'She isn't attacking...?'
Though they were prepared for a clash, Aiz's unit was strictly tasked with stalling for time.
'Everything is proceeding according to plan.'
If the goal was to buy time, the enemy's hesitation should have been a boon, but—
"..."
'She hasn't budged an inch. It's as if she's waiting for something as well.'
Looking at Revis, Riveria felt a creeping doubt. She wondered if they were fundamentally missing something, or if they had been operating under a massive delusion from the start.
CRASH—!!!!!
"Surround it! Surround it!"
BOOM—!!!!!!
"I'll burn it with the Magic Sword!"
"Don't stop the chanting!!!"
To kill the monster before them, everyone's will converged into one, each adventurer supporting the next.
Ssss—!!
'It regenerated instantly!?'
The creature was specialized for endurance. The greatest issue was the blood it sprayed whenever it took a hit; it was replenishing its vitality with that very blood while possessing a massive physical frame.
'Its weak points are too well-protected...'
THOOM—!! THUD—!!
'Its potential far exceeds that female specimen we fought on the 18th Floor...'
A single thought flickered through Finn's mind.
'We can win, but someone will have to be sacrificed.'
That is what the Finn of the past would have concluded.
However, over the last few months, he had seen something far more clearly and vividly.
'What would Akumo do? What would Bell Cranel do?'
Two heroes who charged forward without giving up, even in the face of an anomaly. One warrior who met a monster's strength with his own absolute power. A true pioneer who stood against the absurdity of the world.
'Those brats always trusted their comrades, and we responded in kind.'
Finn turned his head and looked at Amid, who was continuously casting magic.
"Trust them, and fight. Is that it, Akumo? Bell Cranel?"
'That's what it means to be an adventurer!'
Finn tightened his grip on his spear.
He made his decision. Not just the best choice to keep everyone alive, but the definitive path to a brilliant victory.
"The Level 1 adventurers will pin down both arms!! Move without fear of the curse!"
Dash—!!!
"Ambush it from behind!!!"
CRASH—!!!!!
The members of the Familia were stunned as Finn charged the beast and immediately suppressed its arms. Amid and her group were equally shocked.
"What is Finn doing!?"
"He's moving outside the healing range...!"
"....!!"
'We can't win unless we step out of safety. We can only win by facing it head-on...'
Just like that warrior who never flinched, even when a rain of spears descended upon him.
"The rain of blood is weakening...!"
"He's telling us to handle the rest, Captain Finn."
Amid smiled thinly.
"Fine then, let's do this!"
Amid steeled her resolve. She decided to act not merely as a healer, but as an adventurer who would personally dispose of the enemy.
'A terrifying obsession with the Labyrinth... that is the true nature of this curse.'
Barca's obsession—reaching Level 4 through pure, dark tenacity to complete the Man-made Dungeon—had successfully evolved the jewel fetus. That malice now reached Amid.
'A curse of blood... Does this mean that man was also cursed?'
"In that case...."
If that were true, she would use her own hands to end those painful days.
"I will sever it."
"[Tears of light, droplets of healing, eternal sanctuary.]"
Amid, having entrusted the general healing to Marta and Bernadette, immediately began a high-speed incantation.
"[The song of herbs, here.]"
Hum—!
"[Three hundred and sixty-five melodies.]"
A dazzlingly bright magic circle formed around her as the incantation flowed rapidly from her lips.
It was simple, yet profound.
"[The path of healing shall save all things.]"
Even so, everyone present felt a surge of Mind far more powerful than any magic they had witnessed before.
—SKREEEEEE!!!!!
The creature that had once been Barca sensed the overwhelming power she was emitting. It immediately sprayed blood from its eyes, targeting her with pinpoint precision.
"Not a chance!!!"
CRASH—!!!
"We won't let ye touch her!!!!!!!!!!"
The Hermes Familia gathered as one, raising their shields to intercept the blood. They held their ground, ensuring not a single drop reached Amid.
"Disperse the blood aimed at the Saint of the Battlefield!!"
"Keep cutting it down!"
The Loki Familia also continued to stab at Barca's body, draining its blood to protect Amid.
"[And thus, become the bane of evil.]"
Hum—!!
"[Burial of wounds, funeral of disease.]"
Finally, the incantation flowing from her lips reached its climax.
