In an unknown underground location beneath the city of Orario...
The air was damp, heavy with the scent of metal, blood, and something far more unpleasant.
A masked individual clad in a black cloak walked through the passage with measured, silent steps.
"Well... well... well..."
A feminine voice echoed lazily through the corridor.
The masked figure paused and turned their head.
From the shadows emerged a pink-haired woman, her boots clicking against the stone as she approached with a crooked smirk plastered across her face.
"If it isn't Enyo's favorite little tool... Ein."
The woman was Valletta Grede.
Among the remnants of Evilus, she was known as the one who kept things running smoothly... the strategist who handled things behind the scenes.
Ein gave no response.
The masked individual simply turned their head forward again and resumed walking, deliberately ignoring her presence.
A vein throbbed visibly on Valletta's forehead.
"So that's how you're going to act, huh?"
In the next instant, her figure blurred.
The sound of displaced air cracked sharply as Valletta appeared directly behind Ein and clamped a hand down on their shoulder with crushing force.
The grip was strong enough to pulverize bone.
Despite this, Ein didn't react.
After all, despite her flirtatious manner and mocking tone, Valletta was a Level 5 first-class adventurer.... one of the strongest fighters Evilus still had.
"Oi."
Valletta's voice dropped, all amusement gone.
"I know production's gone up thanks to the Demon King's wisdom... but I can't let things like this slide."
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
"I noticed over a hundred Violas went missing from the factory."
She leaned closer, her breath brushing against the side of Ein's mask.
"Don't tell me this was you and Enyo's doing?"
The name lingered in the air.
Enyo.
A god who had never once shown his face.
Valletta's expression darkened slightly as her thoughts drifted.
'Enyo...'
She had questioned Thanatos about him once.
And only once.
'Never heard of him,' Thanatos had said.
'No such god existed in heaven.'
Even after years of cooperation, Enyo remained a shadow wrapped in deeper shadows... his identity obscured, his true intentions unreadable.
Not even Valletta knew what he truly wanted.
But she didn't care.
As long as the plans progressed smoothly.
As long as Orario burned.
As long as everything moved according to her design.
Working with a god who refused to reveal himself was a small price to pay.
'But this time, they went a bit too far.'
Valletta thought, clutching Ein's shoulder even tighter.
Yet Ein didn't offer so much as a wince or a grunt of pain, answering instead as if it were a simple matter of fact.
"Whatever Enyo's will is... I follow it. It's that simple."
Ein said briefly.
Valletta's eyes narrowed.
Though they operated under the same banner, this was precisely why alliances among those who lived in the shadows were fragile at best.
Each of them served their own purpose, followed their own beliefs, and tolerated one another only so long as their goals aligned.
Trust was never part of the equation, and unity was nothing more than a temporary convenience.
But in truth, the real reason the plant monsters were sent to attack the city was because of the Corrupted Spirit nestled on the sixtieth floor.
For some reason, it was obsessed with finding someone named Aria.
To appease it, Enyo had simply sent out a small army of Violas into Orario, pretending to search for this so-called "Aria."
It was all for the sake of maintaining the contract they had established with the Corrupted Spirit.
Of course, for Enyo, the fact that he had unleashed such chaos upon the city of heroes was merely a bonus.
A theatre he conducted, with Orario as the stage.
'Aria... isn't that the wind spirit from the fairy tale Dungeon Oratoria?'
The spirit companion of the hero Albert Waldenstein... the only hero who had ever severely wounded the ancient black dragon by taking one of its eyes.
Even now, Ein could hear the voice of the Corrupted Spirit in her mind, whispering words that repeated endlessly, like a broken machine.
Valletta, meanwhile, merely stared at Ein, looking directly at where her eyes should have been, as if trying to see through the mask itself.
"Because of the mess you made, the Loki Familia will be forced to get involved now."
Valletta said, her voice edged with irritation.
