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"Bete!!"
"Damn it! Why are the monsters fleeing in masses from the 17th floor?!"
At that moment, the Loki Familia, battered and furious from their failed expedition, watched helplessly as their teammate was devoured by a monster. Bete, the abrasive werewolf, might have had a venomous tongue, but he'd always been decent enough to his comrades. He was one of them, a brother-in-arms. To see him brutally torn apart by a rampaging Minotaur ignited a fire of shared rage in their hearts, their roars echoing through the Dungeon.
This chaos had started earlier, when the team descended from the upper floors back to the 17th. For reasons unknown, the floor boss Minotaurs, hulking beasts of raw power, had gone berserk, charging toward the lower newbie floors in an unexpected exodus. For greenhorn adventurers, crossing paths with these monsters would be a waking nightmare. Duty and conscience weighed heavily on the Loki Familia; these creatures didn't belong here, and it was their responsibility to cut them down. Failure meant countless deaths, condemnation from the Adventurer's Guild or rival factions, and a guilt they couldn't shake.
"!!!"
There was no time to mourn Bete's loss. The Familia could only watch as the Minotaurs' muscular forms barreled toward the underground exits. For these mostly Level 5 adventurers, Level 2 Minotaurs weren't an insurmountable threat, but the sheer number scattering across multiple floors forced them to split up, their numbers dwindling as they gave chase.
In the end, only a handful of Level 5s remained, racing after the fleeing bull-headed beasts. Even Ais Wallenstein, the ever-stoic Sword Princess, betrayed a flicker of anxiety as she watched them near the lower floors, her companions' faces darkening with dread.
"If only Riveria were here…" Tiona, the spirited dark-skinned Amazoness, muttered to herself, picturing the tall, green-haired elf. Riveria's Rea Laevateinn , a wide-area annihilation spell, could have ended this in an instant. But she'd stayed behind on the 23rd floor to handle another threat, leaving them without her aid.
Despair crept in, their options running thin. Then, in the next heartbeat, everything changed.
Ais, mid-sprint, skidded to a halt, her golden eyes wide with disbelief. Tiona and Tione, trailing close behind, froze, their jaws dropping as they stared ahead.
"What's going on? Why'd you stop?" called out the Familia members catching up, confusion knitting their brows. But as their gazes followed, they too fell silent, rooted to the spot.
Before them, hovering in the air, stood a striking youth exuding an aura of regal authority, Yuto. The sky above split cleanly in two, divided by forces both majestic and terrifying. On his left, golden ripples shimmered like water, unleashing a storm of unfamiliar weapons. They streaked downward with devastating force, raining destruction upon the Minotaurs below.
Boom! Boom!
The barrage was relentless, a carpet bombing of mythic proportions. The Noble Phantasms clashed with the Minotaur horde, shredding flesh and scattering gore in violent bursts, the shockwaves rippling through the Dungeon.
A low gurgle rumbled through the air. On his right, a black-red ocean materialized without warning; the Sea of Life, a power echoing Tiamat's primal essence from Fate/Grand Order. No one saw it form; it simply was, a spectral tide radiating an unsettling, otherworldly dread. The crimson glow bathed the Dungeon in an eerie, blood-soaked light.
"Fall," Yuto said, his voice calm as he pointed downward.
The blood sea obeyed, surging forth like a divine hand.
Boom!
It crashed down, a palpitating wave of destruction that swallowed the Minotaurs whole. The flood tore through the earth, carving jagged ravines and uprooting everything in its path; soil, stone, and monster alike, leaving nothing but ruin. The Loki Familia watched, hearts pounding, as the apocalyptic tide roared with world-ending fury.
"Careful!" Ais shouted, her face drained of color as she gripped her sword, staring at the blood water rushing toward them. "This doesn't feel right, don't let it touch you!"
Her warning was met with pale nods. These were Level 5 adventurers, no strangers to danger, yet the deathly black-red tide stirred a primal terror in their souls, a despair born of instinct. One touch, and they knew it'd be their end.
