Just as Lei was about to open her mouth and apologise again.
Haimer couldn't help it — he laughed.
"Ha. Ha ha.
"Is that supposed to be? A threat to my reputation?"
Far from being offended, Haimer actually bent slightly at the waist, slipped both hands under Aruru's arms, and scooped the little creature back up, settling her securely against his chest.
"In that case."
Haimer's slender fingers gave a light flick against Aruru's upright rabbit ears.
"To make absolutely sure I don't accidentally ruin my good name — this timid yet remarkably brave little one had better come along with me."
Hearing those words.
Aruru — scooped back up into mid-air, her feet dangling — immediately went wide-eyed, those ruby-red irises stretching to their limit.
Her two small forepaws hung in the air at a complete loss, and even the little "chii chii" sounds she normally made had deserted her entirely.
She hadn't expected that she, of all creatures, would find herself on the list for this trip to the surface.
…
And so.
The moment before departure arrived.
The stone-wall gate was about to open once more.
Fels stood to one side, watching as Haimer — who had already brought along the Siren and the spider-woman — now had a fluffy rabbit added to his arms as well.
The skull face hidden beneath her hood showed no expression, of course. But the tone of her voice carried a despair so complete it was practically visible — the despair of someone about to break entirely.
"Lord Haimer…"
"Are you… truly… certain you want to do this?"
Fels made one last, utterly powerless attempt at resistance.
"Relax."
Haimer, still cradling Aruru, turned his head sideways and spared Fels a single glance.
"If anything goes wrong, I bear full responsibility."
"As for Ouranos — if he has complaints, he can bring them to me directly."
Things had already gone this far.
Fels knew perfectly well that she had absolutely no power to stop this god who did precisely as he pleased.
She could only yield.
Fels turned around, facing all the Xenos who remained in the plaza.
The body hidden beneath her robes bent into a deep, full bow.
"Everyone — please, trust us this one time."
"If anything goes wrong."
"Fels will answer for it with her life!"
The low, hoarse voice carried an absolute, unshakeable resolve.
Reed watched Fels like that, opened his mouth, just on the verge of saying something to lighten the mood.
But Haimer had already paid the weighty atmosphere here absolutely no mind — one arm still cradling the rabbit, he simply turned and walked straight into the dark passage that led upward.
Rania's eight spider-legs moved in an alternating rhythm, producing a steady "clack clack clack", keeping herself roughly one metre behind Haimer at all times.
Lei, for her part, pulled a large black hooded cloak around herself, concealing her golden wings and the feathers of her lower body, and hurried after them.
Fels straightened up, let out a long sigh, and had no choice but to quicken her own pace — taking the lead at the front to guide the way.
…
And so the group began moving upward along the same concealed route they had taken to get here.
Inside the dim passage.
Only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.
However.
They hadn't gone very far at all.
When Fels, walking at the head of the group, suddenly broke her stride.
Her sharp hearing had caught a sound filtering in from the passage behind them — deliberately slowed, careful, deliberate.
As though something was following.
Haimer, meanwhile, let the corner of his eye sweep briefly toward the shadow behind a jutting outcrop of rock at the rear.
There — a Hellhound Xenos had pressed its body low to the ground and was padding silently along about seven or eight metres behind the group.
— Hellhound Xenos, Helge.
In ordinary times.
Aruru's favourite thing in the world was to drape herself across Helge's broad back and go everywhere together.
Now that Aruru had been scooped up and taken away by Haimer — Helge was clearly too worried to just let it go, and so had plucked up the courage to slip along behind them in secret.
Noticing this.
Lei also stopped walking, turned her head, and spotted Helge lurking in the shadows with an expression that could only be described as helpless.
"Helge, you…"
Lei had been just about to coax this all-too-conspicuous Hellhound into turning back.
After all.
Hellhounds had a very bad reputation among adventurers.
Helge would very likely end up being attacked on sight.
However.
Haimer was already gently running a hand down Aruru's back — smoothing her fur — and cut Lei off in a perfectly casual tone.
"If you want to follow, then follow along.
"Since we're going out to see the sights, one more dog makes no difference."