"[Curse to the beyond, into the heart of light.]"
She recalled the countless curses she had treated. She remembered the red blood curse that had remained on Akumo's body—the one that had been the hardest to break, yet felt the least like a curse because of the man who bore it.
"[In the name of God.]"
With the singular intent to break the curse before her, she poured in every ounce of her strength.
"[I heal.]"
FLASH—!!!!!
"[Dia Frater]!"
A sight of such warmth and beauty, like flowers blooming in an instant, left everyone entranced. Simultaneously, they were horrified to realize it was not an attack spell, but healing magic.
""Eh!?""
"Amid!? Why are you healing the monster—"
"Trust me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"""!!"""
Like the heroes she had watched, like the warriors she admired, she spoke as a woman with a firm heart.
"I will get this done, no matter what!!!!!!"
With that single command to trust her, every adventurer—and even Barca—was overwhelmed.
—GRAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"It's in pain!?"
Drip, drip—!!
"The blood is turning from black to red!!"
As Barca's body began to crumble and the blood regained its natural hue, Finn, Tione, and Asfi realized the truth.
"Purification!!"
"The Dea Saint is using only the purification aspect!"
"She's not aiming for physical recovery, but the curse itself!"
Amid's [Dia Frater] heals wounds, restores stamina, removes poison, and eradicates curses.
Whirrr—!!!!
It was healing magic of the highest caliber. Its effects were exceptional, but because she could choose to trigger only one of the three effects—healing, detoxification, or purification—she could drastically reduce the Mind consumption.
—SKREEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
But right now, she discarded that efficiency. She poured everything into purification to annihilate the curse before her eyes.
"To think you could neutralize a monster while being a healer....!"
'Incredible...!'
Suddenly, Barca's body began to swell, concentrating all its blood into one point.
"""""What!!?"""""
It was clearly a final, desperate strike. Barca fired a cannon of blood, intent on taking Amid down with him.
WHOOSH—!!!!!!
"I'm sorry, but..."
Splurt—!!
Amid took the hit directly, but—
"Compared to his blood, this is far too thin."
It did little more than tear her clothes slightly. Amid, unaffected by any curse, accelerated the purification as if to signal the end.
"As a healer, I cannot allow your existence to persist."
She gripped her staff tight.
"It is impossible for me to heal the person you have become."
However, that curse—the tragedy that had caused suffering for generations—was a different story.
"I will not apologize, nor will I lament."
Step—!
"I will simply kill this curse!!"
FLASH—!!!!!
A massive halo spread out from her outstretched hand, enveloping and purifying Barca entirely.
—OOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Begone, Daedalus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Thus, the curse of Daedalus that had possessed Barca was completely purified by Amid. The party began to regroup.
'Daedalus was the founder of Orario. He must have been a brilliant man.'
Amid adjusted her attire.
'For such a man to give birth to a curse of this magnitude.'
Even though they had defeated Barca, something continued to weigh on her heart.
'The Dungeon that drove him to madness....'
Rustle—!
'Just how absurd is the existence that adventurers are challenging...?'
As if in response to her thoughts, another tremor shook the ground.
RUMBLE—!!
""""!""""
"It's been doing that for a while now...."
"Is it still echoing....?"
No one knew the source. They could only guess it was the Demi-Spirit and prepared for the next battle.
"Everyone, prepare for the next move."
"Those who are healed, recover and maintain your equipment! We are reorganizing the units with those capable of fighting! Hurry!!"
""""Yes!""""
Finn felt the tremors as well and sought to complete the plan as quickly as possible.
"As planned, we are currently at the point closest to the enemy base!!"
"Split the units! We must capture Thanatos!"
Gareth shouted to the troops, prepared to capture every god suspected of being Enyo.
"Do not let a single suspicious individual escape!"
Lefiya, Filvis, Loki, and Dionysus, along with the Dionysus Familia, listened to Gareth's shout, realizing the climax was near.
"As long as the gods are here, they won't be able to release as many monsters as in other areas!"
"Even if they do, it'll just be those water strider types!"
"The Dionysus Familia can handle them if we maintain formation!"
Though their average strength was low, Gareth trusted in their coordination and the presence of Filvis and Lefiya.
"Let's do this, Aura. We can't just be the ones being protected forever."
