"You bastard, Dionysus."
The dark underground hall, like a stage where a black curtain was slowly being drawn open, was lit by some unknown dim light that spilled over the only figure standing upon it.
As Loki spoke the god's name with a tone of certainty and affirmation, she confirmed the true identity of the mastermind!
After half a minute of silence, Loki's eyes were fixed firmly on that guy. And then... she heard it, laughter leaking out from beneath the cloak.
In the next instant, the hand resting on the cloak lifted it away.
Dark-purple clothing spread out, the mask fell to the floor.
What appeared was golden hair.
And a sweet, beautiful face.
The truth revealed, Enyo no Dionysus, stood there.
"Marvelous, truly marvelous. This grand performance has finally reached its climax, absolutely brilliant!!!"
The smile on the god's face was no different from the one Loki usually saw.
As if this were nothing more than a mundane everyday scene.
". . ."
This posture, this movement, this expression...
All woven together with that twisted, crazed smile...
In conclusion, it was extremely repulsive, making Loki feel nauseous.
The golden-haired god, fully revelling in the climactic moment of the mystery being unveiled, completely failed to notice Loki's extremely foul mood. He simply smiled to himself and gently clapped his hands.
"So you noticed. No... you saw through me. As expected, it seems I can't play 'the Clown' in front of you."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands, praising Loki.
It was well-known that the symbol and temperament of the Loki Familia, even the emblem of her divine blessing, was that of a clown, representing the trickster goddess herself.
Under normal circumstances, Loki would have accepted such praise without hesitation, because it was praise she rightly deserved.
But coming from Dionysus' mouth, it was nothing but nauseating.
The dry sound of his voice reached Loki's ears, grating on her nerves.
Yet he ignored her feelings entirely. The god, no... Dionysus, showered her with praise without the slightest restraint, offering heartfelt admiration.
He sincerely praised the one who had seen through the mask of Enyo.
Looking closely, one could see that his eyes held no shadows.
Those pupils were clear and transparent, without confusion or haze, utterly pure.
What was now displayed before her, his smile and mannerisms, was the true, original "nature" of the god Dionysus.
Loki widened her eyes, staring fixedly at his every move. And within her crimson pupils burned fierce, blazing, erupting fury.
"You bastard, you were pretending to be drunk on purpose in front of us, weren't you... You played all of us for fools..."
Seeing Loki's rage on the verge of bursting, Dionysus's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
As if to confirm the goddess's realization, the god nodded his head.
Dionysus had never been drunk, nor manipulated by anyone else.
Everything had been his plan, Dionysus had deliberately intoxicated himself, using it almost like hypnosis to perform "self-suggestion".
He drank the "divine wine" in the underground storage vault of his base, whispering to the eyes reflected in his glass.
And the effect of the divine wine was comparable to hypnosis-like effect.
He told himself he was a champion of justice. He told himself he would join Loki and the others to purge evil.
Drunk on divine wine, under "self-suggestion", Dionysus truly believed himself a righteous god.
Of course, his ability to accomplish this was due to being under hypnosis, which was precisely why Loki and the others had not been able to fully suspect him.
Naturally, if one wholeheartedly believed they were the righteous god, how would they ever grow suspicious?
Whether ally, enemy, or neutral, Dionysus repeatedly danced back and forth, as if walking a tightrope along a perfect boundary, avoiding suspicion entirely as he easily blended into Loki's group under the excuse of avenging his children.
It could be said this was a perfectly executed infiltration, a textbook espionage case.
Only by standing closest to them, hiding his true nature behind drunkenness, Dionysus observed them from the shadows, tracking their every move so he could flawlessly carry out his plan.
And as expected, everything progressed nearly perfectly according to his script, save for one flaw, the "Nightweaver" Fron Argon. It made the plan slightly less perfect, but he didn't mind.
In the grand scheme, how could a kid who rose to fame in under three years pose any real threat to his grand design?
Just another actor playing their part in the grand performance.
He did not take this unexpected variable seriously at all... Dionysus cheerfully questioned the goddess whose heart burned with humiliation.
"So, when did you figure out I was 'Enyo'?"
Facing the smiling enemy, Loki clicked her tongue.
"When you were blown back earlier, I really thought it was Demeter. It was the information you gave us while 'drunk' that misled me."
"And then?"
"But the first doubt I had was this, would Demeter really make such absurd wine? Demeter presides over fertility. Even if she could prepare the ingredients for divine wine, there's no reason she would also master the brewing method."
"While I was doubting this, I remembered the meaningful look in my kid's eyes during the Thanatos hunt, and the gaze he had."
"Oh? Don't tell me... that child, Fron Argon?"
"That's right. When you and your children went off for revenge, he watched your departing figure, not with solemnity, but with mockery."
"I didn't notice it at all back then, but once I began doubting whether Demeter could really brew divine wine..."
"Is that so, so that was the flaw. A child rising in just three years, impressive. But even so, it could still be Demeter hiding it very well, right? Deception is a god's specialty, isn't it?"
"You're right. Which is why that was only the 'premise'. Next, what caught my attention were the repeated 'pillar of lights' , and the number of gods involved."
"---?"