Takami Musubinokami—one of the core abilities of the Momoshiki Rinnegan.
It operated on a closed-loop mechanism of absorption, analysis, amplification, and release, enabling an incredibly efficient cycle of energy use during combat.
However, unlike in the original series, where Momoshiki had the Rinnegan embedded in each palm—right for absorption, left for release—Ryota wasn't bound by that limiting structure.
To him, absorbing and releasing were merely extensions of his will.
All it took was a simple gesture, like lifting a palm, and he could swallow Lefiya's magic whole. Then, with a casual flick, he could unleash it again—amplified to multiple times its original power.
No switches. No setup.
It all happened in the space of a single thought.
Not far away, the rocky wall of the Large Tree Labyrinth still smoked, a massive pit gouged deep into the stone.
Lefiya stared blankly at the crater, a string of giant question marks practically popping above her head.
"T-That was my magic?"
She ran over to Ryota, blinking rapidly. "Ryota, was that your new ability? How were you able to absorb my spell?!"
Ryota nodded calmly. "Yeah. It's a power that lets me take in a magic and send it right back—just with more firepower."
"Even more?!" Lefiya's mouth hung open, her face practically shouting, Why have I never heard of anything like that?!
Next to her, Ais's golden eyes fixed on Ryota without blinking, a subtle gleam shining through her usually placid gaze.
Both girls looked at him, and in their eyes was a familiar glow—
One called admiration.
And it wasn't the shy, hesitant kind—it was blatant, pure, and unfiltered, more direct than ever before.
Shock?
They'd long since lost that feeling.
Ever since that expedition with Ryota—since the very moment Freya's charm had been severed before their eyes—the way they viewed him had subtly shifted.
He wasn't just a "strong comrade," or some "powerful Adventurer."
He was one of the only people in that warped world who remained awake.
That feeling—of being dragged out of a dream, of being saved—was something no amount of awe could surpass.
And combined with the almost inhuman powers Ryota had displayed since then, their emotions toward him had gradually distilled down to a single, unified signal.
At this point, to Ryota, these two girls were emotional lighthouses—sending only one message:
Whatever you say is right. Whatever you do, we believe in you.
It was no longer trust born of logic or reason.
It was the kind of faith that came after being crushed by overwhelming strength—
Simple. Brutal. Unshakable.
Ryota waved his hand lightly with a relaxed smile. "You got the Guild's secret commission too, right?"
That snapped Ais and Lefiya out of their daze. The awe on their faces vanished, replaced by much more serious expressions.
Ais nodded. Lefiya hugged her staff closer and stepped forward, speaking softly:
"We got it. Last night, Lady Loki gathered all the core members and explained the mission."
She hesitated, then added a bit awkwardly:
"You know... the Loki Familia's pretty broke right now."
"Because of that woman's charm, everyone in the Familia just automatically assumed we lost the War Game terribly. We were even getting ready to pay that compensation fee…"
She sighed.
"But the reward for this Guild commission is huge. Mountains of Valis. Even though Lady Loki grumbled about having to work with the Freya Familia, she still agreed."
"In other words, the Loki Familia... is about to fight alongside the Freya Familia."
Ais added quietly, "It's task collaboration, not Familia collaboration. That's what Loki said."
Ryota listened to their slightly complicated report with a faint, unreadable smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Exactly as he'd expected.
Lefiya looked at the black-haired boy's smirk and asked in a small voice:
"Ryota, this secret commission from the Guild… was it your idea?"
"Did you go to Lord Ouranos, set this whole thing up as a mission to gather us together, and plan to cut the Freya Familia's strings in one go?"
Ryota froze for a second, equal parts amused and exasperated by the elf's wild theory.
"If I really had that kind of power, I'd be sitting on the divine throne by now, wouldn't I?"
Still, he didn't bother hiding anything. He gave them a simple rundown of what had happened the last couple of days with Ouranos:
The summons from Ouranos.
The Dungeon's unrest.
The signs that one of the Three Great Commissions—the Black Dragon—was awakening. And the Guild's decision to initiate a joint investigation.
He laid it all out in a logical, step-by-step manner. Sounded totally reasonable.
Only Ryota himself knew what parts he'd glossed over:
Like the god-tier "immunity" Ouranos had silently granted him.
Or the fact that the true history behind this mission—was something he planned to rewrite.
Ais and Lefiya didn't question it. They didn't care what had been omitted.
If Ryota said it, they believed it.
That was all.
Though when Ais heard the words "Black Dragon," her expression twitched. A murderous glint flashed in her eyes.
"Ais."
Ryota called her name gently, then reached out and patted her head.
Under the power of the patented Head Pat Suppression Jutsu, the murderous intent visibly faded, inch by inch.
Ais lowered her head and gave a soft "Mm."
Lefiya looked on with both resignation and jealousy, but said nothing.
Once the mood settled, Ryota spoke again.
"The Guild made the commission public, but realistically… from the standpoint of resources, strength, and willingness…"
He shrugged with a chuckle.
"It's pretty much just the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia who'll take it seriously."
"So then—see you in the Dungeon."
Lefiya let out a surprised "Eh?" Ais also looked up on instinct.
Their eyes met, then turned back to Ryota—now carrying a tangle of unspoken emotions.
They were used to it by now.
Used to having that black-haired boy beside them in the Labyrinth.
