bloom cleanly in half.
The demi-spirit didn't even register what had happened. It simply died—instantly.
Its lifeless body, still propelled by momentum, crashed into the ceiling, triggering a chain reaction as the entire floor's ceiling began to collapse.
Ais sheathed her weapon and jumped down. Suicidal for some, perhaps, given the height—but with her wind magic, she landed gracefully.
Coincidentally—or not—she landed beside All For One, who was analyzing the situation.
He couldn't believe his remaining eye. One attack. Just one had felled that monstrosity.
Is this the power of a Level Six...?
"Bell, what happened to your eye?" Ais asked with concern, guilt creeping into her voice for not arriving sooner.
"…I'm well," he replied cautiously. To think he was walking side by side with a nuclear bomb was a little concerning.
He knew of her exploit—but he had just witnessed it firsthand.
The stories about her were not exaggerated.
Ais was about to say something, but was abruptly cut off by an annoyed voice.
"Shut the hell up, you idiot!" Bete barked, crashing down nearby while pinning Olivas beneath his boot. Blood stained the werewolf's face, but he snarled triumphantly. "I'm sick of your annoying monologue!"
He pressed harder on Olivas's throat, earning a choked gasp. It seemed Olivas was too drained to continue fighting.
A win for the mutt, All For One was impressed—though he doubted Bete would've won if Olivas had retained his healing factor.
"Sword Princess!" Filvis called out from behind them. "We're done here! We need to leave immediately—the floor is crumbling!"
The Hermes Familia stood silently nearby, waiting so they could finally escape this cursed place.
"Hold on, stupid elf!" Bete shouted from his position. "I'll finish this bug before we leave!" He pressed harder on Olivas's trembling body.
"I'll make you pay!" Olivas croaked—laughable, given he was entirely at Bete's mercy.
Ais opened her mouth to say something—but her eyes suddenly sharpened. Her instincts kicked in.
In a blur, she dove forward, sweeping both Filvis and Lefiya off their feet—just in time.
A blade slashed through the air where their heads had been.
"Tch!" Revis clicked her tongue, narrowly avoiding Ais's counterattack with her Desperate. Twisting with momentum, she launched herself at the nearest target she could reach—All For One.
And he was absolutely not ready for that.
He felt his breath hitch, eyes widening.
Revis smiled in satisfaction, confident Ais couldn't reach her in time to save her ally. If she couldn't capture her… she would kill her companions for her defiance.
Revis's blade was about to cut through All For One's body, a twisted smirk on her face—
"Tempest!"
Only for Revis to be blown away—but not far enough. Her greatsword lashed out wildly. And thanks to its length and the strength behind the swing, it managed to strike!
All For One's right arm was severed cleanly at the elbow.
"Aghh!" he growled in pain, suppressing a scream, clutching at the bloody stump as the rest of the limb hit the ground. That slut cut it clean off!
Revis tumbled toward Bete, who sprang out of her path on instinct.
"Who the hell are you!?" he barked—but was completely ignored as Revis scooped up the battered Olivas.
"Revis…?" he wheezed in a pitiful voice.
"Shut up," she said flatly, without an ounce of pity.
"Bell!" Ais rushed to All For One's side, guilt all over her face. "Hold still!" She quickly retrieved a bandage from her bag and began wrapping his wound.
All For One hissed in pain as she worked. His regenerative factor wasn't kicking in. It likely had some ridiculous condition for activation!
"Aria, this was an educational confrontation," Revis called out, her eyes locked onto Ais, who completely ignored her.
Revis's eyes narrowed. "May our next one decide your fate!"
And with that—she vanished, her inhuman speed carrying her off to gods-know-where.
"That bitch is fast!" Bete spat, unable to track her movement—but he wasn't about to chase her with the entire floor coming down.
"Can we leave now?!" Filvis grunted, helping Lefiya to her feet. "This place won't last much longer!"
All For One silently agreed.
He ripped his arm away from Ais's hands. She had only managed to wrap enough of it to stop him from bleeding out.
"No time!" he growled through gritted teeth. "Just bring it!" He pointed at his severed arm.
He wasn't going to live like some damn cripple with a prosthetic. That arm was literally half his strength.
Ais nodded reluctantly and retrieved the severed limb with no effort. "Let's go!" she shouted to the others.
The group obeyed.
No one wanted to stick around and get crushed by falling stone, after all.
---
"Stop it!" Olivas cried out, struggling to free himself over Revis's shoulder, his face twisted in pure hatred as they finally exited the crumbling pantry.
Revis, having had enough of the squirming nuisance, tossed him carelessly to the ground.
"Agh!" Olivas choked out, coughing as he hit the earth.
"What happened there?" Revis demanded, her expression stormy. The redhead was uncharacteristically losing her temper over the catastrophic failure of their mission.
Olivas staggered to his knees, trembling with fury. "He took her!" he rasped, crawling desperately toward the collapsed pantry path. "I need her back—it's all his fault, all of this!"
Revis gritted her teeth and approached the unsuspecting Olivas with slow, deliberate steps. Her shadow loomed over him.
"And who is he?" she asked coldly, raising her hand.
Olivas turned, eyes burning with spite. "That damn white—"
But he never finished his rant.
Blood gushed from his mouth as Revis's hand tore clean through his chest. Her fingers gripped his magic stone—his life source—and with casual cruelty, she ripped it free, as though putting down an animal rather than an ally.
Olivas's wide eyes locked onto Revis, shock overtaking his features. His jaw moved, but no words came out.
"Your failures are no longer needed," Revis said flatly, turning the stone in her hand. "At least die by empowering me even more."
With no ceremony, she bit into the magic stone and swallowed it whole.
Olivas's disbelief was palpable. He could do nothing—nothing at all—to stop the inevitable.
Slowly, his body began crumbling to dust. After years of clinging to life under what he believed was a blessing, his soul would finally be claimed—by heaven, or by nothingness.
He did not know.
And just like that, Vendetta—the infamous Evilus commander—died a pathetic death at the hands of his own ally.
Revis spat on the dirt, completely ignoring the ashes of what was once Olivas. Her eyes narrowed, burning with fury. Her fight with the Sword Princess had been brutal—Ais had gone for the kill, and Revis bore the wounds to prove it.
"I'll make you pay, Aria."
---
The End
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Overwhelmed huh?
Reminder: I suck at fight scenes, so bear with me
Also, new rule—no more false promises.
I said I'd post this chapter next week, and here we are… over a month later Lol
Anyway, this still ain't finished. I know it feels long, but believe it or not, this is way shorter compared to what I originally had in mind
There's still one chapter left to wrap up the aftermath, and also Lili's whole side plot is still going on, so we need to cover that one briefly too
I'm guessing you were shocked to see All For One getting a regenerative factor from Olivas? Yeah, I didn't really want to give it to him, but I said "Fuck it" and did my own thing
Quick explanation: creatures like Olivas have regenerative abilities, but it's more tied to their biology than it being a proper "skill" So technically, I made it count as a skill for All For One—hope y'all don't mind the tweak
Oh, and you might've noticed the jewelry fetus kind of manipulated All For One into getting closer to it
You might be thinking, "Wait, is the demi-spirit controlling him now!?"
She's not. It's just a teeny-tiny side effect of him absorbing a power she granted. He's still free from her grip—just a slight misstep on AFO's part
Hope you enjoyed it! Not my greatest work, to be honest—I rushed this one out
I was tired, okay? And didn't plan it too deeply
Anyway, see y'all in the next chapter!
Peace