Sneaking silently into the Dionysus Familia's residence, Genichi moved through the shadows without making a sound.
The Shadow Monarch's magic let him blend into darkness itself.
To this day, Genichi had never truly met Dionysus face-to-face.
The god who had planned everything from the shadows. The madman who had wanted to use the Six Spirit Rings to blow up all of Orario. The hidden hand who had sent Demeter that grimoire.
And yet, after arriving in this world, Genichi had been forced to avoid him at every turn, never daring to act rashly.
Every move had required extreme caution. Every decision had needed to be weighed again and again, all for fear of drawing that god's attention.
That frustration, that pressure, that feeling of walking on thin ice - it was still carved into his heart.
But now, Genichi finally had the confidence to face that god.
More precisely, he had the confidence to face Filvis Challia.
That Level 7 adventurer was Dionysus's most loyal follower, and the core executor of the Six Spirit Rings plan.
As long as she was there, Genichi had his hardest test standing right in front of him.
But Genichi was Level 6 too.
He might be one level lower, but he had countless spells and skills reinforcing him. He had the concealment of the Shadow Monarch, the amplification of the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Boosted Gear as his final trump card.
If they really fought, it was far from certain who would win.
Besides, Genichi had not come here today to fight.
He had come to watch the show.
Passing through the last corridor, Genichi arrived at the door to the Dionysus Familia's sitting room.
The door stood slightly ajar. Warm light spilled out through the gap, along with the faint sound of music.
The moment Genichi pushed the door open, he stepped out of the shadows.
The sitting room was spacious and luxurious. Exquisite oil paintings hung on the walls. A soft carpet covered the floor. Expensive sculptures stood in the corners.
Flames danced in the fireplace, filling the whole room with warmth and comfort.
Dionysus sat on a sofa before the hearth, elegantly swirling a glass of red wine in his hand.
The deep crimson liquid turned in the crystal glass, reflecting the flickering firelight like blood.
Behind him stood Filvis Challia in silence.
The woman wore pure white maiden's raiment, a short sword hanging at her waist, her gaze sharp and alert.
The instant Genichi appeared, her hand was already on the hilt.
His eyes swept over both of them, and a cold sneer curled his lips.
"You're awfully relaxed, Dionysus-sama."
His voice rang through the quiet sitting room, laced with undisguised mockery.
Dionysus paused slightly, then set down his wineglass and looked at Genichi.
His eyes were calm and deep. There was no surprise, no anger, only the composed understanding of someone seeing exactly what he had expected.
"So it really was you?"
Dionysus spoke softly, with a trace of emotion in his voice. "I had already been wondering who it was for quite some time. Now that I've seen you, I'm certain my guess was correct."
A cold smile tugged at Genichi's mouth.
"Likewise, I'm curious why you noticed me in the first place, Dionysus-sama. You even sent Demeter a grimoire."
Dionysus lifted his wineglass and took a gentle sip, a trace of memory passing through his eyes.
"What if I told you I had already seen you before, in the man-made labyrinth beneath the Dungeon? Would that answer your question?"
That answer made Genichi's expression stiffen slightly.
The man-made labyrinth.
The place where his DanMachi self had been treated like a punching bag.
The place where he had been tricked in by Evilus, beaten day after day, humiliated, treated like some kind of test subject.
Dionysus had seen him there?
In that dark corner, in that moment of despair, this god had been somewhere nearby, coldly watching it all?
Genichi's gaze sharpened, stabbing toward Dionysus like a drawn blade.
"You were there back then?"
"Yes."
Dionysus admitted it openly, without even the slightest attempt to hide it. "I would occasionally visit the man-made labyrinth. After all, it was one of my associates' bases. And one time, I saw you. That boy who was being used as a punching bag."
He paused, and a faint, meaningful smile appeared at his lips.
"The look in your eyes left quite an impression on me. That despair, that madness, that hatred that looked as if it wanted to drag the whole world into ruin - it was beautiful."
Genichi said nothing. His gaze only grew colder.
"So I remembered you," Dionysus went on. "Later, when you appeared in Orario and joined the Demeter Familia, I became curious. What would that boy, once so full of despair, turn into? So I sent Demeter a grimoire. I wanted to see how you would react."
"And then?" Genichi asked coldly.
"And then you did not disappoint me."
Dionysus's smile deepened. "You grew so quickly, so powerfully. You destroyed the man-made labyrinth, killed every member of Evilus, and drove Thanatos and the others to commit suicide and return to Heaven. Do you know, when I felt those three divine auras vanish, I laughed for quite a while."