"And that little rat, Finn, will start scurrying around our trails like a hunting dog, poking his nose where it doesn't belong."
Valletta said as the two stared at one another.
When she mentioned Finn, Ein noticed her tone shift... just slightly.
'Anger... or malice, perhaps?'
But that was where Ein's thoughts ended.
"With my god's grand plans, the Loki Familia was always going to get involved. We simply sped up the process," she replied calmly.
"The plan will not be affected. That is all."
That was all the masked Ein said before her figure suddenly warped and shrank.
The moment Valletta blinked, Ein had already vanished from her sight.
"Tsk."
Valletta clicked her tongue in irritation before letting out a grin.
"Fine... do it your way. Just don't expect us to save your asses if you get caught between a rock and a hard place."
She added before turning around, her figure disappearing into the shadows.
...
Back on the streets of Orario, the aftermath of the battle still lingered heavily in the air.
Broken stone littered the road, and deep gouges scarred the pavement where thick vines had torn through the street.
Faint motes of light drifted upward as the last remnants of magic dissipated, marking where plant monsters had once stood.
"I think that's all of them."
Judas muttered the words as he clapped the dust from his hands, his calm gaze following the final plant monster as it collapsed in on itself before crumbling into ash.
"Woohoo! With a sword, this is way easier!"
Tiona cheered, gripping a borrowed blade as she brought it down in a wide arc, cleaving the struggling plant creature clean in half.
The two halves hit the ground with a heavy thud before dissolving into particles of light.
Judas didn't bother sparing it another glance.
"Lefiya, stay still. I'm going to heal you."
He turned his attention to the amber-haired elf, who stiffened for a moment before quickly nodding.
"Yes!"
She held her breath as Judas extended his hand, the soft glow of healing magic blooming from his palm.
Warm light washed over her body, and in an instant, the scratches, bruises, and lingering pain she had endured vanished without a trace.
"T-thank you very much, Judas."
Lefiya's voice trembled slightly as she looked up at him, her ocean blue eyes shimmering with admiration.
If Ais Wallenstein occupied the most revered place in her heart, then Judas had firmly rooted himself in second.
"Woo! Good job, you guys... you killed it out there. Literally."
Loki's familiar voice cut through the moment as the goddess suddenly appeared from seemingly nowhere, her hands tucked casually into her pockets and a grin plastered across her face.
"Heh... Ganesha and his kids are gonna have their hands full trying to investigate this mess."
She glanced around at the ruined street, the scattered remains of monsters, and the exhausted adventurers still catching their breath.
"Oh, right... Tiona, Tione," Loki added, snapping her fingers.
"Go check underground, will ya? My intuition's telling me there's something fishy down there."
"Got it!"
Tiona replied enthusiastically, already bouncing on her heels.
"Haa... figures."
Tione muttered, though she was already moving.
Just then, Rose arrived with several guild staff members, all of them visibly relieved now that the danger had passed.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Rose offered a polite bow, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as her eyes settled on Judas.
"No problem."
Judas inclined his head slightly in response.
Nearby, Tiona returned the borrowed sword to its owner with a bright grin, thanking them before jogging off with her sister.
"Right... if you don't mind, Judas, could you please make use of your healing magic once again? There are still many injured taking shelter nearby."
Rose said hesitantly, clasping her hands together.
Seeing the earnestness in her expression, Judas nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
He turned and followed her toward the shelter, the soft murmur of injured civilians growing louder with each step.
"Hey, hey... why are you agreeing so easily?!"
Loki suddenly slung an arm around his neck, leaning her weight against him as she rubbed two fingers together with an exaggeratedly greedy expression.
"I'm your goddess, you know? I say we charge them for your services. After all, your healing magic can rival even Airmid's!"
"Let's go."
Judas replied flatly, not even sparing her a glance as he continued walking beside Rose, completely ignoring Loki's protests.
"Oi! Don't ignore me!"
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