"Stop," Yuto commanded, his gaze flicking casually toward them.
With that single word, the blood sea parted, flowing around the Loki Familia like a living thing, sparing them as it carved its path to either side.
'He split the flood with a glance?'
The thought struck them dumb. Even the most confident among them couldn't fathom wielding such power. They stood like frightened quail, huddled in the small sanctuary Yuto had granted, watching as the 17th floor drowned in crimson. Time blurred until the last Minotaur vanished, and the mythic flood began to recede.
Waves lapped at the ground as Yuto descended, landing at the heart of the chaos. Around him, the Minotaurs' massive bodies dissolved into black smoke, leaving behind a scattering of ice-blue magic stones that clinked against the floor. The Loki Familia craned their necks, gaping at the surreal scene, slowly shaking off their stupor.
"He… he wiped out every monster on the 17th floor… alone?" one stammered, voice faltering from shock.
"Is that magic? A martial skill? Even if it's neither, it's unreal," another rasped, throat dry from awe and sweat.
"Wow, it's that guy from the tavern a few days ago~~" Tiona chirped, her eyes sparkling as she recognized Yuto.
The wild Amazoness bit her lip, her admiration plain. "Taking out the whole 17th floor solo with no casualties, that's insanely cool!" She bounded over, her toned legs carrying her like a gleeful lark, gazing up at him with bright, eager eyes. "Hey, remember me? We met at the tavern!"
"Of course," Yuto replied with a smile, eyeing the dark-skinned beauty. "You're Tiona, Level 5 'Great Severance' of the Loki Familia, right?"
Her wild energy was a novelty, unlike anyone in his growing circle and it stirred something in him, a flicker of intrigue.
"Hey, Tiona, slow down! Have some restraint!" Tione called, her voice steadier than her sister's as she approached. Her open tunic revealed a bold glimpse of her figure, her strong legs radiating vitality.
Despite her calm, her heart raced as she met Yuto's gentle smile. Stepping past her starry-eyed sister, she said, "You seem to know a lot about us, huh? How about introducing yourself? I've never seen someone this strong fresh to Orario. Which god's Familia were you with before?"
Ears perked among the Familia, even Ais's cool golden gaze betraying a rare curiosity.
"I'm Yuto, under Goddess Hestia," he answered smoothly. "Your goddess Loki and mine are rivals, so I'm sure you know her well enough."
"Hestia… the pure goddess?" Tione blinked, exchanging a glance with Tiona. They both recalled the blue-ribboned deity who bickered endlessly with Loki.
"Wait a sec…" Tione's eyes widened as realization hit. "Hestia's one of the few gods in Orario who hadn't formed a Familia until recently. You mean you just got your blessing?"
Tiona clapped her hands, cutting in with a grin. "So you're only Level 1?!"
The words hung in the air, electrifying the group. She bounced in disbelief, counting on her fingers. "No way! You were unranked back at the tavern?!"
Tione stared, her mind reeling. The Loki Familia collectively sucked in a breath, grappling with the impossible.
"As expected… you're a hero, aren't you?" Ais stepped forward, her voice soft but firm, her golden eyes locked on Yuto. In her mind, his silhouette merged with a memory of her father, striding off to slay a dragon. "Legends tell of ancient heroes who, without divine blessings, felled monsters and forged greatness."
"Exactly," piped up Lefiya Viridis, the long-haired elf mage, her tone tinged with envy as she watched Ais's rare excitement. "Elven records mention them. They are rare souls who always rose to incredible deeds."
The Loki Familia stood in stunned silence, digesting the weight of it all. Yuto's heroic potential, his godlike power, defied reason.
With a casual wave, Yuto summoned the Sea of Life once more, gathering the fallen magic stones into a shimmering pile. Ignoring their awe, he said, "It's getting late. I'll head back to the surface. If fate wills it, we'll cross paths again."
And with that, he turned, leaving the Loki Familia to marvel in his wake.
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