Chapter 159: Overturning the Rudra Familia, the Truth of Juggernaut's Experiment!
After torturing Jura Halmer and extracting the exact location and intelligence about the Rudra Familia from him, Shirou imprisoned him in the artificial labyrinth's prison, leaving him under the supervision of the Thanatos Familia.
Afterward, Shirou sought out the Death God Thanatos and, upon meeting him, presented a gift.
That gift was Juggernaut, bound by Enkidu.
Shirou first explained Juggernaut's situation, narrating that Juggernaut was a creation born from the dungeon after the floor was destroyed.
Then, he raised his own doubt: he had sensed a fluctuation of divine power within Juggernaut's body, which led him to speculate the possibility of a god's experiment.
"You're not wrong. There is indeed divine power within this creature," Thanatos analyzed for a moment and nodded. "Its structure is similar to that of Spirits and Xenos, or rather, it is a product that combines the strengths of both—a perfect creation of the gods."
"Perfect creation?"
"The flaw of Spirits is that, although they can be infused with divine power, their self-awareness is too strong, and they won't act according to the will of the gods.
Xenos, on the other hand, are easy to control but cannot bear excessive divine power. If even a little divine power is infused, their limited will and consciousness will immediately collapse and dissipate."
Thanatos silently analyzed further. "This Juggernaut was directly manufactured from a portion cut from the dungeon itself. It is essentially a fragment directly cleaved from the dungeon, which is, after all, a type of monster.
Therefore, it can fuse with other souls like a Xenos, and because it is a dungeon fragment, its body can bear enormous divine power. So I say, this is the most perfect creation of the gods, combining the advantages of both Spirits and Xenos."
"I see…"
Hearing Thanatos' words, Shirou nodded.
Thanatos' conclusion matched his own speculation: Juggernaut was indeed a further product of divine power experimentation; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain the traces of divine power on this monster.
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Ryuu, standing nearby, frowned in confusion as she overheard Shirou and Thanatos' conversation. "Juggernaut wasn't supposed to appear until after the dungeon was destroyed. How does something like that have anything to do with a god's experiment?"
Shirou quietly responded to Ryuu's words: "Juggernaut is indeed a product born after the dungeon was destroyed, but aside from that accident five years ago, have you heard any news about Juggernaut?"
"..."
"In a thousand years, adventurers would certainly have caused large-scale destruction to dungeons more than once, yet only your Astraea Familia ever encountered Juggernaut. There is only one possibility: Juggernaut was created in an experiment five years ago, and by chance, your Astraea Familia became the first witnesses to this monster."
Shirou's words shocked Ryuu.
"Wait! What… you mean our Astraea Familia was completely wiped out by some god's experimental creation?"
"In conclusion, yes."
Shirou spoke coldly, summarizing the tragedy of the Astraea Familia.
"How can—" Ryuu began to protest but suddenly fell silent.
She seemed to recall something important, which could support Shirou's theory, leaving her in a state of panic and unease.
"You remembered something?" Shirou calmly asked, ignoring Ryuu's demeanor.
"Five years ago… after escaping Juggernaut's pursuit, I returned to the battlefield," Ryuu began to recount. "I didn't stay long, but when I returned, all the bodies of my fellow Astraea Familia members had disappeared. Only their weapons remained. At the time, I thought the surrounding monsters had destroyed them, but thinking carefully, monsters wouldn't leave no trace… Most importantly, the bodies of the Rudra Familia members were still there…"
Ryuu recalled crucial details that she had long avoided remembering.
These painful memories, once suppressed, were now gaining significance as the true cause of the Astraea Familia's annihilation became clearer.
"They were probably taken by a god behind the scenes," Shirou concluded, having seen Alise's corpse in the dungeon.
"Why?" Ryuu struggled to accept it. "Why would a god do this to our Astraea Familia? We weren't part of Evilus!"
"Do you think a god would spare you just because you're a righteous Familia?" Shirou looked at Ryuu's confused face. "Moreover, I have clear evidence that your Familia was targeted because you attacked someone you shouldn't have. The Ikelos Familia and the Rudra Familia are both the black gloves of a certain god. The Astraea Familia, having acted against them, was destined to face destruction."
