Upon the Underworld castle, a meeting is called between all the Kaisers minus Zagreus. Everyone is gathering upon the Lounging room as Ploutos, Makaria, Thalia, and Melinoe are present.

The group just sitting and standing around before they turned towards the nearest doorway that is opened and Polemos came walking in.

"I'm here." The Arc Kaiser came to his siblings. "what's the emergency call for?"

"it's for something that Makaria experienced beforehand in the day." Melinoe said as she leans off the couch which Ploutos was sitting on, the Blade Kaiser having her arms crossed while walking near the Arc Kaiser and turns to look at the Mage Kaiser. "she saw someone who we thought was long gone."

"someone who we thought was long gone?" Polemos said before he looks at Makaria. "who?"

"Meteria." Makaria replied and this made Polemos look surprised and confused.

"wait, what? Meteria? You saw Meteria?" the Arc Kaiser looks very bewildered. "what do you mean you saw Meteria?"

"better if you just use the Mind Link Spell to get him up to speed." Ploutos said as he sighs then gets off the couch.

"yeah, that's true." Makaria said before she taps a finger to her forehead and then points it at Polemos. The Mage Kaiser firing a white beam that hits the Arc Kaiser's head as the magic spell instantly shared memories between the two.

"w-wait a minute…that was Meteria!?" Polemos stated as he looks at everyone one by one. "how is that possible?! What was that form of hers!? A ghost!? A spirit!?"

"whichever it is, we can't just ignore this." Melinoe said as she came by and stood in the middle of the group's viewpoint. "I want everyone's opinion on this strange situation of ours."

"Strange ain't the right word at all." Ploutos said as he cups his chin and scratches it a few times. "Thalia already gave a few opinions of hers and I'm sticking with the opinion that Meteria might not be dead at all."

"you sure about that?" Makaria asks while waving a hand to the side. "we were there on the day Zagreus buried her body, and I know a dead body when I see one."

"Are we going to just discuss this till who knows how long?" Thalia asks as she slowly stood up and then slammed the bottom of her Saint Cross to the side. "my opinions were just non fact based opinions, right now we should be thinking of opinions on who allowed the possibility of Meteria's Spirit that encountered by Makaria in the first place."

"who?" Melinoe asks while raising an eyebrow. "are you saying that someone is making an illusion of Meteria to us?"

"no. what i'm saying that Meteria may not have died or is in some sort of suspended state between life and death because of someone's interference." Thalia said while hugging her Saint Cross and then goes near the fireplace that is closest to their current position. The Saint Kaiser looking upon the flames that burns the wood. "and that someone is none other than our Familia's current leader."

Her words made the conversation go silent as the Kaisers looked at one another before thinking of such possibility.

"if there's anyone who can trifle with the matter of life and death that measly," Melinoe spoke before nodding to Thalia. "It's Zagreus."

"he's the only one of us who got more than one type of power." Polemos added in. "it wouldn't be such a surprise if he come up with some sort of solution to save Meteria."

"suspending her body's current state, separating her soul from it, and is possibly searching for a cure for her sickness." Ploutos said as he crossed his arms on his chest. "I don't know about you guys, but that's definitely something secretive of Zagreus to do behind our backs."

"not to mention, he's the only one who stayed behind a day or two after we left Meteria's home." Makaria added in.

"so we're all in an agreement?" Thalia spoke out as she comes near the other Kaisers who formed a circle. Each one looking at the other. "this Meteria's ghost or whatnot, it's something that Zagreus got a connection too. So we need to find out on how he is connected to it."

"agreed." "yeah." "definitely." "indeed." The other Kaisers replied in unison while nodding.

"let's start the search in the Underworld Castle." Melinoe said as she waves a hand to the side and in an instant, all the furniture in the Lounging room all floats off the ground. "let's start our way from the inside to the outside."

"got it." The other Kaisers replied in unison before they moved.

The Kaisers started to inspect the entire parts of their Home, not knowing that they were being watched from the ceiling by a shadow with glowing red eyes that soon looms away and disappears in matter of seconds.


Meanwhile in the Dungeon's 57th floor, an advance group of the Loki Familia members are found to be diving into the deeper floors as everyone is on the mission appointed to them by the Kaisers.