Hearing Haimer's permission, Helge — who had still been crouching behind the rock a moment ago — immediately began wagging its tail and came trotting over at a quick clip, its gaze never once leaving Aruru in Haimer's arms.
But.
It was as though a floodgate had been opened.
From the passage behind them came an urgent, fluttering beat of wings.
"Wait! Wait for Fei!"
Along with a bright, clear shout.
A figure with striking, rouge-red hair — upper body a girl's, lower body a bird's — came flying out of the darkness and dropped straight down at the tail end of the group.
It was none other than the half-bird Xenos who had been firmly refused by Lei — Fei.
"Fei! What are you doing here! Didn't I tell you to stay below?!"
The moment Lei laid eyes on Fei, her head was already splitting.
"But… but Fei wants to go too!"
Hearing Lei's words, Fei folded her wings back, shuffled forward on her bird-taloned feet to stand before Haimer, and pressed her wings together in a pleading gesture.
"Please! Kami-sama — Fei promises to be very good, she absolutely won't say anything out of place, and she won't wander off.
"Fei has dreamed her whole life of seeing the sun on the surface with her own eyes!"
Faced with Fei's abrupt intrusion.
Lei felt nothing but helplessness in her heart — she knew, of course, just how fierce a longing Fei and the other Xenos felt for the sunlight up on the surface.
It was an instinctive yearning carved into the very depths of their souls.
Lei turned her head, just about to plead Fei's case to Haimer on her behalf.
But Haimer had already given his answer.
"One sheep or a flock of sheep — it's all the same thing to a shepherd."
"If you all want to come together, then come together. The commotion we cause on the streets in a moment will be no different in any fundamental sense whether there are one of you or five."
With Haimer's affirmation secured.
"Yes! Thank you, Kami-sama!"
Fei immediately let out a whoop of delight, beating her wings in rapid, excited bursts.
She even forgot entirely the natural, instinctive awe that monsters felt toward gods, stepped right up, and with the easy familiarity of an old friend, looped her arm through Haimer's free one.
Only — this one detail.
Made the hearts of Lei, walking alongside them, and Fels, leading the way, sink just a little further.
The group continued making their way toward the exit.
As they walked.
On the subject of Haimer's attitude — so accommodating it could almost be called abnormal.
Lei finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Kami-sama…"
Lei pulled the large black robe tighter around herself and drifted a little closer to Haimer, her voice full of puzzlement.
"Why are you willing to be so tolerant of us?"
"Even after what Rania asked of you — a demand as presumptuous as that."
Rania, walking nearby, heard herself mentioned and remained silent as ever, her eight legs carrying her forward, eyes fixed on Haimer's every move.
Fels, walking at the front, was equally baffled.
This was something she had turned over and over in her mind without finding an answer.
From the words of Lord Ouranos, this was a god with a fearsome past — the kind that had made the gods of the Heavens tremble.
So why, when faced with a group of Dungeon monsters, would he display an attitude that could only be called indulgent?
"I suppose I have my own plans."
Faced with that question.
Haimer only gave a slight shrug, and offered no answer.
…
The group had reached the final exit of the Guild's hidden passage.
Ahead.
Lay the one unavoidable corridor connecting them to the edge of the Dungeon's upper floors.
This area was a zone where ordinary adventurers frequently passed through.
Sure enough.
The moment the group slipped out through the concealed gap in the rock and stepped onto the wide main corridor —
They walked straight into a mid-sized adventurer party in the middle of hauling supplies out.
The party numbered around a dozen people, pushing several small carts loaded with Magic Stones, heading for the surface.
The instant they caught sight of this group appearing ahead of them.
The entire party went rigid on the spot.
The shield-bearing warriors at the front nearly had their eyes fall right out of their heads.
What were they looking at?!
A massive, fully armoured spider-woman!
A half-bird creature using her wings to cover herself!
And a Hellhound!
And standing right in the middle of all these monsters —
A black-haired, black-eyed god who not only had a rabbit monster cradled in his arms —
But whose arm was being held in a firm, two-handed grip by that half-bird!
In this Labyrinth City where news travelled at breathtaking speed —
Who didn't know the face of the chief god of the Haimer Familia, whose star had been rising so dramatically of late that every Familia in the city was quietly unsettled?!
