"GRAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
KRA-BOOM!!!!!!!!!!
With a single strike from Bete, scores of monsters and Evilus fodder were obliterated, carving a path. The beastman unit, spearheaded by Bete, surged into the labyrinth's interior with predatory speed.
"Don't fall behind Bete! Keep the momentum!"
"Doors ahead and to the right!"
Bete wasn't just focused on the slaughter; he was the first to observe the battlefield, reporting the state of doors and enemy placements. Aki analyzed this data instantly, issuing precise tactical judgments.
"Follow-up vanguard, get those pillars in place, now!!!!"
CLAP!!
"Other units, keep advancing! Don't lose sight of Aki's squad!"
Behind them, the follow-up unit led by Raul entered. To ensure the doors they had already opened wouldn't seal shut again, they hammered massive pillars into the frames to lock them in place.
"These are custom-made items the Captain ordered from the Goibniu Familia ten days ago...!"
'They won't break easily!'
They had 288 of these pillars in total. By driving one to three into every single doorway, they neutralized the enemy's ability to manipulate the labyrinth's layout.
"Establish the base! Mapmakers, continue your work centered on this position!"
THOOM!!
"Keep your guards close! Don't let the Dionysus Familia members get picked off!"
In the southwest, the dwarf unit led by Gareth was smashing through obstacles. They were escorting Cruz and Narvi, who were responsible for mapping the interior as they conquered the labyrinth.
"Draw the maps while the Loki Familia holds the line!!"
CRASH!!
"And destroy every hidden trap you find!"
"Leave no suspicious statue standing! Shatter them all!"
Meanwhile, in the unit containing Filvis and Lefiya, Aura held command, executing a rapid and systematic suppression.
"Narrow corridors are traps! Remember the protocol!"
"""YES!"""
As she ordered, the members threw improved versions of firestones into narrow passages, preemptively detonating hidden suicide bombers and ambushes. Their progress was slower than Bete's or Finn's units, but it was absolute.
—GIIIIIIII!!!!
"Poison Vermis!! They're reacting to the heat of the firestones! They're coming out!"
SHING!!
Even with the appearance of the Poison Vermis, whose venom could corrode weapons, Aura remained calm. She neutralized them instantly using an ice magic sword.
CRACKLE!!!
Her performance was that of a flawless, elite commander. Lefiya watched her in genuine awe.
"She's being so thorough...."
"Indeed. She's far better suited to be a Captain than someone like me," Filvis replied.
—SHAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
At that moment, Man-eating Flowers lunged at their rear.
"Miss Filvis!"
"I know!"
Having grown significantly since their last encounter, they responded with cold composure. The chant flowed from Filvis's lips instantly.
"[Become a shield, Holy Grail of Ruin.]"
WHOOSH!!!
"[Dio Grail]!!"
CLANG!!!!
The moment Filvis's magic blocked the swarm of Man-eating Flowers, a fierce barrage of light followed.
"[Arcus Ray]!!"
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Dionysus Familia members were stunned as the two girls annihilated the monsters in a heartbeat.
"I can't help but feel... that we absolutely cannot lose this war...."
"L-Lord Thanatos!! Another enemy unit has appeared!?"
"Identify them."
Thanatos, watching from the control room, realized the situation was deteriorating rapidly. He ordered his subordinate to report on the new arrivals.
"It's Nine Hell... and the Sword Princess!"
Before his words even finished, a massive whirlwind erupted on the screen. It swept away all the 'Eyes' and monsters in an instant, advancing at a terrifying speed.
"Aiz, it doesn't matter if you get separated from us!"
DASH!!
"Sweep them away!"
"Understood!"
Following Riveria's command, Aiz intentionally used only [Ariel]. She was acting as bait to lure out Revis while simultaneously reacting to the Spirit blood in her veins to pinpoint the Demi-Spirit's location for extermination.
'Finn predicted the Spirit's clones would be between the 8th and 10th floors...!'
DASH!!
'In other words, the heart of the Man-made Dungeon!'
Aiz performed her role as both a sensor and a lure perfectly.
"Using the previous intrusion as data, they're reading my commands perfectly..."
Thanatos smirked.
"That Braver... of course he could do that much."
Despite the overwhelming speed of the invasion, Thanatos maintained his grin.
"In that case...."
He immediately ordered his subordinates to deploy the decoys.
CLICK!
"Hm? Who are you—"
SLASH!!
"Gwaaargh!!!!"
