The next morning, Dionysus visited Loki Familia with his squad leader.
Loki glared at Dionysus, who wore an apologetic expression.
"Tell me, have you ever heard the saying, 'Don't disturb someone's peaceful dreams'?"
Dragging her out of bed this early—did he really not realize she'd been in a foul mood lately and had no desire to get up in the morning?
"Sorry, Loki, for coming so early."
Dionysus knew full well how inappropriate his timing was. No wonder Loki's expression was practically painted with irritation.
He steadied himself slightly.
"Loki, I hope you'll hear me out."
"...Even though I don't want to listen—especially not to your face first thing in the morning."
Loki's face was full of disdain, as if the words themselves were written across it.
"Whenever you come looking for me, it's never for anything good."
Dionysus's face flushed with embarrassment at her complaint. After all, this visit certainly wasn't for anything pleasant. In fact, it was about something very troublesome.
"It's about Evilus."
Though he knew the subject was sensitive, Dionysus still pressed on.
The word "Evilus" alone made Loki raise an eyebrow, a faint trace of malice flickering behind her eyes.
"The Evilus affair, huh... Dionysus, I don't know where you heard whatever it is you think you know, but for your sake, I hope you didn't. Otherwise, I'll make you regret ever coming down to the lower world."
"Ahem."
Dionysus didn't doubt Loki's warning for a second.
"Loki, I truly haven't."
Sincerity was written all over his face, and he even seemed ready to prove it through action.
"It's just that after the explosion two days ago, the Guild hasn't released any statement or taken any visible action. I'm guessing they're preparing to coordinate with certain Familia."
"Tch."
Some of the malice faded from Loki's face. She pursed her lips but didn't question Dionysus's deduction—after all, he'd never been slow-witted.
"Then why didn't you suspect Freya?"
That question left Dionysus utterly speechless.
"Loki, getting Freya to act is no easy feat."
"While the Freya Familia's overall strength is formidable, that goddess isn't the type to casually follow the Guild's orders."
"Besides, Freya has no direct interest in Evilus. For the Guild to make her move, they'd need something truly tempting."
Those words instantly darkened Loki's expression.
"So what, you're saying I'm worse than Freya? That the Guild's got me leashed like some obedient dog!?"
The sudden outburst left even the prepared Dionysus momentarily stunned.
"???"
He couldn't figure out how the topic had taken such a strange turn.
But seeing the simmering anger behind Loki's expression, and recalling the events from the day before, Dionysus immediately understood.
Evilus's actions had clearly infuriated Loki, and now she was looking for someone to vent her frustration on.
Unfortunately for him, Dionysus had walked right into the line of fire.
Feeling helpless, he still had to explain quickly, or Loki would really end up taking her anger out on him.
"Loki, what I mean is—don't you have a grudge against Evilus?"
"This time, what they did went way too far. You're not going to let them off easily, are you?"
Loki pursed her lips, but the fury that had almost erupted moments ago was pressed down.
"I definitely won't let those bastards off easy."
"They dared to lay a hand on my children? Then they'd better not blame me for being ruthless."
Her gaze shifted toward Dionysus, testing him.
"So, what exactly are you here for this time?"
Sensing the hostility in her eyes fade, Dionysus finally relaxed a little. He took a deep breath, gathering his resolve before speaking.
"Loki, your Familia should be the main force leading the attack against Evilus this time. So... can I join the expedition?"
"Huh?"
That sudden question left Loki stunned, her face twisting in disbelief.
"Dionysus, I know your child was also killed by Evilus, but isn't this a bit much? You don't need to be this worked up, do you?"
"Besides, the rumor about Evilus operating in the Dungeon has already spread, but their exact hideout is still uncertain. Aren't you being a little too hasty?"
But Dionysus met her eyes with unwavering determination.
At that moment, his conviction only grew stronger.
"The Guild must have already pinpointed their exact location. Otherwise, they wouldn't have shown such a minimal reaction the next day."
"They haven't shared the information with the other gods yet. Ouranos is probably planning to send only a few selected Familia to carry out the purge—to prevent Evilus from learning about the operation beforehand."
"Tch!"
Loki turned her head in irritation, muttering under her breath.
"That Ganesha kid is useless. Even the rats' intel ended up leaking."
After venting, she looked back at Dionysus.
"Even if what you're saying is true, this is supposed to be a covert operation. Do you really think it's appropriate to bring you along?"
But Dionysus's tone was firm.
"More than appropriate."
He had a reason for his confidence.
"The purge will inevitably involve confronting the Evilus gods. What will your children do when they face them? Are you really going to let them bear the burden of killing deities?"
"That kind of thing... as long as—"
"You're not about to say it's fine as long as they don't kill them, are you? Loki, do you really think your children could hold back?"
Dionysus's words silenced her.
In truth, if her children ever came face-to-face with Evilus's gods, they probably wouldn't be able to stop themselves from striking.
Seeing Loki fall silent, Dionysus pressed on.
"The responsibility of killing a god is far too heavy for your children to bear."
"And those gods—they won't just let themselves die quietly when they see your children coming. You need to think about that too."
"The gods haven't completely sealed their power. They can break their own seals and reclaim their divinity at will. Can you be sure they wouldn't choose to drag your children down with them if they did?"
Those words made Loki grimace.
If anyone thought those maniacs would simply surrender, she knew better. They were the kind to pull something insane at the very end.
"Ugh!"
With an exasperated groan, Loki ruffled her hair in frustration. After venting some of her irritation, she turned to glare at Dionysus.
"You bastard... I hate to admit it, but you're right. Those lunatics really would pull a desperate stunt if cornered."
After thinking for a moment, Loki finally sighed in defeat.
"You're such a pain. You just had to dump all this trouble on me right now, didn't you?"
"Fine. You can come along for this expedition."
"Dionysus, I can trust you... right?"
Dionysus nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
But that confident answer only made Loki more uneasy.
"...I'll trust you for now. But if you pull anything funny, don't think returning to Tenkai will save you."
...
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