Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

The sounds of clashing swords and explosions filled the area. After Erebus retreated, the Dark Faction also retreated back to the city walls, leaving behind a trail of corpses.

An empty church, inside a room.

Lily and Pochi dragged the unconscious Adee through the side door, where there was no one else around.

Charles sat on the sofa, clearly having been waiting for some time.

First, I fed Adi a segment of orange, lamenting that our reserves of life-saving tools were dwindling.

The battle ended quickly, and Shakti and the Astrea Familia, having received the news, returned to the church.

Layla covered her head with her hands, looking around: "So that's why you suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield, you little brat. So this is your home."

Ryu and Alexandra immediately entered the room to check on Ady's condition.

Leila sat down in front of Charles, and said somewhat awkwardly, "To be honest, I didn't expect that you would be the one to help us in the end."

Charles sat down and poured himself a cup of tea: "I was helping Adi, helping the city. Our conflict and antagonism have nothing to do with anyone else."

Leila raised the corners of her mouth: "Even so, I still want to thank you on behalf of my youngest sister. But looking back, I still think we're not compatible at all."

The stench emanating from the sewer made each other feel nauseous.

To Leila's surprise, she felt no aversion to fighting alongside him; on the contrary, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.

What a hell.

He scratched his head in frustration: "I still think you're strange, but we've seen everything you've done for the city. Just like Astraea said, if we ever turn against each other, we'll let you go."

"That's a huge help," Charles said sarcastically.

Chapter 204 The Joker's true identity is...

A quiet lounge.

"Sigh, the brief battle is finally over. Let me rest for a bit."

Parum lay sprawled on the chair, complaining loudly.

Ryu sat on the edge of the bed: "That's very rude, Leila."

She placed the peeled apple on a plate: "It's not time to relax yet."

"Let's relax a little while we can. We still need to collect the bodies of the civilians and do patrols later." The werewolf Niz leaned against the door, looking at her teammates with worry.

Ryu lowered her head, her expression somber: "So many people died... so many couldn't be saved. They tried to make the only choice, but failed because they lacked the ability. Even Adi..."

“Yes… whether it’s comrades or enemies, even Adi… he encountered such a thing.” Alexie sighed heavily, her voice trembling with tears.

“Adi…” Liu’s expression was filled with grief.

……

however……

"Hey! Wait, wait, wait! I'm still alive!!! Don't talk like I'm already dead!" Adi retorted loudly, holding the apple that Liu had peeled!

"Haha, sorry, just kidding, Adi. Bachelikon~~~"

What is bachikon?

Liu blushed and apologized, "I'm sorry, Adi. Thinking back to that time, I couldn't help but..."

Leila joked, "Ah, speaking of which, seeing Adi like that, regressing from a battlefield soldier to a toddler, is just too funny. Ah, this is so troublesome. Adi... Adi's crying is getting louder and louder."

"Lyra————"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Alexandra teased, "Oh, speaking of which, Leon. I heard you almost killed a god for Adi. Is that true?"

Liu lowered her head dejectedly: "It's like this, if that man hadn't pulled me, I would have already committed a serious crime."

“That person, the Joker…” Lyra also recalled that strange being.

Upon hearing everyone's description, Adi remarked with emotion, "We should thank that Joker-san for sparing Leon from a terrible crime."

Lyra countered, "But evil is evil. Killing Erebus might not be such a bad outcome; at least this endless darkness might finally give way to the dawn."

Leaning against the door, Niz recalled, "What an unfathomable person. First he was the dead Chanis, then he was Alexie. Which one is his real identity? And is he male or female?"

"Even the gods cannot see through his lies."

Lyra tried to analyze it with her own wisdom: "This must be something they've been specially trained in, like hypnotizing themselves or using drugs to drive themselves mad. For example, believing they are Alexie..."

Adi stroked his chin: "I see. So he even knows the color of Kaguya's panties. What should we do? This is a major crisis for the chastity of this beautiful girl!"

Everyone fell silent...

"How could that be? It must be just your imagination, your imagination."

"Your imagination is truly remarkable, Joker. You hit the nail on the head."

"As expected of the Joker, he's truly monstrous."

"Why are you all suddenly praising that villain?" Leila exclaimed.

Liu scratched her face: "Oh, I just did it without realizing it..."

