"Alright, go in."

After the final preparations were complete, Leon gently gestured for Ais to step into the Reincarnation Pool.

Without a hint of hesitation, Ais obeyed. In the blink of an eye, the moment her foot touched the surface, she was enveloped in radiant light bursting forth from the pool—her figure disappearing as she was cocooned in brilliance.

A massive cocoon of light took shape.

'Tch… that damn Hermes. Even with Bete assisting him, he still hasn't managed to find the members of the Ikelos Familia after all these days. What the hell is he doing?'

'Well, whatever. I said five days, so I'll wait five days. But if nothing changes by tomorrow… I'll handle it myself.'

'And Lili and the others still haven't returned from the Dungeon either. I wonder when they'll be back...'

As Leon's thoughts wandered, his gaze remained fixed on the glowing cocoon—soft, radiant, and shifting with divine energy.

Time passed unnoticed. While he stood in silence, an hour slipped by like a passing breeze.

Then, finally, under Leon's expectant eyes, the cocoon cracked—like the chrysalis of a butterfly.

Light poured from within as Ais emerged.

She had changed.

Just like Tione and Tiona, a shining halo now adorned her head, and behind her, three pairs of radiant wings unfolded like petals in bloom.

However, unlike the twin sisters whose wings shimmered gold and white, Ais's wings carried a distinct light green hue, a color reminiscent of wind magic and her signature Ariel.

Leon's eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation.

'It must be due to her bloodline… the remnants of spirit heritage she inherited from Aria.'

He didn't press further, however. Instead, a warm smile appeared on his lips as he softly asked, "How do you feel?"

"Mm… amazing."

Ais opened her eyes, her expression calm yet touched with wonder. As she adjusted to her new form, a rare, gentle smile appeared at the corners of her lips. "Thank you, Leon."

And as she spoke, her wings lit up with a soft glow.

In the next instant, her entire body dissolved into light.

Leon blinked.

She vanished.

"…Huh?"

He was startled, but before confusion could settle, Ais's figure reappeared in front of him, as though rewoven by the wind.

"What was that?"

"I've awakened wind and space attributes." Ais replied with a serene smile.

Leon's brows raised in surprise.

Originally, he had assumed Ais would only awaken the wind element. That alone made sense—her spirit blood came from the Wind Spirit Aria, after all. And the rule so far had been clear: each reincarnated angel gained one elemental attribute.

But Ais… had gained two.

While he was still digesting this surprising development, Ais moved again.

"Thank you." She said in a lower voice.

Before Leon could react, she leaned in and pressed her lips softly against his.

"—!!!"

Leon stiffened.

His mind blanked momentarily as he processed what had just happened.

Ais—cold, stoic, emotionless Ais—had just kissed him.

And not by accident.

— — —

At that very moment, deep beneath the 60th floor of the Dungeon.

In the forsaken floor where Dionysus had previously arrived—a green figure suddenly opened its eyes.

Its pupils gleamed with a scarlet light, burning with ancient rage.

A guttural roar ripped through the silence, erupting into a shockwave that shook the entire floor to its core. The tremor spread like thunder.

"ARIA!!!!"

The sound echoed endlessly.

— — —

On the way back, Leon wore an expression that was… difficult to describe.

He hadn't expected that.

Not only had Ais taken the initiative to thank him verbally—something already out of character for her, but then she had gone and… kissed him.

It was completely unlike her usual behavior.

So out of character it almost felt like a dream.

Still, her lips had been soft.

And she looked very happy.

As he recalled the sequence of events from the reincarnation to that unexpected moment, Leon picked up his pace toward the library.

He assumed Hestia would throw herself into his arms again, just as she had every time he returned the past few days.

But when Leon reached the library, he was surprised.

The front door was closed.

Even more strangely, he could sense multiple auras inside—familiar ones.

"…Belle and the others came back?"

With curiosity tugging at him, Leon pushed open the door, stepped through the front courtyard, and headed toward the room where the gathered presences were located.

As he opened the door, he immediately spotted the group inside.

He was just about to speak until he noticed something odd.

The atmosphere in the room was… tense.

His eyes scanned the group quickly and paused when they landed on a particular figure cloaked in blue.

"…A Xenos?"

Leon's eyes widened slightly.

That distinct aura, that mysterious presence—it could only be one thing.

The little Xenos from the original story.

The cloaked girl had blue scales and dragon-like features.

It was Wiene.

"Xenos?" Lili echoed the term in confusion. "Leon-sama, do you… know this girl?"

Leon gave a small nod.

"Yeah… she's not what she looks like. Her name's Wiene. She's a Xenos—a monster with intelligence. She's no different from a human being."

He turned to Belle and the others. "Where did you find her?"

In the original timeline, Wiene's first appearance had been tied to a brutal hunt by the Ikelos Familia. Her presence usually signaled their activity.

But if she was already here now…

Had something changed?

"We met her on the 20th floor." Belle answered quickly.

"She wasn't being chased or attacked?" Leon pressed.

Belle shook her head. "No. She was alone… but she wasn't being hunted."

Leon frowned.

So that's how it was.

If the Ikelos Familia hadn't been chasing her, then perhaps Hermes's crew hadn't found them because… there was no pursuit at all.

That would explain the delay.

"Leon, have you seen monsters like this before?" Hestia, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up, her tone serious.

Everyone turned to Leon expectantly.

Clearly, his familiarity with Wiene had caught them off guard.

Leon nodded slowly as he stepped further into the room. "Yes. It was the Hera Familia that first encountered monsters like this fifteen years ago. They reported it to the Guild, and Ouranos named them Xenos."

"These monsters aren't like the red-eyed beasts we fight in the Dungeon. They have thoughts. Emotions. Morality. They're no different from people."

"But because they have the appearance of monsters, they fear adventurers. They hide in the deepest parts of the Dungeon."

"To this day, only a few people know of their existence—Ouranos, his personal mercenaries, and a handful of top Guild officials."

"I'm… an exception."

A wave of realization swept through the room.

"No different from humans…" Lili murmured, her earlier wariness melting away into curiosity.

Her gaze toward Wiene softened.

Mikoto, Haruhime, Welf all followed suit.

Until a moment ago, everyone, except Belle, had been cautious, hesitant.

But Leon's words carried weight.

If he said Wiene could be trusted, then that was enough.

Even Wiene, still struggling with newly-born consciousness, seemed to understand.

She sensed that Leon was someone she could trust—more than anyone else, even more than Belle, who had rescued her.

With trembling steps, she moved forward. Then, before anyone could react, she clutched the sleeve of Leon's coat, her long claws careful not to tear the fabric.

Everyone froze.

Even Leon was stunned. But after a moment, a soft smile appeared on his lips. He reached out and gently stroked Wiene's hair.

"…Has she been given a name yet?" He asked, eyes turning to the others.

"No… not yet." Belle replied.

Everyone else shook their heads in unison.

The moment hung in the air—heavy with significance.