The group consisting of the leader Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Tione, Tiona, Bete, Lefiya, Raul, Alicia, Cruz, Narvi, and Annakitty. The Familia only diving into the deeper floors in this group while the rest remained at the 50th floor where they made their base.

"we're here again, huh?" Tiona spoke as everyone ventured into the stairway to the 58th floor. The trip to the deeper floors had been a bit eventful because of the monsters, but it's now rather silent. "comparing to our last trip here…."

"something just ain't right." Tione stated as she looks around side to side and then at Finn. "Captain, something isn't right in the Dungeon at all."

"I know." Finn nodded as he looks tense. "from the 51st to the 52nd floor, we've not been sniped by the Valgang Dragons and haven't encountered that many monsters on our way here." He held his thumb up and sees how it was twitching very hard. "There's no doubt that the Dungeon has somewhat changed."

"but what could've caused it?" Gareth spoke, the dwarf eyeing the walls of the stairway.

While everyone was conversing about the mysterious change of the Dungeon's Nature, Riveria is in deep thought.

'Please….take care of Zagreus.'

Riveria hears the voice of a woman in her mind, the owner of that voice is none other than Meteria as the high elf is having a flashback of her encounter with the woman.

Flashback

Upon a time in the past, right about 15 years ago.

Riveria is face to face with Meteria, the high elf looking a bit baffled, shocked, and mad at the white haired woman. The two are at the back of an alley for a private secluded meeting.

"you…you dare say such things after just breaking his heart!?" Riveria exclaimed in response to Meteria's words. "you just decided to abandon his feelings after how long you two have been together!? Do you not have any sense of morality!?"

"I don't think I do…" Meteria replied as she looks down with a frown on her face. "I always thought that I could stay strong and be by his side, but with him being the leader of the Kaiser Familia…." Her frown grows sad as she closed her eyes and turns her head to the side. "it was just too much of a burden to shoulder."

"are you saying that you couldn't handle the pressure of being with him because of his position in Orario?" Riveria asks while squinting her eyes and seemingly glare at Meteria. "Zagreus would've done anything for you! He could've tried to find a way to ease the situation between being with you and being the Kaiser of Orario! But you just choose the coward's path to escape the burden!"

Meteria listens to Riveria's words for a moment before she made a sad smile.

"I guess I am a coward for doing so." Meteria said as she looks back at Riveria. "I was always called weak, naïve, and a fool." Her eyes teared up a bit. "I just didn't know how much I was any of those before."

Riveria's glare hardened before the high elf proceeded to raise her hand and then delivered a slap to Meteria's right cheek.

"I can't understand how Zagreus could be in love with you in the first place!" Riveria exclaimed angrily. "but after confronting you, I finally understood!" she then points a finger at Meteria who held a hand to her slapped cheek. "you just seduced him with your weak and innocent persona! You're just a cunning fox! Someone who just used others for your own selfish desires!"

Meteria listens to her words for a moment before she proceeded to leave the alley.

"where are you going!?" Riveria exclaimed. "are you fleeing without another remark!? You coward! Is this what you do if things don't go your way!? Run away like the coward you are!?" she then swings a hand to the side. "are you going to whine to your sister!? Are you going to make up an excuse to your goddess!? Then do it! I'll fight back with all my might! I'll fight you off and protect Zagreus from you! You disgusting fox woman!"

Riveria continues to give out harsh remarks at Meteria who leaves but she was smiling softly while in tears.

Flashback

'to think that it was an elaborate plan of hers to ensure that Zagreus doesn't know about her condition at that time…' Riveria frowns sadly as she thought back to that time of the past. 'she sacrificed her very image to make everyone think of her as the villain and to make herself be hated in order to protect her own child…' she slowly clenched her grip on the handle of her magic staff. 'I called her so many things and now I regret it so much…' she frowns very sadly. 'it's me who is a coward. I couldn't do anything right for him as I let my own pride take over my own decisions..i'm the worst person there is.'

"Riveria-sama?" Alicia's voice is heard calling to Riveria who made a noise before turning to look at her fellow elf who looks worried. "are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"

"n-no..i'm fine, Alicia." Riveria spoke as she coughs into a fist before she looks forward. "I was just…in deep thinking of things."

"i-I see.." Alicia spoke, the elf being worried for the high elf princess as she knows that it might relate to the Kaisers; especially the Bloody Kaiser. She then looks forward as she sees that they arrived to the 58th floor. "we've arrived to the 58th floor."