"Ha… Lord Haimer?!"
A lead adventurer blurted it out in a stammer.
"Th-this is bad!"
"A god — a god has been — a god has been taken hostage by monsters!!!"
And with that.
A female adventurer in the party let out a shriek.
Several members of the adventurer party immediately abandoned their supply carts entirely, spun around, and bolted in a frantic, tumbling scramble toward the staircase leading to Babel Tower's exit.
As they ran they screamed at the top of their lungs, their voices bouncing and echoing through the entire upper passage.
…
Watching that scene unfold.
Lei and Fei went instantly pale.
Even Rania was beginning to look uneasy.
…
Very quickly.
In the space of less than half an hour, the news that the chief god of the Haimer Familia had been collectively taken hostage by a group of monsters of unknown origin on the first floor of the Dungeon —
Had completely swept through Babel Tower's plaza.
"What's going on?! Kami-sama was taken hostage by monsters?! How is that even possible?!"
Shakti, in the middle of leading her squad on a routine patrol.
Upon hearing the report relayed by the adventurers who had come running out, actually had to wonder if there was something wrong with her own ears.
Lord Haimer — who had only been chatting idly with her on the street yesterday, and who had been laughing and talking with Royman outside the Guild entrance this very afternoon —
Had somehow just suddenly gone into the Dungeon?!
A god being held hostage by monsters inside the Dungeon — if that god were to receive a lethal attack and be sent back to the Heavens, the resulting Divine Might explosion would undoubtedly trigger the Dungeon's unspeakable defence mechanisms, giving rise to a wave of black monsters capable of destroying everything in their path.
This was a matter of life and death for all of Orario.
And furthermore.
The god in question was Haimer.
"All units, assemble!"
Shakti didn't have the luxury of thinking it through — she issued the highest-level emergency order on the spot.
"Target: Dungeon entrance! Move! Move! Move!"
At the same time.
The Loki Familia's Twilight Manor.
Loki, who had been drinking in the front courtyard, received the urgent report from Finn — and promptly spat every drop of wine out of her mouth.
"What?! That guy Haimer got kidnapped by monsters inside the Dungeon?"
"That's impossible!!!"
Loki cursed and leapt to her feet.
"Quick! Finn, Riveria! Go find out what on earth that idiot is up to!"
And it wasn't just the Loki Familia.
The Takemikazuchi Familia, the Miach Familia, and a number of large and mid-sized Familias alike — upon receiving the news — similarly grabbed their weapons and made a beeline for Babel Tower in a blazing hurry.
…
And so.
Below Babel Tower.
In front of the enormous entrance plaza.
The area was already packed three layers deep in adventurers and curious onlookers, a wall of bodies with no gaps left to squeeze through.
The atmosphere on the scene had been pressed to an absolute breaking point.
Shakti, at the head of several hundred fully armed Ganesha Familia military police, had already drawn a solid defensive line across the exit.
Shields standing in rows, spears raised like a forest.
Archers had already taken up positions at the high ground on both flanks, bows drawn to full tension and aimed.
Behind Shakti.
Ganesha — wearing his distinctive elephant mask — stood there with both arms folded.
On the surface it looked as though he was presiding over the whole scene.
But in reality.
The others might not know what was happening.
But how could Ganesha not know?!
This was no hostage situation!
Haimer had actually brought the Xenos to the surface!!!!
What on earth was this man trying to do?! Was he really planning to pick an open fight with every adventurer in the Lower World?!
Ganesha was so distressed he felt like he could die on the spot — he could practically taste blood rising in the back of his throat.
Loki, meanwhile, had already arrived on the scene with Finn and Riveria in tow, having pushed through the crowd.
The moment they took up their position.
Everyone saw it.
From deep within the enormous archway of the Dungeon entrance.
A clear set of footsteps — "tap, tap" — rang out.
He's here!
Every single person on the scene held their breath in an instant; Shakti's right hand shot up — ready to issue the order to charge and rescue at any moment.
Crossing the boundary between shadow and light.
Haimer simply walked out of the Dungeon — calm and unhurried — beneath the weight of countless pairs of eyes drilling into him.
