Malamiris convulsed frantically as Orion absorbed the soul—and with it, the title of Valkyrie—from Carmillya.

  "This soul has an intriguing composition."

  Closing one eye, Orion analyzed the pure essence now resting within his core.

  "There's a faint resemblance to a Remnant's soul synthesis."

  Marie tilted her head slightly, ignoring the Devourer’s frenzied spasms.

  "How can you tell, Master? Is it because of your own power?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

  Orion nodded faintly. His answer was meant for her ears alone—she, who had never encountered the mythical Remnants before meeting him.

  "The details aren’t important at this moment. What matters is that I’ve spent many moments with them, unraveling the mechanisms that dictate their powers, bit by bit."

  Velridar. Silka. Titania. And above all—

  Tetra.

  The time he’d spent with her, even before reclaiming the source of Purity from Blanc, had been immeasurable.

  He knew everything that made Tetra the person she was. And she knew him the same way.

  Marie turned her gaze back to Malamiris, understanding the quiet implication buried in his words.

  Even while thrashing uncontrollably, the Devourer’s eyes remained locked on Orion, filled with a hatred and madness no being should ever possess.

  The less information we give it, the better it will be for us.' She nodded inwardly. 'I hope my memories weren’t read by this monster…

  Her spirit dimmed at the thought of having endangered Orion.

  Her grip on the hilt tightened, knuckles whitening. Touch him, and I’ll answer in kind.

  A blazing flame ignited in her eyes, fueled by rage.

  "Agh! Im…possible!"

  Her broken voice brought their attention back. It no longer rode Carmillya’s vocal cords—it was something parasitic, crawling through the water like a worm, lodging itself straight into their eardrums.

  "Impossible! Impossible!! Impossible!!!"

  Orion sighed, thoroughly unimpressed.

  "I had no idea greater beings were so prone to tantrums. Better than my own daughter, even."

  Marie smiled faintly and sent a warm glance his way.

  I’ve never heard anyone describe Lady Stella as spoiled or tantrum-prone—not before the Primordial Elemental trial, anyway.

  She admired him all the more for adopting Stella, especially since the maid belonged to Olivia’s maid squad—made up entirely of the abandoned and orphaned.

  My Master compared you to Lady Stella, whose soul is as pure as his.

  Turning back to Malamiris, she spat a single word like venom.

  "Pathetic."

  One word. But against creatures that called themselves supreme, it was more than enough.

  Malamiris turned slightly, a twisted smile cracking across her ruined face.

  "Me? A being crafted by the Stars? Malamiris, Spawn of Chaos and Madness?"

  Her charred cheeks split wider, revealing jagged, inhuman teeth beneath.

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  "Pathetic, you said…"

  Her jaw began to grind, teeth gnashing together with a sound like bone scraping bone. Bitterness, deep and wild, tore through what little expression her face had left.

  "You, who know nothing of the Elder Ones... dare to mock me?"

  Ash began to crumble from her legs in sheets, disintegrating the shell she had worn since claiming Carmillya.

  As her fingers disintegrated one by one, she turned her gaze toward Orion—a twisted blend of fury and amusement in her eyes.

  "This shell will perish. That much is certain after what you've done. And yet, to bask in my venerated form—the true form of an Elder One..."

  Orion stood silent. Through his grip on her throat, he could already feel the energy within her carcass twisting, writhing.

  With a slight turn of his head, he ordered Marie to move behind him.

  "Yes, Master." With a firm nod, she repositioned herself as his faithful subordinate.

  Malamiris’ back began to bulge grotesquely, and Orion’s eyes narrowed.

  "I cannot wait to devour everything around you. Those souls... will be delicious, I bet."

  What came from her throat next was no longer speech. Not shaped by lungs. Not formed by vocal cords. It clacked and scraped like chitin grinding against itself—staccato, uneven, unnatural.

  Click-clack. Chk-chk-chk-chk. KRRRrk.

  It echoed through the cathedral ruins like rusted pincers snapping shut. Layered, staggered. As if multiple unseen mouths were laughing in discord behind armored flesh. It crawled into the water like laughter dredged from a nightmare.

