No one's POV

Dionysus: Loki, where did you go?

After leaving Finn, Loki went to the location where Dionysus was observing the battle—a spire near Loki Familia's main base, looking out a window inside it.

Loki: I went by the Guild for a bit.

Dionysus: What? Did you go to Ouranos?

Loki: Who knows.

Loki giggled as Dionysus looked at her reproachfully. Loki glanced around once she was satisfied by the discontent of the god who was cunning under normal circumstances. The narrow light of a lamp made of magic stones was barely visible, sending an unending stream of signals going back and forth. Was that bonfire in the northwest actually a watch fire in the plaza where the evacuees were gathering? Filvis wasn't with Dionysus. Loki had two members of her familia as bodyguards, but they were keeping their distance.

Loki:...How does the situation look to you?

Dionysus: No clue. Without clairvoyance or the divine mirror, there's no way to know what's goin' on out there.

Loki: That's true.

Loki stuck out her tongue at Dionysus peering into the darkness. But she sniffed as if she could sense the minute changes through the air of the Labyrinth District.

Loki: But they're done with feelin' one another out.

The warning bell in the west was still ringing. Its chime seemed to confirm Loki's comment, declaring the end of the opening skirmish and announcing the beginning of the real battle. Loki opened her crimson eyes just the tiniest bit.

Loki: The real fight starts now.

(Elsewhere)

The sound of a blade parrying a wooden sword, an intense clash, rang out as Aiz landed in the alley.

Aiz: Guh!

As she fell on the ground from the roof, Aiz faced off against her attacker, the masked adventurer. The stranger's long, hooded cape fluttered, and they wore boots that extended halfway up their thighs. The svelte adventurer held a wooden sword as their lower body shifted into a battle stance.

The location was a backstreet in the southeast of the Labyrinth District.

The street was unexpectedly wide at seven meders with wooden boxes and casks and mounds of scrap wood haphazardly scattered around. The skirmish between the boy and the adventurers chasing the monsters was in the distance. That one corner of the Labyrinth District became a battlefield all their own, as if the rest of the world had been closed off.

Aiz: Who are—?!

Ryuu: Unfortunately, I cannot identify myself. Please forgive what practically amounts to a surprise attack.

The anonymous adventurer interjected sincerely as Aiz started to question their identity. It was a resolute, honorable response, and the face behind the mask could be that of an elf. Their polite tone had an apologetic tinge to it, but it also revealed their readiness for battle, a declaration that combat couldn't be avoided.

Ryuu: Against an opponent like you, I can't take a wait-and-see approach—I'll be going all out from the start.

The next instant, the masked adventurer disappeared.

Aiz: !!

In one high-speed action, they retreated out of Aiz's field of vision. Her golden eyes were a split second behind, tracking them moving diagonally to the right, and the anonymous adventurer leaned down enough to scrape along the ground before unleashing a strike with the wooden sword from a low angle.

Aiz responded precisely to the attack closing in from her periphery, deflecting it with Desperate.

Aiz and Ryuu:—Gh!

The wooden sword and rapier cut through the air, their impact sending a stinging jolt through both their arms. The moment they traded blows, Aiz's golden eyes met sky-blue ones. As if recognizing from the start that the attack would be blocked, the anonymous adventurer darted away, brushing past Aiz, accelerating further.

Aiz: ?!

As a gale, the challenger blew past Aiz and circled around her, using the wide alley to its fullest to boost their speed. The sound of feet pounding the stone pavement over and over echoed through the street as the occasional cobblestone shattered and kicked up into the air. The attacker didn't stay still for a split second, moving in all directions.

Ryuu:—Ha!

Aiz: !

They unleashed an attack in the blink of an eye. A flash of steel managed to block the wooden sword slashing up behind her. Aiz furrowed her brow at the force transferred through her sword. The masked adventurer didn't allow her any time to think, taking their distance and attacking from a high speed. Another attack. Followed by another.

Aiz blocked them as they came from all directions. Her eyes widened as the magnitude of the strikes incessantly resounding through her became clear.

Aiz(mind): Is the force...increasing?!

