Chapter 113: Karma's Fire Burns the God of Death—Has Ais's Affection Increased?
Inside the moving labyrinth.
Ais pointed her sword at Tiona's neck. The gentleness she usually reserved for companions had disappeared from her eyes; in its place was the cold sharpness of someone facing an enemy.
Before entering the moving labyrinth, Shirou had privately contacted Ais, Bete, and Tiona individually. He shared his suspicion that Tiona from the Loki Familia might be a traitor.
This suspicion stemmed from a series of interviews Shirou conducted with members of the Loki Familia after arriving at the man-made dungeon.
He noticed that nearly everyone from the Familia harbored obvious dislike or hostility toward him.
This was understandable. Finn, as the leader and spiritual core of the Loki Familia, held a revered position.
Shirou, being from the Hestia Familia, had publicly insulted Finn—naturally causing resentment among Loki Familia members.
Only Ais maintained a neutral stance due to her relatively good relationship with Shirou, but even she found his actions difficult to fully accept.
However, amidst this sea of hostility, one person stood out—Tiona.
Unlike the others, Tiona remained friendly and completely unconcerned about Shirou's previous public insults toward Finn. Initially, Shirou chalked this up to her cheerful and easygoing personality.
But as time passed and his certainty grew that there was indeed a mole within the Loki Familia, Shirou could no longer dismiss Tiona's abnormal behavior.
Even if Tiona was indeed free-spirited, could a true member of Loki Familia really feel no resentment toward someone who had slandered Finn?
Moreover, Shirou observed Tiona's conduct closely and found several unsettling details:
She consistently distanced herself from the group. She seemed entirely familiar with the labyrinth, as if she had been there before. After defeating Valletta and the Eye of Death monsters, while everyone else was relieved, Tiona showed no joy—only eerie calmness.
One or two oddities might be overlooked, but with so many piling up, Shirou could not ignore the signs and concluded that Tiona was likely the traitor.
However, when he shared this theory with Ais, Bete, and Tione, all three reacted with disbelief—or rather, unwillingness to believe.
As members of the Loki Familia, none of them wanted to doubt a comrade they had spent so much time with—especially not Tiona, who, as Tione's twin sister, was known for her bright, kind-hearted nature.
When the team was in danger, Tiona would often risk everything to help her companions.
So even Ais found it hard to trust Shirou's judgment this time.
But Shirou had anticipated this reaction. Along with his suspicion, he offered another possibility:
Was the current Tiona really the same Tiona they knew?
Could it be that the real Tiona had already been replaced, and the one before them was an impostor playing her role?
This suggestion rendered even Ais, Bete, and Tione speechless.
Deep down, they too had sensed something was wrong, but their trust in their companion had stopped them from voicing those doubts.
Thus, after a private discussion, they formulated a plan: lure "Tiona" into making a move.
They believed that if this "Tiona" truly was a pawn of the Evilus (Dark Faction), she would eventually act in the labyrinth.
And once she developed malicious intent, she would inevitably slip up—even just a little. With the team prepared in advance, they would catch her the moment she made a mistake.
Sure enough, when Tiona suddenly suggested taking a clearly dangerous route, Ais immediately drew her sword and pointed it at her.
"Surrender now. I don't know who you really are, but if you return the real Tiona, I might spare your life."
At the same time, Bete and Tione—both Level 5s—had quietly moved to her sides. Together with Ais, they encircled her from three directions, leaving no room for escape.
Faced with their encirclement, "Tiona" first looked stunned. Then, she sighed and spoke in a resigned tone:
"So there's no point in keeping up the act anymore... I can't believe you actually saw through me. Where did I slip up? I thought my performance was flawless."
Ais looked at her with a complex expression and replied:
"Your disguise was perfect. You fooled us all.
But the one who saw through you wasn't us—it was Emiya Shirou. He noticed your flaws and prepared everything in advance."
"Emiya... So it was him."
"Tiona" nodded slightly, as if she had expected this.
"At first, I approached him out of curiosity. But I quickly regretted it. That man is too sharp. He even unraveled the secret behind the Eyes of Death. I knew then he wasn't ordinary—and likely suspected me.
"That's why I took action as soon as we entered this labyrinth. I had Barca forcibly separate him from the rest of you—so I could lead you all into a trap without his interference.
Too bad... he predicted everything."
She calmly admitted to being the traitor, and the mastermind behind everything.
Ais and the others immediately understood that this was no mere minion—they were dealing with someone far more dangerous.
Before they could speculate further, "Tiona" smiled, gave a slight bow, and introduced herself:
"Now that my cover's blown, I won't hide anymore. Greetings, members of the Loki Familia. I am Thanatos, the God of Death, and current leader of the Evilus."
"Thanatos... the God of Death?!"
Everyone was shocked.
They had never imagined that a god—let alone a god of death—would personally take the field, disguise himself as Tiona, and infiltrate their team.