  "..."

  The duo looked slightly disturbed by this display of mindless horror.

  Then came the cracking. Like a cocoon breaking.

  A long breath escaped the husk of Carmillya.

  Her back split open—slowly, wetly—like paper soaked in oil, torn by something inside. The gash spread from shoulder to spine, widening as the shell gave way to something that should never have been contained.

  From the wound, mist poured out. Not smoke—something colder. Alive. It curled upward in graceful spirals, glowing faintly with a color too pale and dark at once—like starlight drowned in ink.

  For a moment, it was beautiful.

  Then the mist thickened, sharpened. It twisted with intent.

  A shadow took shape within the fog—too tall. Unnatural. Limbs flickered in and out of view, twitching at impossible angles. The surface writhed like a living mirage, and the sea itself recoiled.

  The clicking returned. Quieter now, but closer. Louder with each second. Like a crab coughing through its shell. Mockery made manifest.

  And then the mist hardened.

  Chitin bloomed from the smoke. Plates locked into place with audible snaps. A malformed exoskeleton assembled itself from the vapor—glistening, translucent, pulsing with dark veins. Barbed limbs unfurled, stretching far beyond any human frame, clicking as joints aligned in ways that defied biology.

  Her head—or a mockery of one—twisted slowly, revealing wet, blinking eye-hollows in every direction.

  An unending tail slithered behind her like a wyrm, crashing into what remained of the cathedral walls.

  True horror had emerged.

  No longer wearing Carmillya.

  A towering creature loomed over Orion and Marie, its pincers clacking as if playing some ghastly rhythm.

  But Orion exhaled with relief.

  Only now do I realize.

  He turned, catching sight of a shimmering dragon in the distance—two women flanking it.

  We've averted the vision I had. He thought while recalling the tragedies he envisioned.

  Relieved, he reached out and placed a hand gently on Marie’s head.

  "You’ve done great. For now, return to Tetra and Henrietta. Tell them what happened here."

  Marie froze, stunned. A hollow pit opened in her chest.

  "M-Master… Am I—"

  But then she looked back at Malamiris.

  With just a glance, her mind dipped into something bottomless—a pit made of tar.

  "No. I understand. I will fulfill this order perfectly."

  He nodded. With quiet pride, he watched her release her voidsteel blades.

  As she turned to go, he muttered with a smile, "What a Perfect Maid."

  She smirked, bowing lightly.

  "I am only perfect for my Masters."

  Before he could blink, she had vanished—a puff of stars gone from his side.

  "..."

  He cracked his neck, turning to face the monstrosity.

  Her body was stabilizing—anchoring itself to reality.

  "It is the Hero’s primary duty to protect his companions."

  "I learned that from a man far greater than I could ever hope to be."

  A mocking hiss escaped the creature.

  "Your fate won’t change. Your body will bend. Your mind will be unmade. And I will devour every soul that still shines with purity."

  Orion dropped his arms with exaggerated exhaustion and sighed.

  "You really don’t get it, do you?"

  He didn’t move. Only tilted his head upward—mockingly.

  "You can call yourself whatever your chaotic mind fancies. But to me, this is nothing more than a trifling matter."

  "Devourer or not, weak or powerful—I make no distinction."

  A shadow stirred beneath Malamiris’ pincer, fast and silent. It lunged, howling.

  She blinked—and in that blink, everything changed.

  Orion had transformed into his Abyssal Sovereign form.

  And Sirius was already upon her.

  The wolf tore the pincer clean off and hurled it upward.

  Orion raised a single finger.

  A searing ray of pure darkness exploded from it—devouring the massive limb without leaving ash behind.

  Malamiris looked at her missing pincer with an emotion she had nearly forgotten.

  Fear.

  "I said it before I came here."

  The mighty wolf landed behind Orion like a falling star, weightless, regal.

  "I would make you feel afraid."

  "You’ll learn there are beings far more dangerous than you imagined."

  Orion raised his hand toward her, eyes narrowing into black suns.

  "Invading our world was your mistake."

  "And I won’t let you hurt my family."