Genichi took Demeter straight to the home of the goddess Astraea, who was also staying in the Sword-Forging City.
He had learned that earlier from Ryuu.
After the destruction of the Astraea Familia, the goddess of justice had left Orario at Ryuu's request and come to this city of smiths to live a half-reclusive life.
Standing in front of Astraea's residence, Genichi studied the modest building.
Unlike the grand headquarters of the Familias in Orario, this was just an ordinary two-story house. Ivy climbed along the street-facing wall, and several pots of unknown flowers and greenery rested on the windowsills.
If not for the small plaque on the door bearing the emblem of the Astraea Familia, no one would have guessed that this was the home of the goddess Astraea.
Demeter stepped forward and knocked softly.
A moment later, the door opened, and an elegant goddess appeared before them.
Astraea wore a simple white dress, her brown hair hanging loosely over her shoulders. She looked completely different from the dignified, stern figure she had been in Orario.
"Demeter?"
Astraea was clearly surprised to see her.
She had not expected to meet an old acquaintance and fellow goddess in a city so far from Orario.
"It's been a long time, Astraea."
Demeter greeted her with a smile, though her gaze held a trace of complexity.
She naturally knew about the destruction of the Astraea Familia, and she also knew how deep a blow that tragedy had dealt this goddess of justice.
"What brings you to Solingen?"
Astraea asked in confusion, then her gaze fell on Genichi. "And this is... your child?"
"Yes. His name is Genichi."
Demeter nodded. "There are some things we'd like to discuss with you."
Astraea frowned slightly, but still stepped aside and opened the door. "Come in."
The three of them entered the house, and Astraea led them into the sitting room.
The room was simply but warmly furnished. A hand-painted landscape of Orario hung on the wall, the shelves were filled with books, and the air carried a faint scent of tea.
After they sat down, Astraea poured tea for both of them before finally asking, "Go on. What is it that brought you all the way here to see me?"
Genichi set down his teacup and got straight to the point.
"Lady Astraea, I'd like to ask a favor of you."
"What kind of favor?"
"For the time being, I'd like Demeter to stay here with you."
Genichi met Astraea's eyes directly. "I don't want anything weighing on my mind."
Astraea froze for a moment, then turned to Demeter. "Something weighing on your mind? Did something happen in Orario?"
Demeter let out a quiet sigh and briefly explained the current situation in Orario.
The stirrings of Evilus. Dionysus colluding with the corrupted spirit. The plan to use the Six Spirit Rings to blow Orario apart.
As Demeter spoke, shock and disbelief spread across Astraea's face.
Though she had been living in seclusion in Solingen, she had never stopped paying attention to Orario.
After all, it was the place where she had once lived, and the city for which her children had fought and ultimately given their lives.
But she had never imagined that beneath the prosperous and peaceful surface of that labyrinth city, such an enormous crisis was hidden.
"You're saying Dionysus... how could he possibly..."
Astraea's voice trembled slightly.
As a goddess, she knew all too well how destructive the Six Spirit Rings were.
If that thing truly exploded in Orario, the entire city would be reduced to ruins, and countless lives would vanish in an instant.
"It's still only suspicion for now, but every sign points to him," Demeter said. "Genichi has already obtained some evidence, but not enough to accuse him publicly."
Astraea took a deep breath and tried to steady herself.
Then her gaze returned to Genichi, studying him carefully.
Ryuu Lion had mentioned an adventurer named Genichi in one of her letters before. She had said he knew where Jura was, that he possessed mysterious and unbelievable powers, and that he was closely tied to the Demeter Familia.
So this had to be him.
"You're Genichi?"
"Yes."
"Ryuu mentioned you."
Astraea's expression grew more complicated. "She said you told her about Jura."
Genichi nodded. "It was a trade. Fair and reasonable."
"Do you have any idea what Jura means to her?"
Astraea's voice rose slightly. "That man was one of the people responsible for killing her companions. She would give up anything for revenge. Telling her where Jura is is the same as sending her to her death."
Genichi was silent for a moment before answering calmly.
