Her hands akimbo on her hips, the crimson-haired goddess fixed her eyes on the blond male god opposite her, speaking in a calm tone:
"...Honestly, up until today, until the very last moment, I couldn't narrow down who Enyo really was. Just like you said, there were several possible paths, and every clue seemed suspicious."
Loki admitted frankly and straightforwardly that she had failed to grasp any substantial evidence, after all, the result was right there.
But what she said next made Dionysus, who had always been confident and smiling, instantly crack.
"But, before the battle began today, my kid Fron told me, in an absolutely certain tone: the mastermind is that Dionysus. His expression and his tone told me, he was certain, absolutely certain. As for all the other clues, they were traps, misdirection."
"At the time, I asked him why he was so sure."
"Guess what he said?"
At this point, Loki's face was full of mockery.
"That kid told me, from the very first time he saw you, he knew you weren't a good person! It was his intuition."
"I was skeptical at first, but after investigating… my divine sense told me, you are the mastermind!"
"....." Dionysus fell silent.
He absolutely hadn't expected this result.
Really? This? He was exposed relying on intuition and divine instinct? What kind of joke was this?
But he couldn't laugh at all.
He had actually been seen through by a mortal from the lower world. He was a god, yet his scheme was exposed by someone from below. Where was he supposed to put his dignity?
Ferocious humiliation, fury, and resentment surged violently within him!
Just imagining his fellow gods in the heavens laughing at his disgrace made him feel as though his very being would split apart!
"Bastard!"
Loki hadn't believed her "ally," Dionysus. Instead, she trusted her own child's words. That was the "decisive strike."
From among the many masks worn by the gods, she had struck the true face of the calamity god.
"Heh… how boring."
"Truly, a mere mortal who rose to prominence in just three short years, I didn't care at first. But to think the flaw would appear here and ruin my plans… that hateful brat."
The proud god stopped calling Fron Argon "child" and instead used "brat."
It was obvious, whether he admitted it or not, he gave some importance to Fron.
When he spoke these words, Dionysus's divinity instantly shifted, revealing a completely different tone.
Loki stared sharply at him for a moment, then asked: "That 'masked person', he was your follower, wasn't he?"
The only follower.
There was no need to mention the other members, the only piece that remained on the board was Enyo.
The blond male god lifted his head, narrowed his eyes, and smiled.
"Hehehe, yes. That's right. Those were my adorable 'followe'."
...
Not mentioning the confrontation between the two gods, because in this war, their dialogue could not tip the scales of victory. The outcome still depended on the adventurers.
With Fron Argon's efforts behind the scenes, the destroyed "pillar" continuously dragged down the other five pillars. Added to the damaged nodes, the entire "ring spell" ritual stuttered, slowed, and stalled, buying Finn and the other units a massive amount of time!
At the same time, their allies, the Freya Familia, entered the battlefield.
Unlike the Loki Familia, who spread their forces, the Freya Familia gathered nearly all their combat strength into a single unit and broke through.
No, that wasn't a battle. It wasn't evenly matched at all. It was a one-sided sweep.
As Orario's current strongest adventurer, the "King" Ottar was Level 7.
And that still wasn't the peak, because before the rise of the Freya and Loki Familias, the Hera and Zeus Familias had even boasted Level 8 and Level 9 monsters beyond mortal comprehension.
Even so, Ottar had his strengths, his overwhelming ability values.
Aside from Magic, nearly all his stats were maxed out. Even the Loki Familia's Finn, Gareth and Riveria could only look up to such terrifying numbers. Ottar truly was a flawless, hexagon-shaped warrior.
With fearsome skills and a single devastating finishing magic, Ottar didn't need any "companions" against the "pillar." He alone crushed the monster that troubled other adventurers so deeply.
Even Fron couldn't have handled it as easily as Ottar.
"Boom."
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh, !"
With a scream that pierced the entire "Knossos," the second pillar's altar was destroyed.
...
Fron's steps paused, the corners of his lips lifting.
"If nothing unexpected happened, that should be the Sixth Unit. The Freya Familia… truly formidable. Ottar, that guy, when it comes to ability values, skills, and magic, I have the advantage. But in experience and technique… I'm no match for him."
This was something even Fron, who rose in just three short years, cheats and all, couldn't catch up to yet.
But in a life-and-death battle, the final outcome would still be his victory.
After all, despite being on the same tier, compared to Ottar's straightforward methods, Fron, possessed far more techniques and versatility.
"All right, next is you."
Taking a few steps forward, Fron took a deep breath and arrived at the core node of the passage.
What entered his sight was a massive underground hall, much larger than the other altar halls housing the "pillars."
And occupying most of that vast space was a contracting-and-expanding black dragon.
No, it was a monster being parasitized...
Fron's expression remained calm. He planted his staff-spear onto the stone floor, eyes fixed on the creature that stabbed his mind with a sense of imminent danger.