Genichi merely watched him in silence.
Dionysus rose and walked to the window, gazing out into the night.
"What a pity."
He spoke softly, and there was genuine regret in his voice. "The look in your eyes no longer has that same madness it once did. That wildness that seemed ready to destroy the whole world. It used to delight me so much."
He turned around and looked Genichi straight in the eye.
"The you of today is too calm. Too rational. You still have hatred, but now you can control it. That's good, but it disappoints me a little."
Genichi looked at him coldly and finally spoke.
"So you planned the Six Spirit Rings because you wanted to drag this world back into chaos and watch other people's faces twist in despair?"
Dionysus smiled.
"You really are clever."
There was admiration in his voice. "That's right. I imagined what kinds of expressions those normally sanctimonious fools would wear when all of Orario faced destruction. Fear? Despair? Madness? Or perhaps, like you once did, the desire to destroy everything?"
His voice grew feverish.
"Just imagine it. Tens of thousands of people struggling under the shadow of death. Gods who normally hold themselves so high revealing helpless expressions in the face of a disaster they cannot stop. Adventurers who pride themselves on justice exposing their true colors at the brink of life and death. What a magnificent sight that would have been."
Genichi looked at him as if he were staring at a madman.
"You know your plan has failed, right?"
"I do."
Dionysus admitted it openly. "The man-made labyrinth has been destroyed. Thanatos and the others killed themselves. The Dungeon is enraged. My plan has been exposed. Even if I were to detonate the Six Spirit Rings now, it would no longer achieve the effect I wanted..."
His tone remained calm, as though he were discussing something entirely trivial.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Genichi asked.
Dionysus fell silent for a moment, then smiled in that same knowing way.
"What do you think?"
Genichi narrowed his eyes.
Behind him, Filvis Challia continued watching him warily, her sword ready to leave its sheath at any moment.
The tension in the room had tightened to its limit, like a drawn bowstring ready to snap.
Then, all at once, Dionysus laughed.
"Relax. I'm not going to detonate the Six Spirit Rings."
He sat back down on the sofa and picked up his wineglass again. "At least, not now."
Genichi frowned. "Why not?"
"Because there's no point anymore."
Dionysus spoke lightly. "My plan has been exposed. Even if I set them off now, I could only destroy this city. I wouldn't get to see what I actually wanted to see. The truly interesting ones would have fled long before the blast."
He paused, then looked at Genichi with a deep, unreadable gaze.
"Still, I am curious what you'll do. The Dungeon is enraged. A monster surge is about to erupt. Will you stay and protect this city? Or will you take Demeter and flee far away, leaving this city to be destroyed?"
Genichi stayed silent and gave no answer.
Dionysus smiled faintly.
"My guess is that you'll stay. Not for justice, but because, within the limits of your power, you'll help the people you care about."
Genichi's eyes flickered, but he did not deny it.
"So you really have changed."
Dionysus spoke softly. "From that mad boy who wanted only to destroy everything into someone capable of thinking of others. That's good. Truly good."
His voice sounded sincere, as though he really were happy for Genichi.
But Genichi knew better. This lunatic was merely appreciating another kind of amusing phenomenon.
"Then, Dionysus-sama," Genichi said evenly, "I'll remember what you said tonight. If Orario really is destroyed, I'll come settle the score with you."
Dionysus smiled.
"You're welcome to try."
He raised his glass in a toast to Genichi. "I'll be here, waiting to see what choice you make. No matter the outcome, it should be very interesting."
Genichi said nothing more. His figure slowly melted back into the shadows.
Just before he vanished completely, he glanced back once at Filvis Challia.
The woman was still watching him with cold vigilance.
A mocking smile touched Genichi's lips, and then he disappeared fully into the darkness.
Silence returned to the sitting room.
Dionysus held his glass and stared in the direction where Genichi had vanished, saying nothing for a long time.
"My lord," Filvis finally said, "why didn't you let me strike?"
"Strike?"
Dionysus let out a quiet laugh. "Could you beat him?"
Filvis fell silent.
She was Level 7, while Genichi's true level remained unknown. But judging from the fact that he had defeated Bete, he was at least Level 5. And something about that boy stirred a faint unease in her heart.
"And besides," Dionysus added, "he's more interesting alive than dead. I very much want to see what choice he makes in this crisis."
Filvis said nothing more.
(End of Chapter)
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