There was no mistaking it. The second attack was stronger than the first. And the third with more impact than the second. The ambush had grown intense, and the impact started to shake Aiz's body through her defenses.

Desperate was quivering from the blows, a testament to their increasing power.

Aiz(mind): Is it a kind of sprinting skill like Big Bro's?

Aero Mana was the name of the Light of Hope's skill, powerful and rare, that increased strength and agility as it accelerated. Aiz guessed it was extremely likely that her opponent had a skill of some kind that interacted with the action of sprinting.

In a fight between two adventurers, techniques and tactics were obviously fundamental, but sussing out magic and skills was equally important. Failing to see through the enemy's abilities or trump cards could be the difference between victory and a complete reversal at the last possible moment. Those trump cards would often be the line between victory and defeat, especially in a fight between two people with real skill.

Ryuu: Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!

A loud scream accompanied another attack. Her opponent's body gave off golden particles of light. Aiz had seen that effect before.

Aiz(mind): Is it the same as Androctonus, the Man Slayer?!

That was the first-tier adventurer Phryne Jamil, who'd attacked Asuna when they had fought Ishtar Familia in Meren. Phryne should have been a newly Level-6 opponent, crossing swords surpassing Asuna as if she was a Level 7. At the time, she'd been giving off a large number of light particles. The scene before Aiz's eyes stirred memories from a month ago.

Had her opponent been given a boost equivalent to a level-up? Was this masked adventurer a former member of Ishtar Familia?

Aiz(mind): No, that's not it. This isn't one of Ishtar's followers.

Aiz discarded the speculation in her mind, because there was a memory that came back, far beyond a month ago.

Aiz(mind): I know. I know this person. I—We've fought before! If I remember correctly, they hid their identity that time, too. A mask. A wooden sword. A cape. That sharp follow-through. The strong gaze in those blue-green eyes.

Past Aiz had been desperate to become strong and could remember only vague symbols. Why had they been fighting? Why had they had such a serious fight? Just who had won that fight—?

Ryuu:—Hyah!

Aiz: Gh!

As she remained half-immersed in her past recollections, Aiz engaged in a fierce dance, darting with her sword. As the masked adventurer unleashed attack after attack, she accepted the challenge head-on.

The battle bloomed with intensity. The swift movements of her assailant knew no limits as they conducted a sonata with the sound of their mighty sprint, accelerating fast enough to break the stone pavement. Just when they were about to clash, the masked adventurer would drop their speed for a split second before accelerating to slice at Aiz. By manipulating their speed, the assailant added in tens, hundreds of feints—tactics interwoven into the high- speed battle. They were the smallest of movements, but their precision was unlike anything she'd seen before. The force of those tactics was enough to make the Sword Princess slow to judge for a second, to overcome the level handicap between them. It inspired awe.

Aiz lost the initiative and tried to use her own speed to chase the masked adventurer.

Aiz: Ngh...?!

The enemy's wooden sword smashed the wooden crates and barrels nearby, sending fragments of wood flying.

A blast of projectiles blocked her vision. Aiz was forced to intercept them. The rain of shattered wood didn't allow her any opening for pursuit. The masked adventurer used the terrain to its utmost potential and kept the Sword Princess from closing in.

The hotly contested battlefield had been a storage area for scrap wood. The stacked wooden crates and rows of casks transformed into obstructions blocking Aiz's line of sight.

The anonymous adventurer would escape to the left. But the moment they entered a blind spot, they would come from the right to take Aiz by surprise. From Aiz's perspective, the movements were otherworldly, totally betraying her expectations.

Barrels burst, crates danced, and just when she thought countless splinters would be coming from the front, a blow from the wooden sword came in directly from the side.

Aiz: Khhh?!

Aiz just managed to guard against it, but the masked adventurer had already retreated out of her range. They weren't greedy in their assault, cutting in with an attack in passing and then leaving Aiz's field of view as they endured Aiz's counterattacks with a range of techniques and a tireless sprint.

A super-precise, super-high-speed battle. A transcendental hit-and-run.

