Without Falna, Filvis Challia had, at most, the strength of a Level 6.
Every one of her stats had dropped by a large margin.
Facing Filvis now, Genichi no longer felt any pressure.
The battle that had required his full effort before had become something he could handle with ease.
Filvis's attacks were still fierce, but without the support of Falna, her speed and strength were nowhere near what they had been.
More importantly, her mind had already collapsed.
"Lord Dionysus... Lord Dionysus..."
She muttered to herself, her eyes filled with despair and madness.
The dagger in her hand swung wildly, completely lacking the technique and rhythm she had shown before.
Her attacks were no longer aimed at killing Genichi. They were more like a desperate outpouring of grief.
Genichi calmly blocked, dodged, and searched for an opportunity to counterattack.
His gaze fell on Filvis's chest.
That was the core created when she had been transformed into a monster. It was also the source of her life.
As long as he shattered that magic stone, she would die completely.
"It's over."
Genichi said it softly, and the dagger in his hand turned into a streak of light.
The blade flashed and pierced precisely through the magic stone in Filvis's chest.
Crack.
A crisp shattering sound rang out.
Filvis's body suddenly froze, and the dagger in her hand slipped weakly to the ground.
She lowered her head and looked at the magic stone crumbling in her chest. A trace of relief flashed through her eyes.
"Ah..."
She let out a soft sigh as her body began turning into motes of light, gradually scattering away.
But in the instant before she vanished completely, a gentle smile appeared on her face.
That smile was too pure, too beautiful, so different from the frenzied monster she had been moments before that it was almost impossible to believe they were the same person.
"Lord Dionysus..."
She murmured, her voice as soft as a dream.
"I... can finally... return to your side..."
Her eyes reflected a distant scene.
It was the moment after she had become a monster, when Dionysus had extended his hand to her and said gently, "Become my Familia member. I will give you a home."
In that moment, light had entered her world.
From then on, Dionysus had been everything to her.
She was willing to do anything for him, even if it meant becoming a monster, destroying the city, or offering up her own life.
Because he was her patron god, her family, and the only meaning she had for living.
"Thank you... for taking me in..."
Filvis's voice grew weaker and weaker, and her body became more and more transparent.
"If there is another life... I still want... to become your Familia member..."
Carrying endless regret and longing, Filvis Challia finally turned to ash.
Genichi stood where he was, quietly watching it happen.
He put away Mitsukotoba and lowered his head to look at the pile of ash left on the ground.
Then, he did something even he had not expected.
He spat.
"Pah."
The spit landed on the ground and mixed with the ashes.
Genichi's expression was cold and disgusted, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
"Sickening."
His voice was low, but filled with anger and disdain.
It had clearly been Dionysus who turned Filvis into that ugly monster. It had clearly been Dionysus who used her loyalty and love to carry out his insane conspiracy. It had clearly been Dionysus who treated her as a pawn he could sacrifice at will.
And yet, what was the result?
Filvis had actually fallen in love with Dionysus.
Loved him until death.
Even in the final moment of her life, she was still thanking him, still longing for him, still wishing to become his Familia member again in another life.
What was that supposed to be?
Stockholm syndrome?
Or pure stupidity?
Genichi did not understand.
He truly did not understand.
In his world, love should be mutual. It should be equal. It should make both people better.
Not like Filvis, who offered everything she had to someone completely unworthy, losing even herself in the process.
What had Dionysus given her?
A false home.
A twisted identity.
An ending doomed to destruction.
And she had treated all of that as her entire world.
"Idiot."
Genichi said it coldly.
But he knew that the reason he was so angry was not only because of Filvis's stupidity.
It was even more because of Dionysus.
That god high above all others. That bastard who treated other people's loyalty and love like toys. That lunatic who hid behind the scenes and manipulated everything.
He was the root of all this.
He was the one who had turned Filvis into a monster.
He was the one who had used her love to fulfill his scheme.
He was the one who made her cling to him even as she died.
But what about him now?
He had been sent back to the heavens, unharmed, returning safely to the divine realm.
He would continue being a god, continue enjoying the glory of immortality, and might even continue plotting his next conspiracy.
Why?
Genichi clenched his fist.
Unfortunately, he currently had no ability to kill a god.
The gap between gods and mortals was not only a matter of strength. It was a difference in essence.
Gods possessed divine authority and immortal divine bodies. Even if he killed Dionysus ten thousand times, as long as his divinity remained, he could be reborn in the heavens.
To truly kill a god required a special method. It required even greater power.
And right now, Genichi could not do it.
So he could only endure for the time being.
Genichi took a deep breath, forcing down the anger in his heart.
I am not yet strong. Once I am, things will change.
Those words echoed in his mind.
Yes. He was still not strong enough.
But one day, he would become strong enough.
When that time came, even if Dionysus was in the heavens, Genichi would chase him there and kill him.
Not to let Filvis rest in peace. That woman was not worth him wasting his feelings.
He would do it for his own satisfaction.
To vent this anger.
To prove that even gods had to pay the price for evil.
Genichi pulled his thoughts back and looked ahead.
The entrance to the 60th Floor was not far away.
"Now, then. Time to deal with those poor bastards."
He stepped forward and entered the 60th Floor.
But the instant he entered, the scene before him left Genichi stunned.
On the battlefield, the members of the Freya Familia and Loki Familia were in a completely one-sided situation.
They were being crushed.
Suppressed.
Beaten so badly by the corrupted spirit standing in the center of the battlefield that they had no way to fight back.
Ottar was covered in wounds. The strength he had always taken pride in was completely insufficient before the corrupted spirit.
Every one of his attacks was easily blocked by those energy tentacles, while countless wounds had appeared across his own body.
Ais was kneeling on one knee, her long golden hair scattered messily over her shoulders, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
She gritted her teeth and tried to stand, but her body no longer obeyed her.
Finn had collapsed not far away, his body suffering multiple fractures as he struggled to crawl back up.
Gareth had already lost consciousness, lying there with his fate unknown.
Bete was barely managing to stand, but both his legs were trembling. He had clearly reached his limit.
The others were not much better. Every one of them was covered in wounds, their breathing weak and their aura dim.
Only Riveria was still holding up a massive defensive barrier, blocking the corrupted spirit's attacks and protecting the wounded behind her.
But that barrier was shaking violently, cracks spreading constantly across its surface. It looked as though it would break at any moment.
Genichi quickly understood what was happening.
At this point in time, the main story had not even begun yet.
Although the members of the Loki Familia and Freya Familia were already Orario's strongest adventurers, there was still a considerable gap between them and their peak state in the original plot.
Especially when facing an enemy on the corrupted spirit's level, the difference in experience became even more obvious.
"No wonder it turned out like this."
Genichi murmured.
He looked at Riveria, then at the other severely wounded adventurers, and quickly made his judgment.
If he left them alone, these people would very likely die here.
Although he had no real friendship with them, at least for now, they stood on the same side.
So he had to act.
(End of Chapter)
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