Walls rotated, holes opened in the floor, and disguised soldiers emerged from alleyways. They blended into the alliance's ranks, willing to sacrifice their lives just to inflict a single wound with their Curse Weapons, aiming to wear the subjugation force down through attrition.
"[Droplet of Healing, Tear of Light, Eternal Sanctuary.]"
Or so they thought.
"[Dia Frater]. "
SHIIIIIIIIIIIII—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The presence who could be called the greatest healer in Orario—no, the world—made her move.
"The wounds from the Curse Weapons are gone!?"
"It's not just that! My stamina is back!"
"....High-tier recovery magic."
Even Riveria, the city's strongest mage, could not surpass her in the realm of healing. She was truly the Saint of the Battlefield.
"Please, fight with peace of mind."
Amid Teasanare's eyes were filled with resolve. She channeled her genius into a single purpose: to capture Enyo and stop this tragedy.
"Thwarted again...."
'A mystery of humanity that surpasses even the Gods...!'
While Thanatos watched in shock, Amid continued to cast her magic, sustaining the unit with impossible endurance.
"Tiona!! We're going full power on the next one too!!"
"Let's clean this up in a blink!"
SLICE!!!!
SHRED!!!!
Empowered by that support, Tiona and Tione tore through the enemies like a juggernaut. Despite the carnage, not a single scratch remained on their bodies.
"Healing that surpasses Elixirs, and on a wide scale!?"
"The Saint of the Battlefield.... is she really this absurd!?"
"S-She's not even a mage, but she's deploying a magic circle.... You've gotta be kidding me~"
Her overwhelming performance proved exactly what Amid had said before: the use of items was a factor she didn't even need to consider.
"This isn't looking good....."
'Akumo-kun is currently out, and Ein-chan... seems to be out with him....'
Ultimately, Thanatos had no choice but to shift strategies. He ordered his subordinates to abandon the offensive and focus entirely on defense.
"We've found the Dungeon entrance!"
"Keep going, Rabbit!!"
TWITCH, TWITCH!
"Current location: Dungeon 3rd Floor, Northeast Region!"
The alliance's momentum surged even further, and the Evilus forces began to be purged at an accelerating rate.
"UOOOOOHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
KRA-BOOM!!!!!!!!!!
Gareth charged forward with a shield in each hand, absorbing the full force of the suicide bombers' explosions.
"Tch, what a disgusting tactic...."
He wiped the soot away.
"But since they've given up on actually fighting, it makes infiltration that much easier."
Gareth loathed the suicide tactics, but from a strategic standpoint, it was a sign that they could execute the operation quickly.
"They're blowin' themselves up real thorough-like.... The moment ye step into a set range, it's 'pop' goes the weasel."
"Ah, they're likely terrified of becoming our prisoners... they don't want to give up any information."
Loki and Dionysus, following behind him, were sweating from the intense heat and the atmosphere of battle, yet they pushed forward to catch the entity known as Enyo.
"I told Finn that speed is the lifeblood... but there's a limit to normal methods, aye."
They were conquering the labyrinth at an incredible pace, but that had only lasted for the first ten minutes.
To say they had completely secured victory was premature; the alliance lacked the time and the sustained momentum to guarantee it.
"Then we just don't be normal, right?"
'I'm countin' on ye, Xenos!'
The Xenos unit that had entered from the 18th floor was showing truly remarkable results.
SLASH!!!!
SHRED!!!!
"Ray! Find the path!"
At Lyd's call, Ray let out a piercing sonic cry that vibrated through the surroundings. As she focused her senses, the layout of the area became clear in her mind.
"Right at the next fork! A new large chamber ahead!"
Ray was a Siren-Harpy hybrid; she could use echolocation. With her support and the Level 5 prowess of Lyd, Gros, Ray, and Vane, the Xenos unit was clearing the labyrinth faster than any other squad.
"It's a Plant!!"
"Good! Smash it to pieces!!!!!"
Whether it was thanks to or because of the now-deceased Dix Perdix, the Xenos' hatred for the Evilus he had belonged to had reached its peak. They obliterated everything in their path.
"That's the fourth one!"
FLARE—!
"This isn't enough to end it...!"
Lyd, having incinerated a Plant with his breath, called out to Ray to hunt down more Evilus.
"By the way, where's Fels? I haven't seen him for a while."
"He's acting independently."
Ray flapped her wings.
"Apparently, he said he found a monster storage vault...."