"Ikelos Familia… Rudra Familia…" Ryuu, as a member of the Astraea Familia, naturally remembered that five years ago, her Familia had multiple confrontations with these two Familias.
She had never imagined that the 'righteous' actions of her Familia would become a thorn in the eye of some god.
"Alise… Kaguya… Leila… uuuh…"
Ryuu muttered the names of her fallen companions, her voice trembling with grief. Anger began to surge within her. She could not accept that the people she cherished were mere pawns in the manipulations of a deceitful god. Everything had been part of a god's calculation.
Most importantly, her years of revenge suddenly felt meaningless. Killing members of the Rudra Familia was of no value; it neither touched the core nor revealed the real enemy.
Ryuu's heart burned with frustration.
Shirou noticed her thoughts and quietly said, "Honestly, it's precisely because all these years you were doing futile work that you survived. If you had discovered the truth earlier and delved deeper, you wouldn't be alive to speak with me today."
"This… who is it? Which god has such power?" Ryuu stared at Shirou, seeking answers.
"Are you ready to hear the answer?" Shirou asked. If she didn't know, there was still a chance to return to a normal life. If she did, she would, like him, become an enemy of the labyrinth city of Orario and could never walk under the sun again.
"…" Ryuu hesitated briefly. She clearly still cared about the inn and her companions. Giving up that life would also cause her great pain.
Shirou silently waited for her answer.
He could accept whatever choice she made—whether she chose to confront the truth of the labyrinth city and the nature of the world, or to escape and return to her current life. He just hoped Ryuu would make a choice she could live with.
Finally, Ryuu spoke.
"I… I want to move forward." Her voice was light but firm. If she retreated now and abandoned the search for the truth, she would remain trapped by the past. "I must move forward. I will uncover the truth and avenge Alise and the others!"
"Are you sure? This is not just a battle against gods, but against the laws of this world, its deceit, and its justice. Without true resolve, you would be swallowed by endless darkness in an instant. It might be safer to stop here and live a false but warm life." Shirou warned her of the cost.
Ryuu exhaled and looked resolute. "So what? Even facing cruel reality, I must overcome fear and soar. This is what… Alise told me. I am no longer weak. I must face the cruelty and carry out redemption for my companions!"
"You've really grown, Ryuu…" Shirou said instinctively.
Ryuu was confused by his tone, as if he knew her deeply.
"Ahem." Shirou quickly cleared his throat. Alise's memories still affected him, often causing him to speak from her perspective. To avoid revealing this, he shifted the topic: "Since you've made up your mind, I will tell you the final answer. The enemy is the celestial god Ouranos!"
"!!!"
Though she had guessed, Ryuu's pupils widened when the truth appeared before her.
Shirou explained all the conclusions from his investigation, including Ouranos' secret lab beneath the Babel Tower and the experiments on Xenos and innocents for divine power.
After learning the truth, Ryuu quickly accepted the darkness of Orario, the world's corruption, and the absence of justice. She finally resolved: "No matter who the enemy is, god or otherwise, I will no longer flee helplessly. This time, I will protect my companions and avenge them properly."
"I will help you, Ryuu," Shirou smiled and grasped the Ageris at his waist, feeling the intense emotions of Alise's soul fragment.
.
.
.
Night falls.
The streets of Orario.
Following Jura Halmer's directions, Shirou and Ryuu arrived at the southern outskirts of Orario. This rare undeveloped area was even more desolate than Daedalus Street, making it ideal to avoid outsiders' attention.
Many Rudra Familia members and other sensitive individuals were gathered here.
"According to Jura Halmer, the Rudra Familia's base is in the undeveloped area's church, guarded by many Familia members."
"Yeah, when I chased the Rudra Familia back then, I also came here. They never moved their base," Shirou said.
Ryuu remained silent, her eyes reflecting memories of her past self as a merciless hunter, killing Rudra Familia members one by one. Even knowing a greater conspiracy lay behind everything, her anger toward the Rudra Familia had never faded.
Shirou understood Ryuu's anger, but he himself maintained absolute rationality, silently analyzing: "Our goal this time is to uncover the connection between the Rudra Familia and Ouranos, ideally finding decisive evidence. That way, we can negotiate with the Goddess of Justice, Astraea, and perhaps even bring Astraea over to our side."