Seeing these monsters of varied and unusual appearances, all bearing visible traces of equipment on their bodies.
A wave of sharp, hissing intakes of breath erupted from the crowd of adventurers surrounding them.
"Monsters… actually know how to use equipment!"
"Somebody save Lord Haimer!"
The crowd began to stir.
Noticing the dense wall of armed forces ahead.
Fei trembled violently.
Rania's eight spider-legs drew taut as wire, and she instinctively began to shift into a defensive posture.
Seeing this, Haimer.
Let out an unavoidable sigh of resignation.
Came to a stop.
And there, under every eye in the plaza, actually reached out of his own accord — toward Rania the spider-woman, who was standing right beside him in a state of extreme tension — and extended his hand.
"Give me your hand, Miss Spider."
"What comes next — please do not make any reactive movements that fall outside normal behaviour. With this many pairs of eyes watching, if you do, I will be in a very difficult position."
…
Hearing those words.
Rania's body went rigid.
Lei, wrapped inside her hood, bit her lower lip and gave a firm, decisive nod.
The meaning was clear — right now, the only option was to trust this Kami-sama completely.
And so.
Rania was silent for a moment.
Then slowly extended the hand sheathed in hard armour-plating, and laid it gently into Haimer's open palm.
Their hands clasped together.
That single sight.
Left every adventurer on the scene — Shakti included — completely dumbfounded.
Jaws dropped.
What kind of hostage situation was this?
Kami-sama had actually reached out to take a spider monster's hand of his own accord?!
Beneath the stunned gazes of the crowd.
Haimer, hand in hand with Rania, walked up to the very front of the defensive line.
"Well now, Miss Shakti."
"Tell me — were you all planning to arrest me for illegally entering the Dungeon?"
"If so, this is quite the grand reception you've prepared."
"Ha — Lord Haimer!"
Hearing those words, Shakti snapped back to herself in an instant and called out urgently.
"Lord Haimer, what on earth is going on?! How did you end up entangled with these monsters of unknown origin?!"
"Please, separate yourself from their range of control immediately — we need to deal with these monsters that have broken through to the surface on the spot!"
"That's right, Kami-sama! Come over here!"
"Kill the monsters!"
The crowd joined in with a roar of agreement.
Faced with that furious, bloodthirsty chorus.
Fei went ashen.
Lei's expression, too, turned grave and heavy.
Haimer's expression, however, didn't shift even slightly.
"Everyone — if you would please calm yourselves."
Haimer raised his voice, and in an instant it cut through and over the noise of the entire crowd.
"There is no need for alarm."
"This is not a hostage situation."
As he said so, Haimer lifted the hand holding Rania's higher.
"Just now, deep within the Dungeon."
"These monsters have been brought fully under my control."
"From this moment forward, they carry the name of Haimer.
"They — have become members of my Familia."
BOOM.
Those words landed like a bomb detonating in the middle of the plaza.
Monsters? Becoming members of a god's Familia?!
This was something that overturned the understanding formed by every living soul in the Lower World over thousands of years!
There was simply no way to believe it!
Loki, standing at the front of the crowd, narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on Haimer like a vice.
"What the hell is this guy up to…"
Though Loki didn't understand Haimer's reasons for doing this.
Still — based on her understanding of Haimer's character.
Loki knew perfectly well: no matter what Haimer was scheming right now, the moment he had opened his mouth and said something like this, it meant things were absolutely not as simple as they appeared on the surface.
"Finn, Riveria."
"Put your weapons away."
With that thought in mind, Loki lowered her voice.
"Loki?"
Hearing those words, Finn and Riveria were equally stunned — but seeing Loki's reaction, the two of them hesitated for only a moment before obeying the order, raising their hands and signalling their people.
And it wasn't just Loki.
Ganesha, standing behind Shakti.
Upon seeing the Two Kings of the Loki Familia — Finn and Riveria — make their move.
Understood completely what kind of method Haimer intended to use to keep these Xenos safe.
This was what Ouranos had spoken of — using Haimer's fearsome reputation as an umbrella of protection.