"That's why I only told her that Jura is hiding in the artificial labyrinth. I didn't tell her the specific entrance or how to get inside."
Astraea paused.
"Ryuu Lion may be Level 5 now, but against a place like the artificial labyrinth, she still doesn't stand a chance," Genichi continued. "If I had really wanted her dead, I could have simply told her everything and let her rush in and die."
"Then why..."
"Because I needed a grimoire."
Genichi answered without hesitation. "And she happened to need information on Jura. As for why I didn't tell her the exact location, it's because I didn't want her to die. That's all."
Hearing that, Astraea finally seemed to relax a little.
At least this young man was not so far gone that he was beyond saving.
But then she frowned again. "How did you learn about Jura in the first place?"
"That concerns my personal privacy, so I'd rather not say."
Genichi's tone was flat.
Astraea stared at him for a long moment, but in the end, she did not press further.
Everyone had their own secrets. As a goddess, she understood the importance of respecting that.
"So you came here just to ask me to let Demeter stay with me?"
"Yes."
Genichi nodded. "The situation in Orario is becoming more dangerous by the day. I don't want Demeter caught in it. If she stays here, with you looking after her, I'll be able to rest easier."
Astraea turned to Demeter. "And what do you think?"
Demeter smiled softly. "I'll follow Genichi's arrangements. If he says I should stay, then I'll stay."
A flicker of surprise crossed Astraea's eyes.
For a goddess to be so willing to follow the arrangements of one of her own children was not something she saw often.
But when she saw the warmth and certainty in Demeter's gaze, she seemed to understand something.
"All right."
At last, Astraea nodded. "Demeter can stay here. Solingen may not be as prosperous as Orario, but it is safer. No matter how far Evilus's claws may reach, they won't reach this city of smiths."
"Thank you."
Genichi bowed his head slightly.
"However, I have one condition."
Astraea's tone shifted.
"Please, go on."
"If possible, when you act in Orario... protect Ryuu."
Astraea's expression softened, and there was a quiet earnestness in her voice. "That child would do anything for revenge. I know I can't stop her, but at the very least, please don't let her die."
Genichi was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll do what I can. But if she insists on throwing her life away, there's only so much I can do."
"That is enough," Astraea said softly.
She rose to her feet, walked to the window, and looked into the distance.
Toward Orario.
Toward the place that had once been her home, and where her children now lay at rest.
After entrusting Demeter to Astraea, Genichi returned to Orario.
This time, he did not alert anyone.
He did not go to the Demeter Familia's home, did not meet a single familiar face, and did not even leave any record at the Guild.
He had come back for revenge, and the more quietly he moved, the better.
Standing outside the gates of Orario, Genichi gazed at the familiar labyrinth city.
The towering walls, the busy streets, the countless adventurers coming and going. On the surface, everything looked no different from when he had left.
But Genichi knew that beneath this city, inside that artificial labyrinth, the filthiest darkness was hiding.
The DanMachi Genichi's memories surfaced in his mind once again.
The day he was tricked by Evilus into the artificial labyrinth, he had thought he had finally found a Familia willing to take him in.
But what awaited him was not a warm bed and good food. It was endless beatings and abuse.
Day after day, he had been used as a punching bag, bullied at will by adventurers stronger than him.
They beat him, kicked him, and carved wound after wound into his body with their weapons, but they never allowed him to die, because only the living could continue serving as training fodder.
And in the end, in that corner swallowed by darkness, Valletta snapped his neck with a single kick.
That pain, that despair, even felt through stolen memories, was vivid enough for Genichi to experience clearly.
"Wait for me."
He muttered the words under his breath, a flash of killing intent passing through his eyes.
He found a concealed corner, made sure no one was around, and opened a portal.
The light of the portal flared in the darkness. Genichi first stuck his head through carefully, observing the situation inside the artificial labyrinth.
It was a narrow corridor. Dim magic-stone lamps were embedded in the walls, their wavering light casting broken shadows across the floor.
Several iron doors lined both sides of the passage, shut tight and stained with rust, as though they had been there for years.
The air was thick with damp rot, mixed with the sharp stink of blood and sweat.
Genichi held his breath and listened closely.