The masked adventurer's tremendous speed and orbit increased as they passed through their surroundings, breaking casks and crates as if a gale. A hail of fragments assaulted Aiz from all directions, accompanied by a series of tremendous booms, to the point that she could imagine herself being trapped inside a windstorm.

Aiz(mind) They're really going all out...using every last thing to face me.

Their skills, the boost from that light, the terrain. Aiz could feel the conviction in her opponent's stance as they used every last card at their disposal: It was a desire to pin her down in this location. As she deflected the enemy's attacks, Aiz thought.

Aiz(mind): They can't maintain this kind of attack for long. If I wait for their stamina to run down, I can break through, and given time, my eyes will adjust to their speed, and I can deal with it.

But that's a bad plan. If the masked adventurer was connected to Sora, their goal was to buy time. Since Aiz had lost sight of him, more time here was a loss for her.

Aiz:...

Aiz was troubled. If the situation were different, she would have enjoyed continuing the swordplay. If neither of them had their own obligations, they could have clashed head-on to their hearts' content. If they'd been the same level as Aiz—they could have had more close-range combat.

Aiz drew Desperate's sheath from the sword belt.

Ryuu: !!

Sword in her right hand, sheath in her left. As the masked adventurer continued to move at high speed, they gazed in wonder at the Sword Princess's form.

Ryuu(mind): Sword and sheath in both hands...Can the Sword Princess dual wield? Impossible. I've never heard of her doing that before.

The challenger was perplexed and suspicious but never stopped their feet. The masked adventurer continued their sprint to take full advantage of their skill while observing the movements of the girl with golden hair and golden eyes.

Aiz: Big Bro... I'm borrowing one of your moves.

Aiz mutter to none other than herself. It's one of the dual wielding skill that she had picked up during one of her sparring lesson with Sora. In the center of the alley, enclosed in a gale prison, Aiz closed her eyes. She lowered both arms, holding them loosely by her side, as if to say, Strike however you like. It was formless.

Ryuu(mind): Is this a waiting stance...?

Aiming for a counter. A passive tactic.

Ryuu(mind): Did she give up on following my movements? Is she intending to bet it all on a single attack?

For the masked adventurer, it was exactly the sort of development they should have wanted to buy time. If the assailant kept running and continuing to divert without attacking, they could maintain the stalemate.

Ryuu(mind): But the Sword Princess should realize that I'm aiming to buy time...Is she trying to lower my guard? Is it a trap?

The storied warrior behind the mask tried to read into the intentions of the swordswoman. The assailant had been attacking nonstop. And in that smallest of gaps, they adopted a defensive mind-set. That slight gap in the force of their gale could hardly be called a defensive posture—but it was enough for the girl. The next instant, Aiz dashed.

Ryuu: Urg?!

Discarding the camouflage of a counter, she came in with an instantaneous approach. The masked adventurer was visibly shocked as the golden-eyed swordswoman appeared before their eyes, charging into their projected path.

It had all been a feint—a strategy that Aiz devised to create a single instant of doubt in the masked adventurer. The anonymous challenger realized that the time needed to think had in itself been the trap, and they gathered all the strength in their body to intercept the oncoming blow.

Ryuu: Hy—?!

Even as the assailant had been caught off guard, they still maintained the sprint, unleashing a sweeping horizontal slash with the wooden sword. It carried the force of their skill and the boost brought about by the light particles.

It was a single attack with all their might, combining every blessing they'd been granted. Crack.

Aiz: —

The Sword Princess readily repelled the attack with her sword without difficulty and with the precision of threading a needle.

Not enough strength.

Not enough speed.

Not a high enough level.

Even with the masked adventurer's ability and strength, it was meaningless before Aiz, even as a Level 6.

There was an insurmountable difference in combat experience.

The masked adventurer was strong without a doubt. Their movements were more refined than the ones of the person in Aiz's memories.

But Aiz had grown far more than they had.

She'd gone into the Dungeon again and again without rest. She'd continued defeating monsters without end.

She'd gotten mixed up in the incident with the vividly colored monsters, the demi-spirit, and the mortal combat with the creature. She'd accumulated all that experience.

