"Fae fetus… a shard of a fae…"
Everyone murmured the name under their breath, eyes fixed on the projection of the green, infant-like thing whose gaze overflowed with hatred.
Yes—monster. That was the only word that fit. To Finn and the others, this "fae fetus" was no longer what they knew as a fae at all.
"Tsunayoshi, what should we watch out for—specifically with this 'fae fetus'?" Finn pointed at the image.
"What matters most are its traits," Tsuna said. "It erodes both monsters and humans—with a very high rate."
He snapped his fingers. The projection shifted to the fetus breaching a Stone Giant. The outer membrane split; at contact it sank into the rock body like a stone into water. Vein-like strands spread from the point of entry; the fetus fused rapidly while the giant began to change—its angular, stony form shifting toward a feminine silhouette.
"When erosion completes, the fetus imposes the fae's original 'look' onto the host. The host, in turn, tints that look somewhat," Tsuna continued. "But there's one more point: it can erode humans too. It came for me first. If it had succeeded, I'd have been overwritten and lost myself. If you see it lunge for someone, do not touch it. Its erosion works on anything alive."
He hammered the word home. Erosion. It was too fast, too absolute; once it touched you, there was no outrunning it.
"That said, don't panic. It's slow. Unless you're pinned down, it's hard for it to land a grab. The one rule is simple: don't touch."
He waved the projection aside. "That isn't the crux anyway. The crux is that the Dungeon's fae are cooperating with the Dark Faction. Fae and those gods moving in concert—that's the real problem."
"How bad can one 'fetus' be?" Finn asked, gaze locked on the image.
"The reinforced strain I faced was stronger than a standard Level 3, but not quite Level 4," Tsuna said after a beat. "It had a quasi-symbiotic tie to its fetus. More precisely, it was tasked to search our expedition for an unfamiliar face—someone weaker—and then the fetus would trigger. I won't rule out stronger fetuses."
He tapped his chest.
"So the Dark Faction ate a loss on you and now wants your head," Finn said flatly. Their methods hadn't changed in years.
"Those bastards…" Tione's fist clenched. Tiona's expression soured.
"Calm down, you two," Tsuna said, moving between them and taking their hands. Their breathing steadied. They squeezed back, worry plain in their grip.
"They've already failed twice—Astraea, then you sisters," he went on. "Right now they won't dare move in the open. That's why they used a fae against me instead of showing up themselves. It screams 'we're weak at the moment.'"
"To crush them for good, we have to rip out the roots," Tsuna said. "They're partnering with fae and both ambushes were staged in the Dungeon. Their hidden bases are under the Dungeon itself."
"Last time you and Gareth went to Great Azure Falls without weapons, they assumed you were baiting them," he added. "So they turtled. The reason is—"
"—a secret entry in Great Azure Falls," Finn finished.
"Exactly. There should be a concealed way in there. And deeper still—like the ambush the Astraea girls hit in the Forested Gorge. The tunnels they've dug into the Dungeon likely exceed anything we've imagined."
"To wipe them out, we start with every hidden door that connects to the Dungeon," Tsuna said. "But if they've worked there this long, the place is laced with traps. Rushing in as we are now would be reckless."
He wanted them gone in a single sweep, but strength and prep were still short. They'd have to seal every exit first, smother the Dark Faction in their own burrow, and guarantee the strike's safety—no last-minute reversals.
"That demands thorough reconnaissance," he finished. "When we move, it's an annihilation battle. Hit every point at once. Break their spine so they never counter."
"Besides intel support, we stockpile power," he said, eyes meeting Finn's. "If it's annihilation, we'll need simultaneous pressure on multiple fronts. I can't do that alone."
"Annihilation…" Finn nodded. "It's the right call. Leave a single seed, and we buy their endless revenge—further fed by the fae. We'll map every entrance and have the force to crash each one at once."
"The details need work," he added, "but the direction is solid."
"Both the buildup and the mapping will take time," Gareth rumbled. "Tsunayoshi—did you clean up outside?"
"Yeah. The reinforced strain and the fetus won't tip them off. No ripples."
"Good." Finn's voice dropped. "Then we wait until we can strike first—and last."
(End of Chapter)
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