The Plan

"Seems like Three was no match for you," Zero taunted with a mocking tone, addressing me as I stood firm. "But I must say, I applaud your quick thinking. One of our abilities is the power of self-destruction, but it was supposed to be extremely difficult to sense until it was too late. If our strength is not enough to overcome our foes, then at least we can take them down with us. Don't you agree?"

I couldn't help but scoff at his feeble attempt to intimidate us.

"Self-destruct? Is that really your grand plan to defeat Orario?" I retorted, my voice laced with confidence. "If such a desperate measure was enough to bring this city to its knees, it would've been destroyed long ago. You'll meet the same fate as your Three before that, though. But if you're willing, I'd be more than happy to dissect you first and uncover the secrets behind your power."

While engaging with a few of their members in combat, I used the opportunity to test the extent of my abilities on them. Strangely, my illusions had no effect on them, and it was evident that some unseen force or barrier was obstructing me from reaching their minds. This phenomenon was reminiscent of what happened when the Monsters escaped from the Dungeon and caught us unaware. I couldn't use any illusions on them either.

With each passing moment, any lingering doubts about the possibility of this being someone else's doing vanished, leaving no doubt that their powers originated from the same source.

In response, I relied on my physical strength, which had reached its absolute zenith by this point. Dealing with them in hand-to-hand combat was a mere formality, as I dispatched them with ease.

[Analysis completed]

[By confronting "Three" and "Malachi" the likelihood of their powers stemming from the same source is 99.9%.

It would be accurate to say Three is a 'vassal', using a diluted version of Divinity.

Impossible to analyze further with this amount of information.]

Lucy's analysis was invaluable in shedding light on the situation. The likelihood that Three and Malachi shared a common origin was almost certain, and their powers seemed to stem from a diluted form of Divinity.

However, there were still many unanswered questions, and obtaining samples for Lucy to analyze was paramount. If we could just get our hands on one of them, we might be able to uncover the truth behind their abilities.

"Self-destruct? I don't think I'll ever need to entertain that notion to deal with you."

I stole a quick glance at Ais, and seeing how effortlessly she dealt with a few of them, a sense of reassurance washed over me.

"Let's see where your confidence stems from," I taunted, meeting Zero head-on in combat. Despite the mask concealing his face, I could sense a smirk hidden behind it, fueling my determination to take him down. Our swords clashed, this fight soon being the main point behind everything as it was clear that if I lost, then Orario might as well be done for.

Still, I would rather remove my limits and become a God this instant rather than die while Ais was watching me...

--- Malachi's POV ---

The plan was unfolding smoothly, just as I had envisioned, despite my earlier setback.

My rage burned hotter than ever. I vowed to exact gruesome revenge on the human who dared to harm me. The image of tearing her skin apart, dismantling her organs one by one, and presenting her severed head to her lover before killing him too consumed my thoughts.

But for now, I had to focus on completing the plan laid out by those above me. Our strategy was divided into two fronts.

One involved conquering Orario by using the foolish Monsters to collect mortal souls, while the other utilized Knossos and the Xenos.

In this world of Danmachi, souls of Monsters that got reincarnated always returned after a while, thanks to the enigmatic power of the Dungeon. This meant that we could consume their souls and still have them regenerate, providing us with an infinite supply of energy.

Dix, who knew Knossos intricately, would aid in capturing the Xenos.

Thus, I captured Dix and manipulated his mind, turning him into my puppet, a mere pawn named "Zero." Along with him, I influenced anyone connected to him, including his Familia and the young God Ikelos, who led his Familia. Through various means, I ensured their loyalty to me as they all became servants of mine under new identities.

Although I was later expelled from the Danmachi world, I had prepared contingencies to continue the plan remotely. A special statue allowed me to communicate with my servants from afar, though it drained a significant amount of energy. Nevertheless, it was a small price to pay for maintaining control over the unfolding events.

With my influence, I managed to infiltrate different nations and coerce them into declaring war on Orario. Whether they won or lost was of little consequence to me; what truly mattered was that they followed the plan. Even if I couldn't be there in person, their deaths would provide me with enough souls to proceed with the next steps of my plan.

---

Author's Note:

Thus, we shed some light on what is happening, at least.