Fels had likely discovered the cages holding Deep Floor monsters intended to be unleashed upon the heroes in the Dungeon.
"Fels says to search for the stairs leading upward from this region."
"Off on another solo scheme, is he! Can't be helped!"
"He said infiltration up to the 13th floor is permitted."
"Oh!!"
'Akumo-san is basically on our side, so there's no need to worry! Let's sweep them all aw—'
At that moment, Wiivell approached Lyd's side.
"I want to go too."
"Viene....."
Viene was a Wiivell, a dragon-type. Her five senses rivaled Ray's, and her sixth sense for detecting anomalies and discord would be a massive asset.
"Akumo and Bell.... and the place where the Gods are... I want to protect them too!"
Struck by her determined words, Lyd chuckled and scooped Viene up, charging toward the 13th floor.
"Alright, come on! We'll protect Lady Hestia alongside the adventurers!"
DASH!!!
FLAP!
"Gros, Vane, we're leaving this area to you!"
""Got it!!""
"...Too fast."
The situation was driving Barca, the master of this Man-made Dungeon, to the brink of madness.
'The fleet-footed beastman unit is on the 8th floor, and others have invaded as far as the 7th.'
He clenched his fists.
'Even for the Loki Familia, this labyrinth should be unknown territory.... Yet they are conquering it with near-perfect efficiency.'
In this crisis, Thanatos had sent Revis toward the Sword Princess, allowing Riveria to sense her presence. This had only served to accelerate the alliance's advance.
"Just how....?"
He didn't know.
Just as he had once held the advantage over the Loki Familia with the unknown item, the Daedalus's Eye.
"Riveria's side has detected the Creature! Everyone, pick up the pace!"
"""""YES!"""""
This time, the Loki Familia was using the Oculus magic items received from Fels. They could communicate like a radio network, leaving the Evilus to be systematically slaughtered.
'The Plants are being destroyed in droves, and neither the Man-eating Flowers nor the Valgus are a match for them...'
"Even without the [Pioneer], are they this strong...!!!"
BOOM!!!!
'This is only their second intrusion.....'
By analyzing and utilizing every scrap of information gained, they were dismantling Knossos—a labyrinth built over 1,000 years—with terrifying ease.
'The unknown Dungeon that even the omniscient Gods cannot predict....'
'And this imitation, Knossos, where human intent is laid bare.... Is this the difference....?'
That was a question only the future could answer.
"They're approaching the 8th floor!"
"What do we do!?"
"We have no choice but to go out ourselves....!"
The frantic shouts of the Evilus reached Barca's ears.
'Should I... even now....'
Should he betray them? Should he cling to the Guild like his ancestor Daedalus and continue to complete the work? The thought began to consume him.
"Thinking of selling Knossos's secrets and betraying us?"
A hand landed on his shoulder.
"To protect Knossos.... you're thinking of betrayal....?"
Thanatos had no intention of letting him move so easily.
He knew better than anyone that Barca's only desire was the completion of the Man-made Dungeon, and that becoming Thanatos's kin was merely a means to expand it.
"But do you really think they'll accept you?"
"Do you think they'll leave the Man-made Dungeon alone~?"
Those cold realities entered Barca's ears, and he reached a single conclusion.
"Completing the Man-made Dungeon, or even witnessing its completion... is impossible now."
In that case, he had to act rationally according to the curse etched into his eyes.
"For the sake of the next Daedalus, let's remove at least a few obstacles."
"No matter what it takes."
Barca began to walk. He had no other choice.
STEP, STEP!
"Dix.... to think I'd end up relying on your lingering resentment....."
He stopped.
"Truly absurd."
His younger brother Dix, who had died during the Xenos incident. Thinking of the brat still made his eyes ache with irritation.
—'He's not a Pernix.'
—'.....What?'
—'He's just Dix, you moron.'
Those words Akumo had spoken lingered in his mind. Words that felt like they had broken a curse, filling Barca with both rage and jealousy.
"If this is resistance, then I suppose it is resistance...."
The floor-wide collapse mechanism.
The target: the 8th floor, where the majority of the Loki Familia's mixed units were located.
"If I can just kill Finn and that healer woman, the tide of battle will turn."
They block doors with pillars. They conquer the maze with speed. They use 'Eyes' to open paths.
RUMBLE—!!!!!!!!!!!
But what if the labyrinth itself is destroyed? What if the massive quantities of Adamantite that compose it are brought down in a colossal, wide-range destruction, and the resulting debris buries them all?
"[Collapse.]"