After Bell, Hestia, and Aiz safely returned to Orario, the war with Rakia came to
a swift conclusion.
The battalion of soldiers that came too close to Orario sustained heavy losses
in the battle against the Kenki. Without his escort, Ares was cornered and
captured as soon as Orario's reinforcements arrived, thanks to Asfi's intel.
The deity became separated from his second-in-command, Marius, during the
ensuing chaos. With that, the one known as God of War was taken all the way to
the Guild's front lawn.
"Usually, this kinda thing would call fer sending ya back to Tenkai. But, like
always, we'll spare ya. There's a lot of kids in Rakia who'd be in one heck of a
pinch without ya. So in exchange, you're gonna release the Statuses of all the
kids we caught from yer army."
"Wh-what is the meaning of this, Loki?"
"Plain as day. I'm not lettin' ya take all the excelia yer kids got from fightin'
mine back across that border willy-nilly."
Thanks entirely to the kindness of Orario's adventurers—with the one
exception of the battalion deployed by the warmongering familia—the Rakian
army suffered very few casualties. Orario's staunch demand as this "play war"
came to an end was that Rakia's soldiers didn't receive for free the benefits of
the excelia gained during battle.
The Statuses of nearly 10,000 soldiers were to be released—and subsequently
sealed by the gods and goddesses of Orario after Conversion. It went without
saying that Ares fiercely rejected these terms, however. "Want a one-way ticket
back up top?" Loki's threat sent tears of sorrow down his cheeks and he gave in
to their demand. He spent the entirety of the next day releasing one Status after
another outside the city wall. Ares wasn't allowed to sleep or even take a break
until he finished. The God of War struggled to breathe, his hand shaking as he
completed the required rituals to release his followers.
Rakia paid for this war and Ares's release with the Statuses of 10,000
soldiers, a substantial loss on any scale.
Their god, ranking higher than any general, was being held hostage by
Orario. No matter what the city demanded, they had to accept and deliver.
Rakia had gone to war against Orario many times before, but the capture of
their god resulted in the heaviest losses in the history of their country. A fed-up
Marius came out to meet them during their march of shame back to their
homeland.
The curtain fell on the Sixth Orario Invasion in a complete and total loss for
Rakia.
It was peaceful inside Orario's city walls from start to finish.
"We're finally home…"
After separating from Aiz and passing through the north gate, Hestia sighed
to herself but smiled as well.
Walking side by side with Bell, she took in the cityscape with relaxed, halfopen eyes.
"…Bell."
"Yes."
"Always together, yes?"
"—Always!"
Bell's voice resounded with confidence as he made eye contact with the
goddess looking up at him and smiled.
Taking her outstretched hand, the boy and his goddess emerged from the
inside of the gate.
They were immediately greeted by the jubilant tears of their family members,
divine friends, and comrades who had shared in the adventure. The two of them
waved at the group of people rushing to meet them.
A blue sky spread out over the Labyrinth City again today.
Deep underground.
In the middle of the labyrinth that spread out in all directions through many
twisting and turning paths, there was a wooden maze that resembled the interior
of a giant tree.
Bluish green moss covered the walls and ceiling, making the area look like a
hidden world yet to be explored.
Ominous howls echoed from somewhere off in the distance, sending a tremor
through the intricate pathways of the labyrinth.
Out of nowhere—crack!
A wall fissured in a corner of the maze. A new monster was about to be born.
Crack, crack. A web of lines worked its way through the mossy wall. A light
blue–skinned arm was first to emerge.
Soon a shoulder of the same color, then a neck and head followed. An upper
and lower body then fell out of the wall and tumbled to the ground below.
Its body was similar to that of a human girl: four limbs and a smooth body.
Its shoulders, waist, and a few other areas were covered in countless scales.
Long, bluish silver hair flowed down from its head, swinging from side to
side as the creature slowly got up from its facedown landing spot.
The strikingly beautiful monster had dark-red eyes that sparkled like gems in
the dim light. It shifted its distant gaze up toward the ceiling, which was blocked
by the leaves of many trees.
Its slender, delicate throat vibrated.
"…Where is…this?"