On one side was a person of true strength who'd retired from the front lines; on the other was the Sword Princess, who was fighting out at the very forefront even now.

The number of difficulties they'd overcome on their path to this rematch was the clear deciding factor between them. They had been equal only in the realm of techniques. Aiz reluctantly lowered her eyebrows, slashing with her remaining weapon.

Aiz: Fortunately, it was the sheath side. It was a good thing you attacked from the right.

Aiz whispered as she parried the wooden sword, the masked adventurer swinging their sword diagonally down with all their might using a single hand.

Aiz: If I used the sword, I couldn't have held back.

Aiz was relieved that it ended without her cutting her opponent in half, dispassionately unleashing an attack with the sheath in her hand.

Ryuu:—Gggggh?!

A single flash smashed into her opponent's side at extreme speed—a scathing and decisive blow. When the air was forced out of their lungs, they spat up blood as they were blasted away with the force of a river bursting through a dam. Fragments of wood flew into the sky as they were thrown back into the boxes and barrels behind them.

That slender body smashed into a wall. The masked adventurer left cracks in the brick wall, exchanging a final glance with Aiz right before losing consciousness. Their searching sky-colored eyes filled with regret as they slumped over. The sonata of the gale died down. And in its place, long golden locks fluttered in the alley.

Aiz:...I'm sorry.

Three minutes. That was the amount of time spent to reach a conclusion to this battle that no one would know of. The slight time that the anonymous adventurer had managed to buy. Aiz didn't look back at the unconscious woman as she left that place.

(Elsewhere)

Meanwhile, after Asuna had left Aiz to deal with the masked adventurer, she too was confronted by another adventurer from the Familia of justice. The sound of sword and short sword clashing rapier could be heard.

Asuna: Why are you trying to stop me? I don't have time for this.

Muller: You already know the reason. Why Sora had asked me to stop you.

The battle of an elf and a high elf flew on an alleyway where there are no witnesses. Normally, this would be disgraceful for an elf to attacked a high elf, not to mention a royalty. But Muller had discarded that thought and decided that she too will bear that shame if it means helping her friends. Asuna could sense Muller's determination by a long mile.

Asuna: I guess if I want answers about the Xenos and why you're all doing this. I guess I'll have to get through it with my sword.

Immediately after, Asuna moved forward as though she had teleported through space, closing the distance between her and Muller in an instant and swinging her sword.

Muller: ?!

Muller was astonished by how Asuna suddenly appeared before her eyes, but jumped forward without hesitation. She figured that if she tried to carelessly retreat, it would only make her fall more behind at the start of their match. In an all or nothing move, she lowered her defensive stance and ran forward, evading Asuna's sword as she tried to slip into range of her opponent's chest.

Asuna dropped to her knees at once and aimed a knee strike at Muller's stooped stance. However, once she realized the pommel of Muller's sword was being aimed at her knees, Asuna immediately retreated. Both parties distanced themselves and regrouped, adjusting their stances as they examined each other.

Muller(mind): I was practically unable to predict her movements.

A cold sweat ran down Muller's spine as her mouth curved in a daring smile. Normally, for a human to move their body, they needed to put strength into their physique and allow for the accumulation of excess movements.

However, when it came to experienced martial artists, they had the eyes to see through excess like that and take the upper hand. They also had the acquired technique to relax their own actions so as to not be seen through by their opponent. Through the short exchange just now, Muller had ascertained that Asuna was an experienced fighter.

Muller(mind): As expected of Sora's girlfriend. At that speed, I mustn't let the distance between us widen tactlessly. Maintaining distance will only lead to me falling behind... And the moment I lose focus is the moment I will be hunted down...

With that in mind, Muller approached Asuna as close as she could get. She figured that at this short distance, Asuna wouldn't be able to use her superhuman speed out of avoidance of a collision... and she wasn't wrong.