Everyone entered the floor and looks surprised to see that the Floor is completely void of any monsters.

"just what the heck is going on here?" Bete asks with a growl as everyone traverse into the floor area and sees that their surroundings is nothing but rocks and such. "there's nothing here at all!"

"no monsters, no weird stuff at all." Tiona said as she kneeled and checks the dirt on the ground that felt like normal soil. "it's like everything here got cleaned up by something."

"or someone." Tione said as she is a bit ahead of the group, the Jormugand kneeling by a set of footprints. "look at these tracks."

"a person or two has been here." Finn said as everyone checks the tracks while Bete got down to sniff it. "are you familiar with the scent, Bete?"

"yeah." Bete said before he growls when the image of Revis and Filvis appears in the back of his mind. "it's that red headed monster bitch and Dionysus Familia's Maenadis."

"Filvis-san!?" Lefiya gasps a bit in thinking back to her former friend now turned enemy.

"they've been here for at least a day or two." Finn said while caressing the ground near the tracks. "they must've been the ones who completely clear the floor of the Valgang Dragons."

"probably to get the magic crystal drops." Gareth said as he scratches his beard a bit. "that monster woman eats the magic crystal drops to power up, right?"

"indeed." Riveria nodded, remembering an old conversation with Aiz a few months back. The sword princess telling the high elf about how Revis ate the corrupted magic crystal from her former comrade Olivas Act and somehow getting stronger than before. "with how there's been fewer monsters encounter, I cannot think of how stronger she might have become."

"yeah." Finn nods before he stood up straight and looks at the far distant entrance to the 59th floor stairway.

"what should we do now, Captain?" Raul asks. "should we camp here or?"

"we have to advance." Finn replied. "if we camp here, we might have no advantage against our enemies who may as well be waiting for us to come or not." He looks back at everyone in the group. "I want everyone to check everything we have and make sure that we have enough." He then looks back at the entrance way. "I have no doubt that we will be fighting against our target in due time."


Meanwhile at the 60th floor, Revis is found standing and waiting as the monster woman looks at the entrance to the floor. She stood in silence while having her cursed greatsword at the ready.

"what are you doing?" a voice spoke as Revis glances to the side and sees Filvis coming to her side. "you are supposed to be getting ready for an ambush against the Loki Familia. Why are you waiting here for?"

"it's because Aria isn't with them." Revis stated. "I don't sense her with them."

"the Sword Princes remains upon Orario after an incident." Filvis stated. "that is no reason to be staying here."

"ambushing them will be a waste of time." Revis said before she turns and looks behind her to a large being that seems to be gasping and growling at the same time. "besides, it's about time we put this thing to good use after feeding it so much Magic stones."

"it's still considered a child that is imperfect." Filvis said as she turns and faces a large black dragon monster that has been parasite by a demi spirit. The creature growling and gasping as the humanoid part is eating magic stones while the reptilian part is eating the flesh of dead monsters. "but with its power, it can destroy the Loki Familia in an instant." She then looks at Revis. "but be prepared. The Kaisers were the ones who sent the Loki Familia down here. There's no doubt that they are waiting for you to meet with them."

"it doesn't matter if this Kaiser comes or not." Revis said as she turns to look back at the entrance way. "all that matters is that there will be death."

Filvis looks at Revis for a moment before she closed her eyes and began to walk away.

"do as you wish." Filvis said before she stops for a moment and then looks back at Revis. "be sure to spare one who will be used as a messenger to the Kaisers."

"and you wish it to be that elf you were friends with, aren't you?" Revis asks as Filvis' face twitches a bit at the mention of Lefiya. The monster woman looks back at the Maenadis. "remember, you are now their enemies and no longer friends."

"you don't think I know that?" Filvis retorted with glaring eyes. "know your place, Revis."

Revis didn't make a retort or whatsoever, the monster woman just looks back at the entrance way and awaits the Loki Familia to come.

Filvis looks at Revis before she begins to walk away.

'Lefiya…' Filvis thought back to the Thousand Elf, feeling rather sad that she could not be with her anymore. She shakes her head before showing a very serious expression. 'no…it's no longer possible…i…I am an enemy now.'


That's a wrap!

Bye bye