It was unthinkable for a divine leader to go undercover like this.
Ais, as the only Level 6 present, quickly regained composure. With a stern look, she demanded:
"Where is the real Tiona?! Return her now! I don't care if you're a god—if you don't hand her over, don't expect to walk out of here!"
True, mortals couldn't kill gods. But if a god went berserk and was forced to return to heaven, the chaos could be unimaginable. If they could subdue Thanatos and bring him back to Babel for judgment in the Gods' Assembly, even a deity would have no way out.
After all, gods—without access to their divine powers—were physically not much stronger than mortals, and powerless against high-level adventurers.
Thanatos, unfazed, replied:
"The real Tiona? Isn't she right here?"
"What?!"
"This girl before you—her appearance, her figure, everything—is the real Tiona Hiryute."
"Then why...?"
Ais and the others were stunned.
Thanatos calmly explained:
"Because the one controlling this body now... is me. I've taken over her body, polluted her soul, and gained her memories. That's how I was able to so convincingly play the part of Tiona."
"You possessed her...? How is that even possible...?!"
Ais and the others couldn't believe it.
Thanatos, smiling, continued:
"You find it hard to believe? But surely, you've already sensed it—my authority is the manipulation of souls."
Thanatos had revealed his divine authority.
And as he said, many of them had already guessed this.
The Eyes of Death were clearly manifestations of soul-based powers.
To create something like that, one must have mastery over souls.
What they hadn't expected was that Thanatos could not only manipulate souls—but possess bodies, replacing someone's consciousness entirely.
Now, facing a Tiona whose body was possessed by Thanatos, Ais and the others were at a loss. They had no way of harming a god's soul. Even if Thanatos openly declared his identity, they couldn't hurt him.
Thanatos even mocked them:
"Sword Princess Ais... since you care so much about your companion, why don't we make a deal?"
"A deal?"
"I will release Tiona's soul and restore her to her original state. But as the price... I will need to take over your body," Thanatos smiled. "Aren't you Loki Familia members the ones who care the most about your companions' safety? In that case, using your own body as the price to exchange for your companion's well-being should be something you can do, right?"
"..."
No one expected Thanatos to say something like that, and Ais's expression suddenly froze.
In contrast, the other Loki Familia members present all showed anxious expressions and hurriedly tried to stop Ais from making such a trade.
After all, Thanatos wanting to occupy Ais's body was undoubtedly because she, as a Level 6, possessed stronger power—and her identity as the Sword Princess made her a much more valuable hostage.
If Ais were to trade herself for Tiona, it would be a completely one-sided and losing deal.
"You don't have to do this, Ais!" Tiona's sister, Tione, spoke out decisively. "Tiona's not that fragile. She doesn't need you to sacrifice yourself to save her. You and I both know that, don't we?
Rather than making this reckless deal, it'd be better to find a way to capture this god of death and take him outside. Maybe there's a method to break the soul control."
"Oh? You think you can take me outside?" Thanatos looked at Tione and let out a cold laugh. "Seems like you still haven't realized your situation. I'm the one with the hostage, not you. If you refuse the deal, I can kill this girl right here and now in front of all of you!"
After speaking, Thanatos directly drew the massive twin-blade from her back.
She pointed the tip of the weapon at her own neck—ready to slash down and end the girl's life at any moment.
Seeing Thanatos's actions, everyone from the Loki Familia panicked.
Ais, her expression wavering, spoke plainly:
"Can you guarantee you'll honor the deal?"
"Gods are not allowed to lie about such things. You should be well aware of that, right?" Thanatos smiled. "As long as a contract is formed—even if it's only a verbal contract—I cannot violate its terms."
Ais nodded at Thanatos's words. She clearly understood the restrictions placed upon gods in the lower world.
So Ais decisively nodded. "I accept. I'm willing to trade places with Tiona and give my body to you!"
"Ais!!"
Hearing her declaration, the other members of Loki Familia all wore panicked expressions.
Clearly, they did not want Ais to make such a deal.
However, Ais calmly said: "Even if it's the divine authority of a god of death, maybe I won't be controlled. No—I will never be controlled!"
"..."
Hearing her resolve, Bete, Tione, and the others were momentarily speechless.
After all, they couldn't come up with any better plan right now. If they didn't want to sacrifice Tiona, then letting Ais make a deal with the god of death was the only option left.
"Let's begin."
So, Ais walked toward the god Thanatos.
Thanatos, composed as ever, also walked toward Ais—showing no concern that the Loki Familia might back out of the deal.
The distance between them grew smaller and smaller. Just when only a few steps remained, everyone present suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure erupt from within Tiona's body.
BOOM!
A massive, pitch-black shadow—like a death god's soul—erupted from inside her and, in the blink of an eye, shot out from her body and entered Ais's body!
"..."
Tiona's body trembled violently.