"...!"
Aura smiled and nodded, determined to play her part.
"Is this enough?"
"Aye, it's perfect!"
"Then, Lefiya, you keep watch on the surroundings."
Gareth assigned dwarves to each unit to investigate hidden structures in the buildings. Lefiya, who could perform detection similar to Riveria thanks to [Elf Ring], remained in the center to prepare for any contingencies.
"Aiz is luring the red-haired creature away, but the other masked creature hasn't shown itself yet."
Gareth looked at her seriously.
"Alert us immediately if anything happens."
"Y-Yes!"
'I have a detection range like Lady Riveria's...! I can protect everyone....'
Lefiya was nervous about her crucial role, but she was determined to do her best.
Twitch—!
"!!"
Dionysus felt something and looked back, but he did not yet know.
THOOM—!!!
THUD—!!!
SLICE—!!!!
He did not know what was happening deep beneath the earth.
"We're headin' to the Knossos control room where we reckon Thanatos is hidin'."
Loki explained the plan to capture Thanatos.
"We can expect desperate resistance from the remainin' enemy officers. Honestly, that don't scare me."
They judged that the truth lay in the control room.
"What we gotta watch out for is the possibility of that brat Thanatos makin' a run for it."
"Because only a god can oppose a god."
"...Well, aye. Somethin' like that."
'I should probably keep it a secret that there's an exception to that rule...'
Loki quickly shifted her focus to another matter.
"Lefiya."
"Yes?"
"Show me yer chest... now!"
"I will blow you away."
Loki had an intention behind her words, but since she was acting like her usual self, it was hard to tell the difference.
"This is how ye treat a god who keeps their Divine Aura suppressed, like I'm doin' now."
Whirrr—!
"But, if I release just a bit of it....."
Loki's Divine Aura partially manifested, and her voice took on a noble, commanding tone.
"Lefiya."
"What is it this time?"
The air grew heavy.
"You are wearing quite filthy clothes. Don't you think such attire is impious in the presence of a god?"
"!!"
Just as everyone had stopped fighting when Hestia released her Divine Aura on the 18th Floor, Lefiya found herself unable to resist.
"I... will... take... it..."
Rustle—!
"Off... please..."
Lefiya began to remove her outer robe.
"Hmph! See? This is what—"
WHACK—!!
"Gack!?"
Loki was promptly punished by Gareth.
"You're the worst!"
"The absolute worst."
"Trash."
"Trash god."
"Truly the trashiest of trash. You do things other gods wouldn't dare with such a casual face. It's so disgusting it's almost impressive. I despise you."
Even the members of the Dionysus Familia looked at her with contempt, and Dionysus himself criticized her with strangely cold words.
"No, I was just showin' her a practical example before explainin'!!"
Loki tried to explain herself frantically, shedding tears of frustration.
"If I do this, I can escape from my children, but the other gods will point fingers at me for hundreds of years, callin' me a trashy, cheatin' god!"
She clenched her fists.
"It's miserable! It ain't worth the cost!! Grrrrr...."
Loki calmed herself down under their bewildered gazes and spoke seriously to her children once more.
"Humanity simply cannot resist a god who has unleashed their Divine Aura like that."
"""!!"""
"To put it simply, it's like havin' the feelin' of awe and submission forcibly shoved into yer head."
They finally understood why Loki and Dionysus had come along. If Thanatos were to release his Divine Aura, they would be helpless to stop him.
"Accordin' to our info, the path ahead is a single road, but there's rooms connected all along it."
There was a high probability that Thanatos was hiding in one of those rooms or that there was a secret passage.
"If he escapes, Evilus will just be rebuilt in a few years or decades...."
"As long as there are people who wish for a reunion after death, he'll never run out of followers."
This was the reason they were splitting the units.
"We'll split the vanguard into two. One group will go ahead to investigate the rooms and move forward."
She pointed forward.
"The other will follow behind to block the passage. I'll lead the vanguard, and Dionysus will take the rear."
Dionysus wondered if they could just lie in ambush if the goal was to block the escape route, but—
"Monsters can harm gods. If ye get sent back to Tenkai, yer children are finished."
".....I understand."
"Take this Oculus. Keep in touch often."
"..."
Dionysus took the Oculus, an inexplicable tension visible on his face.