Used to his towering Susanoo shielding them in battle.
And now... they were going to head into the Dungeon separately?
Ais frowned. Lefiya pouted and muttered under her breath:
"Don't go rushing too far ahead. Ais and I still want to see that new ability of yours!"
Ryota had just opened his mouth to respond—smile still lingering—when Lefiya suddenly perked up as if remembering something.
"Oh, right! Yesterday Lady Hestia came looking for Lady Loki. She kept bringing up your name!"
"Hestia…?"
Ryota had been so caught up testing his new power these past two days, he'd nearly forgotten about the petite, well-endowed, constantly-yelling-to-move-in-together little goddess.
The memory of her flustered, red-faced confession brought a chuckle to his lips.
"She doing okay?"
Lefiya nodded.
"Lady Hestia seemed just fine. But in front of Lady Loki, she kept insisting you're with the Loki Familia, not the Freya Familia. Said she'd find a way to prove it or something…"
"And?"
Ryota raised a brow.
"Well…" Lefiya shrugged. "Lady Loki thought she was just being ridiculous. Said something like, 'Shorty, you been eating too many fried potato balls?'"
Ais's face softened with a trace of nostalgia. She murmured, "She was serious, though."
Ryota knew Hestia hadn't been charmed. But being alone, with no one believing her… yeah, that was rough.
Then Lefiya added:
"Lady Hestia might be… immune to Freya's charm?"
Ryota nodded. "Freya's charm really doesn't work on her."
Lefiya's eyes lit up like she'd just found a lifeline.
"Then isn't that perfect?! If Lady Hestia helps us, we can restore Orario to normal! She's a goddess, and charm doesn't affect her, she could definitely—"
"She can't."
Ryota cut her off immediately.
Lefiya froze. Ais lifted her head slightly. Both looked at him, puzzled.
"It's not that she won't help," Ryota sighed. "It's that her way just… isn't viable."
He thought back to how Hestia had handled it in the original timeline.
A desperate, last-resort plan.
"That was the worst-case scenario."
Ryota looked at the two girls and said slowly,
"Hestia's method is too slow. Too complicated. It requires too much."
"You both know—the Freya Familia is the top Familia in Orario right now."
"No matter how smart or capable Hestia is, she can't just rip Freya's charm out of Orario inch by inch without triggering a full-blown war."
The two fell silent.
Because Ryota was right.
Hestia was alone. No Familia, no backup. Even with her immunity to charm, expecting her to dismantle an entire citywide network of seduction and manipulation…
It was a pipe dream.
Ais spoke softly, "Then... what do we do?"
Ryota smiled faintly.
He lifted his head, eyes seeming to pierce through the branches of the Labyrinth above, looking to the sky beyond.
"It's almost time."
"I have a feeling… after this, everything will finally end."
...
Just as Ryota predicted—
Of all Orario, only two Familias responded to Ouranos's commission.
The Freya Familia and the Loki Familia.
Two of the most powerful forces in the city, both stepping forward for this Guild-led "exploration mission."
The Freya Familia's reason was simple.
Freya herself intended to use this opportunity to exhaust Ryota.
Just like she had done to Bell in the original story.
Let Hedin push him again and again, grind down his spirit and resolve, then move in and seduce him completely.
Only this time, the target was Ryota—and the tactics had shifted.
She was still the master of the board.
She'd even accepted that Ryota hadn't fully fallen under her spell.
But she wasn't in a rush. She would wait.
She would push him to the edge during this expedition to the fifty-ninth floor—
Then strike at his one moment of weakness and complete the divine induction.
Besides, the Freya Familia had no room to refuse.
As the top Familia in Orario, if they dodged such a public mission, charm or not, their reputation would crack.
The Loki Familia's reasons, as Lefiya had said, were simpler: money.
After being branded the losers of the War Game, support had dried up, and their prestige had taken a hit.
But their belief in Dungeon exploration had never wavered.
And with the Guild offering rewards this generous, it was a deal no Familia could ignore.
Even if it meant cooperating with the Freya Familia.
So in the end, the announcement went out, and the city trembled.
Everyone believed it—the Freya and Loki Familias would undertake a historic expedition together.
And Ryota, the true orchestrator of it all, simply smiled.
This mission, hailed as the "start of a new age of expeditions," would completely change under his hand.
It wasn't exploration.
It wasn't cooperation.
It was the prelude to the awakening of the Rinnegan.
Everything was leading to that final dream under moonlight—
Infinite Tsukuyomi.
At this moment, Ryota stood with the Freya Familia, staring up at the all-too-familiar Babel Tower.
Beside him stood Freya's finest: Ottar, Hogni, Heith—all elite among elites.
Around them, the people of Orario cheered and cried out:
"It's the Freya Familia!"
"They're heading into the Dungeon!"
"For the safety of Orario!"
"So cool... is that Ryota walking in front?"
"..."
Ryota listened to their voices, expression utterly unreadable.
To the people of Orario, no matter how dazzling Ryota's past feats had been, today he walked under the name of the Freya Familia.
This was charm—this was the false consensus of the world.
Of course he despised Freya. Despised how she replaced logic with charm, manipulated destiny with seduction.
But for now, he would walk alongside them.
Today was the beginning of their journey into the Dungeon.
And it would be the final stroke on the canvas of the DanMachi world.
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