"Lady Astraea…"
Ryuu pondered Shirou's idea for a moment and found it very reasonable.
As a former member of the Astraea Familia, Ryuu was well aware of the immense authority the Goddess Astraea wielded—she could be said to be the most powerful god in the lower world.
If Astraea could be persuaded to stand on their side, even facing the celestial god Ouranos, they would still have a considerable chance of success.
"Then, we'll have to infiltrate next."
"Mm, I'm ready."
Shirou said this as he handed the jet-black dagger to Ryuu.
It was a dagger forged by him, Hassan's dagger, enhanced with a powerful aura-concealing enchantment that could completely erase all traces of one's presence.
Ryuu was surprised by Shirou's unique tool, then decisively gripped the dagger and followed his steps.
The two charged into the undeveloped district, instantly eliminating every enemy they encountered, and soon arrived at the church where the Rudra Familia resided.
Since Jura Halmer had taken most of the Rudra Familia members to the dungeon, the remaining Rudra Familia was practically empty.
The two easily dealt with the guards and entered the church.
"Looks like Rudra isn't here."
Shirou breathed a sigh of relief at this.
Though his current strength allowed him to face any adventurer in Orario without fear, he still held some trepidation toward true gods.
Even Mihe, a non-combat-oriented god, had forced him to the brink of death; encountering Rudra in battle would undoubtedly place an enormous burden on him.
"Let's see if there's a secret passage or hidden chamber."
After saying this, Shirou began exploring the church for secrets.
But Ryuu quietly spoke: "No need to look further. Last time I came here, I noticed an issue with the second-to-last wall panel on the right side of the church. It's hollow. But at that time, I was too focused on killing Rudra Familia members to notice such a small detail."
"I see."
Shirou nodded, thinking that having Ryuu join was indeed a wise decision.
Ryuu's knowledge of the Rudra Familia greatly reduced the potential troubles Shirou might face.
Following Ryuu's instructions, they removed the wall panel and immediately revealed a secret passage.
The passage led into the unfathomable depths underground, like the gaping maw of a monster that could devour everything. Ryuu swallowed nervously before venturing downward.
To avoid detection by the Rudra Familia, Shirou led Ryuu deep underground at maximum speed.
They quickly adapted to the darkness, and as they descended further, they encountered a structure resembling a dungeon labyrinth.
"This is… an artificial labyrinth?"
Shirou and Ryuu stared at the underground forest in astonishment. If they hadn't known this wasn't a dungeon, they would have thought they had reached a safe zone on the eighteenth floor.
In the center of the artificial labyrinth stood a laboratory, its design starkly different from the surroundings.
The lab was made of metal, reflecting a unique anti-magic luster.
Realizing that the laboratory likely hid the Rudra Familia's secrets, Shirou and Ryuu immediately charged toward it.
Ryuu's breathing became slightly labored; even at full effort, she struggled to keep pace with Shirou, forcing him to slow down and accommodate her.
As they neared the lab, Shirou gradually stopped and frowned: "This close, yet no defensive forces? Are they very confident in their secrets, or is no defense even necessary here…"
"Regardless, we have to get there quickly."
Ryuu, eager to reach the secret before them, quickened her pace.
At that moment, the space before them subtly changed.
From the empty environment, a blade invisible to the naked eye suddenly appeared, aiming directly to tear Ryuu apart.
At the critical moment, Shirou swiftly drew Akabana from his waist and blocked the attack aimed at Ryuu with a reverse slash, releasing flames from the blade and destroying the monster's disguise.
"Juggernaut?"
In the reflection of the fire appeared none other than Juggernaut.
The mere appearance of this monster already confirmed that Juggernaut was indeed a product of divine experiments. They hadn't just created such a monster in the dungeon—they had completed its control, turning it into a guardian of the godly laboratory!
"It really is…"
Ryuu was equally shocked to see Juggernaut.
What unsettled her even more was that when she looked into Juggernaut's eyes, she sensed a familiar fluctuation.
Juggernaut, upon seeing Ryuu, also appeared extremely confused.