Faint footsteps echoed from the distance, along with snatches of conversation.
It sounded like there were not many people, perhaps three or four, and they were moving in the opposite direction.
Only after confirming that the area was temporarily safe did Genichi step out of the portal.
His feet landed on the cold, damp stone without making a sound.
"King of Shadows."
He murmured the incantation, and the blackness beneath his feet began to writhe, twisting and splitting like something alive.
One by one, pitch-black shadows peeled away from the darkness. They had no fixed form, only vague human outlines, yet each of them radiated an eerie and dangerous presence.
These shadow monsters had been created by his King of Shadows magic. They could take physical form, move freely through darkness, and silently hunt their targets.
"Kill every adventurer inside this artificial labyrinth."
Genichi's voice was low and icy, devoid of all emotion.
The shadows received the command and slipped soundlessly into the darkness, vanishing from sight.
They would roam through the labyrinth, seeking out every living thing, then kill them in the cruelest way possible.
Genichi did not care whether there were innocents among the adventurers of Evilus.
Anyone who could enter this artificial labyrinth was a member of Evilus, a criminal whose hands were already stained with blood.
The DanMachi Genichi had not been the first to die here, and he would not have been the last.
If these people delighted in torturing others to death, then they could have a taste of that fear themselves.
"Disillusionment Charm."
Genichi cast the invisibility spell on himself, and his body instantly turned transparent, blending into the surroundings.
This was magic from the Harry Potter world. It was not a combat spell, but for infiltration and assassination, it was immensely useful.
Once that was done, Genichi began to move slowly through the artificial labyrinth.
His target was clear.
Valletta.
The woman who had killed the DanMachi Genichi.
He could not care less whether the other Evilus adventurers lived or died.
The shadows created by King of Shadows were more than enough to handle most enemies, and even if a few managed to slip through, they would not amount to much.
But Valletta had to die.
And she had to die by his own hand.
Genichi moved down the corridor without making a sound, one silent step after another.
The artificial labyrinth was even larger than he had imagined.
From behind the iron doors on either side of the passage came constant screams and pleading voices.
They were prisoners, unfortunate people who had fallen into the hands of Evilus.
Genichi did not stop.
It was not because he was cold-blooded. It was because now was not the time to save anyone. If he alerted the enemy and made Valletta aware of danger, she would very likely flee.
He had to eliminate his target first. The rest could be dealt with afterward.
As he continued deeper in, Genichi arrived at a more open area.
It looked like a training ground. Various training tools were set around the edges, and dark red bloodstains still marked the floor.
Several adventurers were sparring in the middle of the space, the clash of blades echoing through the empty hall.
Standing in the shadows, Genichi watched them coldly.
Five in total. All of them looked to be around Level 2.
Judging by the way they fought, they had all been trained for killing. Every strike aimed for a vital point, and none of them showed the slightest restraint.
These were probably the instructors responsible for training assassins.
Genichi did not act.
They were not his target.
The shadows created by King of Shadows would be enough for them.
Sure enough, just as Genichi was preparing to circle around the training ground and continue deeper inside, the shadows along the wall suddenly twisted.
Several pitch-black figures surged soundlessly out of the darkness, pouncing on the adventurers like phantoms.
"What the-"
The first adventurer did not even have time to react before a shadow pierced straight through his chest.
He looked down at the black hole torn through him, disbelief filling his eyes, and then collapsed limply to the ground.
The other four cried out in terror and swung their swords at the shadows.
But ordinary weapons were useless against shadow monsters. Their blades passed straight through them as though cutting empty air.
The shadows' counterattacks, however, were lethally real.
In a matter of seconds, all five adventurers lay dead on the ground, their blood spreading across the training floor.
Genichi watched without expression and kept moving.
Beyond the training ground, the path split into three even deeper corridors.
There were fewer magic-stone lamps here, and the light was dimmer still, so dark it was nearly impossible to see a hand in front of your face.
But for Genichi, darkness was the perfect cover.
He continued forward, sensing everything around him.
Then suddenly, faint footsteps sounded from ahead.
(End of Chapter)
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