"So, who exactly is the Joker?" Alexie guessed. "Knowing so much about us, he must be someone hiding among us!"

"How could that be? Are you doubting everyone in the clan?" Leila scoffed.

“No, no.” Alexie quickly waved her hand. “I just had that intuition. But it’s strange, apart from us closest people, no one should know us this well.”

Leila crossed her legs: "Familiar with Chanis and Alexie? Could it be Charles?"

As soon as she said it, Lyra denied it, saying, "No, putting aside the fact that that guy and Alisha had no connection at all, the fact that he was present at the same time as Joker means it should be denied."

Liu pouted and said, "So it's because you, Leila, have too much of a problem with Mr. Charles."

Leila scratched her face sheepishly: "Sorry, it seems that's true. But I still feel like something's not quite right."

Alexandra remained silent for a moment, then suddenly blurted out, "Could it be Jester?"

"Eh?"

Everyone forgot to come over.

Alexandra pursed her lips: "You see, the only stranger who's really familiar with us is that kid. Besides, both Jester and Joker are clowns."

“But isn’t Mr. Jester white-haired?” Ryu asked in surprise.

Lyra retorted, "If one can change their appearance at will, or even deceive the gods, then appearance is just for show."

Adi couldn't believe it: "But didn't Jester help us a lot? He even saved me! Why...? I don't believe Jester is a bad guy!"

Alexie shook her head, her fiery red hair bouncing with the movement: "I don't know. Maybe she realized something and is trying to bring about a certain ending. Or maybe she was planning to fool us from the very beginning..."

"In short, he must have his own reasons."

“I’ve never seen a villain like this before, one who doesn’t just enjoy killing but has his own ambitions and purposes,” the werewolf Niz interjected.

In Ryu's silent mind, another word popped up: "villain..."

"Huh? Leon? What did you say?" Alexie turned her head.

Ryu raised her eyes and said calmly, "This kind of villainous group should be called 'villains'!"

"Villains? What are those?"

“If we are pursuing justice for an ideal future, then he might be someone who goes against justice,” Ryu tried to explain.

"Isn't that evil?"

A flash of insight struck Alyssa: "No, Astraea once said that justice is like the stars in the sky, and absolute justice does not exist. When justice is confirmed, domination, suppression, obedience... freedom will all disappear."

"Even if the fighting disappears by then, justice will create hierarchies, and these hierarchies will become cruel 'absolutes.' Soon after, this will evolve into stagnation, and stagnation will evolve into decay. Ultimately, the world will decay."

Lyra picked at her toes: "As expected of Alyssa. So, Leon, you mean that guy's 'justice' is the complete opposite of ours? Don't be ridiculous."

Liu lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her skirt: "If I had killed that god back then, what would I be?"

Lyra blurted out, "Of course..."

……

Silence, a silence that is half-dead, stopped halfway.

Leila remained suspended in mid-air with her mouth agape.

Yes, if Leon killed a god, then in the eyes of the lower realm, that would undoubtedly be a great sin, an undeniable evil!

Alexandra took a deep breath: "Is this what they call the 'absolute' power that comes with rank?"

Lyra frowned and asked, "Should we go ask Lady Astrea?"

Chapter 205 Runewords

The Astrea family ultimately did not stay in the hospital ward for long.

For the first time, they realized that the concepts of good and evil were so ambiguous and difficult to distinguish. They also understood why the evil god kept questioning them about 'what is justice?'

For the first time, Leila also asked herself whether her use of justice and so-called wisdom that was more ruthless than evil to cover up her own Palum's disadvantages was truly "justice" rather than "evil".

Despite racking her brains, she ultimately couldn't distinguish right from wrong.

No one taught her the correct way to conduct herself.

It's easy to imagine that, having been used as a substitute for internal organs since birth, she managed to escape that flesh and blood factory with her extraordinary abilities far surpassing those of her peers.

Even when they do get out, they rely on the wisdom and skills they learned from villains, struggling like rats in a quagmire full of evil people and filth.

Until they escaped the prison for sinners, Bergen, and arrived in the labyrinthine city.

Humanity here may not be as advanced as in Bergen, but both monsters and humans are far more powerful than those outside. Even with the maximum use of wisdom and knowledge, it is impossible to contend with those monsters.