After a brief hesitation and fluctuation, it turned and left, showing no intention of staying.
"It's just leaving?"
Shirou was surprised and puzzled by this result.
Ryuu, staring at the creature's back, murmured: "The look in Juggernaut's eyes… I've seen it somewhere before… but how is that possible?"
"You mean…"
"No, that can't be. I must be mistaken."
Ryuu forced a dry smile, trying to escape the reality.
Shirou did not press further. Taking advantage of the monster's departure, he charged into the underground laboratory, discovering a large number of cages.
Inside each cage was a Juggernaut. The number of Juggernauts in the lab approached a hundred!
"This… this is insane!"
Ryuu could no longer describe her feelings as mere surprise.
Even Shirou was stunned by the horrifying scene.
Yet he did not hesitate. Even though the truth could shatter an ordinary person's mind, Shirou would not stop here.
He had to uncover everything.
Shirou and Ryuu split up to search the lab, finding a massive amount of data. Combining their findings, they pieced together a terrifying truth:
The Ouranos faction had begun the Juggernaut experiments nearly a century ago.
Because the Xenos experiments were not progressing, the gods had begun to hesitate—and even consider abandoning—the goal of creating monsters capable of wielding divine power.
Thus, the celestial god Ouranos took an extremely radical action: he infused the dungeon itself with divine power.
As a vent for earthly energy, the dungeon itself was a massive monster. Injecting divine power into it to make it a Spirit-like being was theoretically possible.
Of course, Ouranos exercised some control, injecting divine power only into individual floors of the dungeon, attempting to create floors capable of wielding divine power.
However, this did not produce the results Ouranos wanted. Instead, it gave birth to Juggernaut.
Before Ouranos' experiment, even if the dungeon was destroyed, it would simply self-repair and would never produce a monster like Juggernaut. But due to the godly experiment, Juggernaut was born.
The gods were initially shocked, then realized this monster was better suited than Xenos for divine power fusion experiments. Not only could it bear immense divine power, it could also be used for soul fusion experiments with Xenos.
Thus, the Juggernaut experiment officially began.
The gods spent a century exploring methods to create Juggernaut and eventually found a way to mass-produce them stably:
They would use artificial labyrinths, infuse them with divine power, and allow Juggernaut to be born within, turning the labyrinths into Juggernaut incubators.
At this time, the actions of the Astraea Familia drew Ouranos' attention.
To prevent the Astraea Familia from uncovering the Xenos experiments—or even discovering clues about the Juggernaut experiments—Ouranos decided to annihilate the Astraea Familia.
He employed Juggernaut to do this.
By leaking information to the Rudra Familia, he had them summon Juggernaut in the dungeon. The monster instantly killed the Rudra and Astraea Familia members present, leaving only Ryuu and Jura Halmer alive. No one else would ever investigate the Juggernaut experiment.
This was the hidden truth of the gods' secret Juggernaut experiments.
But if that were all, Shirou and Ryuu would not have been so shaken.
The truly shocking part came afterward:
After annihilating the Astraea Familia, the gods retrieved their corpses and extracted the souls that had not yet dissipated.
The reason was obvious: the souls were to be used in divine power experiments.
At that time, the Juggernaut experiment had stalled at a critical step—the soul fusion phase.
Unlike ordinary monsters, Juggernaut could not easily fuse with the souls of the dead.
Normal humans and adventurers' souls could not support Juggernaut's body.
Thus, the gods decided to use the entire souls of the Astraea Familia in the Juggernaut experiment, using their exceptionally strong souls to create controllable Juggernaut.
The result was predictable: the experiment succeeded.
Half of the Astraea Familia's souls completed fusion with Juggernaut's, forming entirely new creations, which were then secretly hidden.
"This… this… ugh—"
Ryuu stared at the cold, ruthless text of the experiment report, struggling to cover her mouth to avoid vomiting.
As an elf, she was naturally more fastidious than ordinary humans.
Learning that her companions had been turned into monsters was almost unimaginable.
Especially recalling her encounter with Juggernaut and the familiar look in its eyes, Ryuu could no longer contain herself and vomited on the spot.
She was struck by unprecedented horror at the gods' cold-blooded actions and felt an unparalleled surge of anger and madness.
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