Things had already come this far; Ganesha knew he had no way out, and could only grit his teeth and force himself to yield ground for Haimer's actions.
"Shakti!"
"Since Haimer has already said it — these monsters have been brought under his power.
"Then we have no need to interfere in Haimer's private affairs.
"Dissolve the perimeter!"
Ganesha bellowed at Shakti.
"But — Lord Ganesha, why?!"
Hearing this, Shakti's face was a portrait of sheer disbelief as she looked at her own chief god — she simply could not understand how this god, whose entire existence was devoted to maintaining public order, could be issuing such an absurd command.
But under Ganesha's gaze, Shakti could only grit her teeth in the end, raise her hand, and signal the military police to withdraw the defensive line.
On the outskirts of the crowd.
In a concealed alleyway.
Naza Elirizis — who had already drawn her bowstring to full tension, arrowhead trained on the spider-woman —
— Miach Familia, Lv. 3
— "The Healing God's Loyal Hound," Naza Elirizis
Also, at Miach's instruction, slowly eased her taut fingers open.
Miach and Takemikazuchi stood together, and the two exchanged a glance — a wordless, mutual understanding passing between them.
"You heard, didn't you, Miach."
Takemikazuchi's voice held a faint tremor.
"Yes — I did."
"Since Haimer said so, and those creatures are genuinely obeying his commands…
"Then it can only be that thing…"
…
With Loki and Ganesha taking the lead in standing down.
Only those ordinary inhabitants of the Lower World who didn't know the full truth were left exchanging bewildered glances.
Because.
Every irrational element of this situation — from the perspective of any god — had in an instant been given one perfect, deeply chilling explanation.
— Back in the Heavens, Haimer had once devised, for the purpose of punishing gods who dared to provoke him, a terrifying technique that made gods of every rank go pale at the name.
Through that specific technique, he was capable of invading directly into the very deepest layer of a soul.
By means as agonising as being sliced apart one layer at a time, he would strip away the intellect of the god who had provoked him — piece by piece.
Until the target was reduced completely to a drooling, vacant idiot. He would then forcibly inject false memories, completing an absolute reset of the personality.
Even though a god of the Heavens would, upon death and rebirth, regain their original memories —
That period of memory — the one in which they had been brainwashed into becoming Haimer's obedient enforcer in the Heavens — would still follow that god's memory for all eternity, becoming a nightmare that never faded.
If even the souls of Heavenly gods could be kneaded and twisted at will by the technique he had created —
What did controlling a few Dungeon monsters amount to?
Thinking on this, every god now present — as though suddenly recalling some terrible memory — leaned in toward the ears of their own Familia members and murmured a few words.
One after another, wave after wave — countless adventurers who had rushed to the scene, under the clearly unsettled request of their own chief gods, laid down their weapons one by one.
At the same time.
On a street at the edge of Babel Tower's plaza.
On the second floor of a grand stone building with tall, floor-to-ceiling windows.
A large-framed Amazon woman — built like a toad — was watching the scene unfolding in the plaza below.
"Controlling monsters?"
"Have these people all lost their minds?!"
"Even for a god — how is it possible to actually control those mindless beasts from the Dungeon using some underhanded method like that?!"
"Don't you agree?"
"Lady Ishtar."
— Ishtar Familia, Lv. 5
— "Man-Killer," Furini Jamil
Being too beautiful is its own kind of sin.
Furini declared this at full volume, turned her head, and looked to the goddess Ishtar seated on the sofa, seeking her agreement.
However.
Before Furini could even finish her sentence.
"Ugh—!!!"
A violent, gut-wrenching sound of retching.
Abruptly cut off the rest of her words.
"Nani?!"
Furini spun around in a panic.
Only to see.
The chief goddess of the Ishtar Familia —
Ishtar had gone deathly pale, her pupils shaking in violent, rapid tremors, both hands clasped over her chest in a death-grip, retching uncontrollably — as though she had recalled some image of extreme and absolute terror.
"It's definitely… him… he would absolutely… do something like this…"
Even though she had stood side by side with Freya, she had never once seen her own goddess make a face like this. Not ever.
Ishtar's voice was trembling.
Leaving Furini utterly dumbstruck.