She struggled to get up from the ground, then looked around in confusion, seemingly with no memory of what had happened—no idea why she was here.
On the other hand, Ais's expression twisted horrifically the moment the god of death's soul entered her body.
It was as if she could feel an indescribable terror spreading through her body, devouring everything within her bit by bit.
"Hoho... As expected of a descendant of the Spirits. You're resisting far longer than anyone else."
Thanatos seemed to know about Ais's heritage.
He was in no rush. He slowly roamed through Ais's body, gradually devouring and twisting her will.
The other members of Loki Familia had no way to intervene. They had no means to interfere at the soul level—they could only stand and watch as Ais battled the god of death's will.
But they quickly realized—Ais's will was visibly weakening.
A human soul simply could not compete against that of a god.
With every passing second, the expression on the girl's face began to change—gradually shifting toward a completely different personality!
"What do we do... What the hell do we do?!"
Tione was panicked beyond reason.
No matter what, she couldn't accept Ais sacrificing herself to save her little sister.
"Damn it!"
Bete was also agitated.
He couldn't help but kick the ground in frustration, helplessly venting his anger—completely unable to counterattack the god of death.
Just when everyone was drowning in despair, certain that Ais would soon lose herself forever—
—footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.
"Hm? What are you all doing here?"
Shirou slowly approached from the distance.
He had spent a long time circling underground before finally reaching the surface again. Following the trace of familiar auras, he located the members of the Loki Familia.
When he saw everyone surrounding Ais, whose expression kept shifting wildly, he looked visibly confused. But after quickly taking in the scene, he understood the situation.
"Ais's body is being possessed?"
Shirou asked calmly.
"Y-you knew?"
Before Bete and the others could even explain, Shirou spoke the truth—and all of them looked shocked.
Shirou had long suspected something was wrong with Tiona's condition.
Especially after uncovering the truth behind the Eye of Death, he had more or less confirmed that Thanatos's divine power involved manipulating souls, and that Tiona's body had been possessed by him.
Seeing Ais's current state now confirmed that theory.
However, what Shirou didn't expect was that Ais would be so reckless as to actually make a deal with Thanatos, offering her own body.
"What now?"
The Loki Familia members were lost and instinctively looked to Shirou for help.
When they had no strength left to resolve a situation, their instincts told them to seek guidance from a commander—like Finn. And though Finn wasn't here, Shirou had naturally stepped into that role.
That said, none of them really thought Shirou could solve the issue—they were simply asking out of desperation.
But to their surprise, Shirou examined Ais briefly and then said thoughtfully:
"Maybe... I really can try something."
"What?!"
Before anyone could react, Shirou had already stepped in front of Ais.
Facing the Sword Princess, whose face was full of pain and whose soul was being consumed by Thanatos, Shirou paused briefly—then took action.
He placed his hand on Ais's shoulder— —and activated his skill: [Karmic Flames of Vow]!
Upon reaching Level 3, Shirou's development skill [Karma's Fire] had evolved into [Karmic Flames of Vow]. According to its description, the power of Karma's Fire now possessed the ability to interfere with souls—to burn away corrupted souls.
Shirou wasn't sure whether Thanatos's soul counted as "corrupted," but with no other options, he decided to give it a try.
"Fwoosh—"
As Shirou activated his power, blazing flames erupted from Ais's body.
Amazingly, the fire didn't harm her body—not even her clothes were damaged. Instead, it blazed in the spiritual realm, quickly spreading across her entire being!
"CRACK!"
A strange cracking sound rang out, like ice shattering in fire.
Ais's expression suddenly changed drastically.
Then—from within her—Thanatos's voice rang out.
"What is this power?! How can something like this exist?!"
Thanatos was clearly shocked by the Karma Fire.
At the same time, the black shadow of death within Ais was rapidly dissolving and fading away.
Until, finally, the fire burned away every trace of impurity inside her. Ais's expression returned to normal—completely back to her true self.
"Emiya Shirou... I have to admit—you may be the most special human I've ever seen!"
Thanatos was shaken by Shirou's actions. "Very well. I'll accept your challenge. Come to the 20th floor of this man-made labyrinth. I'll be waiting for you there. I'll prepare the stage for our battle. Let's see if you're truly the god-slaying miracle worker the rumors say you are!"
With those final words, the last trace of Thanatos's soul vanished.
But it was clearly just a fragment of his soul. According to his parting words, his main body was waiting on the 20th floor of the man-made labyrinth.
As Shirou pondered this, he suddenly noticed that Ais's face had gone red.
Thinking his Karma Fire might have affected her somehow, he leaned in to check— —but the girl suddenly took two steps back with a flustered expression.
"What's wrong?"
Shirou didn't understand.
And Ais herself understood her feelings even less.
Having just been saved from possession by Shirou, she now found herself unable to look him in the eye—completely unable to face the man in front of her.
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