By the time Finn and the others reached the entrance of the Great Labyrinth Tree, they saw the magnificent sight of a giant raven crying from above as a rain of thunder poured down.
Lightning, the natural bane of most insects.
Well… maybe not universally.
At the very least, against Deadly Hornets, lightning is absolutely effective.
Their carapaces, which could deflect arrows, were helpless before the penetrating force of electricity.
And no matter how fast their evasive maneuvers, nothing could outspeed a lightning strike.
Now, as the group glanced around, they saw the interior of the Hollow Tree, its ground and walls alike, riddled with craters and scorched holes.
Naturally, the Bloodhive at the very center, unlike ordinary hanging hives, was now in a state as miserable as a nest of Alien facehugger eggs.
Originally a massive pinecone-like structure over seven meters tall, it had been battered into a ruin.
Oz's lightning arrows carried tremendous piercing power, and after that first wave of thunderous arrow rain, Fischl's chosen target, the Bloodhive, had been reduced to a true hornet's nest.
A thousand holes, everywhere.
Of course, as a rare spawn, it wasn't something ordinary adventurers could take down so easily. Even a Level 4 would normally need a long battle to destroy it.
So, relying on Oz's scatter-shot lightning alone shouldn't have been enough to pierce it so thoroughly.
Which was why,
[Wings of Night, sever day and dusk, ]
With Fischl's second incantation, Oz, still circling above after the first volley, suddenly expanded in size.
The next instant, like an air-to-ground missile, he plummeted toward the Bloodhive in a divebomb, dark feathers scattering behind him.
BOOOOM!
Lightning erupted violently, arcs dancing in every direction.
Dungeon mid-tier monsters weren't exactly the brightest.
The Bloodhive hadn't even thought to order its hornets into a defensive shield.
Caught off guard, it was obliterated by Oz's self-destructive dive.
Several hornets buzzing nearby were caught in the lightning burst, collapsing midair.
Seeing the results,
"Phew… more or less as I expected."
Aether sighed, standing slightly ahead of the others, his back to them.
But as always… the more powerful the move, the more terrifying the mana cost.
Still thinking this, he casually sliced down a few straggling hornets, clipping their fragile wings and letting Lumine finish them with her sword.
Normally, Deadly Hornets weren't this easy to cull.
But Fischl's earlier strike had not only destroyed the hive, throwing the swarm into chaos, it had also left lingering arcs of electricity that further disrupted their movement.
ZZAAP ZZAAP!
The insects turned to ash, magic stones clinking crisply onto the ground.
Aether released Fischl from her manifested state.
There was no need for her to continue draining mana just for cleanup.
A few minutes later, with the Hollow Tree cleared,
"Mm. Enemy Sense isn't reacting anymore. All done."
Confirming no more red arrows on their vision, Lumine and Aether sheathed their weapons.
Just then, Finn and the others arrived.
Among them, Tiona, reacted the most.
Honestly, if not for the massive double-blade in her hands, she might have jumped on Lumine for yet another cheek rub.
But lacking that chance,
"Lumine! Who was that just now? That was sooo cool~"
"This? Well…"
Lumine smiled patiently, explaining according to the prearranged plan. She satisfied Tiona, Lefiya, and even Ais's curiosity.
She fit into the little group quite well.
Meanwhile, Aether gave a more formal explanation to Finn and Riveria.
"Indeed, Riveria, you were right. Fischl is a special being similar to an elemental spirit."
He continued calmly:
"The summoning magic Lumine and I use… is modeled after the gods' creation of the Elemental Fairies. Based on the half-bodies of the gods that shone in ancient legends, we crafted warriors in the image of what we believe strong allies should be."
"And just as the gods gave those spirits a race-name, Lumine and I, after consulting Goddess Freya, decided to call them the… Aetherion."
This matter had been thoroughly discussed with Freya beforehand.
What to say, what could be revealed, and what had to remain secret, everything carefully planned.
After all, while he did intend to expose some details of the Aetherion's existence, using Freya Familia's power to deter schemers, there were still major concerns.
What if some gods see this as an offense against divinity itself?
In some other fantasy worlds, a self-righteous god might have already descended to strike down such "blasphemy."
But fortunately, this was Gekai.
Freya had told him: in the Heavens now, after long decay, the gods had grown passive, practically Buddhist in their detachment.
They wouldn't punish him.
In fact, many of them longed for new unknowns in the Lower World.
They might even be glad.
And Freya had added something else,
"The greatest unknown in the Lower World lies with you. While I have no desire to share it with others, if that is your will, I will respect it. Whatever troubles follow, don't worry, I will handle them. After all, if I cannot protect even a little brother, what right do I have to be the strongest Familia's goddess?"
Honestly, big sis Freya really knows how to look after people.
Not as a lover, she wasn't his type at all.
But as a sister without blood ties? That, Aether could gladly accept.
In fact… maybe I should even play wingman for her someday, so long as it doesn't hurt innocents.
For now, though,
"Creating strong warriors in your own image… modeled after divine spirits?"
Even those not well-versed in magic could feel the weight of those words.
And then,
"Wait!"
Finn's sharp mind caught something.
"You said Aetherion as in, plural? Fischl… and others?"
"Correct."
Aether nodded.
"I can already summon several. And there will be more in the future."
The shock on their faces grew deeper. Even Riveria needed time to digest the revelation.
Finally,
"Idiot! How can you just spill something so important like it's nothing?!"
It was Bete who snapped, voice low and conflicted.
Aether didn't even bother mentally translating this time.
He's not angry. He's… conflicted.
Seeing that,
"This?"
Aether shrugged.
"These are things Freya herself approved for disclosure. Loki probably knows some rumors already, too."
He smirked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And even a masked bastard… takes the mask off sometimes."
"…Tch."
Bete clicked his tongue, hands shoved in pockets, turning away.
He didn't argue further.
Watching his restless tail flicking as he left,
Heh. Tsundere wolf, huh?
The little devil in Aether's mind grinned mischievously.
=============
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