During her journey with Sora, Asuna had learned during her travels and studies about techniques, abilities, and other power up methods to forcefully accelerate her body with no excess movements, as well as the ability to combine that with techniques to relax her movements and catch his opponent off guard. However, the drawback of this movement technique of her was that the acceleration was too fast and didn't allow for maneuverability, meaning its use was limited when her opponent got too close. Because of that, she could only show her true power when fighting in wide fields where she could move freely.

Muller(mind): She's closing the distance between us... I suppose that's to be expected of a first-tier adventurer. The name she made for herself is no joke. She'd probably crush me the moment I try to fall back and widen the distance again. If that's the case...

Asuna admired how Muller immediately counteracted her speed — as expected of the one they call the Golden Swordswoman, she thought. Muller had an unusual skill called Lubrude Bequia. A rare skill that gave Muller the strength of a first-tier adventurer even though she's second-tier. In that next moment, Asuna relaxed her strength and stepped into Muller's space. Muller immediately reacted by swinging her sword, but Asuna easily stopped the blow.

Their respective swords came into contact with ferocity, causing a shrill noise to echo throughout the area.

The two were suddenly right in each other's space, exchanging blows too fast for the eye to follow. They were both attacking while concealing any signs of attack, and both seeing through the other. After the intense exchange of offensive and defensive moves continued for several moments, the two sword tips struck the ground as though crossing over.

Muller: How fearsome. The name you made for yourself is truly the real deal...

Muller stopped moving and grinned.

Asuna: I could say the same for you. Not a lot of people could keep up with me when I'm using both sword and martial arts. And yet you managed to counter them. Those movements that you use. Those are Sora's dual wielding skills.

Muller: My dual wielding skills are still stiff compared to his.

Muller said as she swung her sword at Asuna once more. However, Asuna turned her body and cut into Muller's side, evading her slash as she let out her own attack. Muller pulled her thrusted-out sword in immediately, stopping Asuna's blow. Their swords collided fiercely once again as the two of them pushed back at each other in their close-fought match.

Asuna: How about we end this meaningless fight and just tell me your aim?

Muller: But I'm getting too excited for this to end. Is not everyday you could battle someone strong like you.

As she spoke, Muller languidly withdrew her body and immediately stepped forward with force, releasing three consecutive strikes faster than one could visibly detect. And yet, Asuna handled those strikes deftly.

Muller had swung her sword for years — no, decades. Her thrusts just now were packed with the fruits of her labor and abilities, which was why Asuna thought that Muller was unmistakably the strongest of all those outside of Orario she had fought up until now. As an elf, her physical abilities might have been inferior to werebeasts and dwarves even when enhanced by skills, but her battle techniques far surpassed them.

Muller: But I was serious when I said I want to see how strong the Magical Swordswoman is.

Muller said, launching a two-thrust strike that was even sharper than the earlier three consecutive strikes.

Asuna aimed for the timing of when the second thrust was fully extended to repel Muller's sword, making Muller lose her balance a bit. Asuna used that chance to attack, aiming a roundhouse kick to her torso. Muller tried to immediately guard herself with her left arm, but her entire body was sent flying.

Muller(mind): Kuh, using both swordcraft and martial arts together... There's no opening.

The damage Muller received was by no means light, but her expression was cheerful. Muller used the momentum of being kicked to unthinkingly widen her distance between herself and Asuna. However, Asuna moved like the wind, and closed in on Muller in an instant. With no other choice, Muller responded to Asuna's challenge. She barely managed to deal with Asuna's consecutive attacks, clearly having gone on defense.

Muller: Kuh...!

Muller was definitely on the losing side. She had yet to make a single telling blow against Asuna, while Asuna had already made several against Muller. No... If they had been fighting to the dead instead, Muller would have already been rendered incapacitated.

Against Muller's fighting style, which was focused on her sword, Asuna used an ever-changing mix of swordcraft and martial arts as hers. On top of making her opponent aware of their sword-focused style, she launched nasty, agonizing attacks without warning.

Muller was only blocking the fatal blows with her skill and experience, letting a few good attacks land in between. Muller's legs were trembling faintly; it was evidence of the accumulated damage. However, she showed no sign of faltering. She endured it through sheer will and fighting spirit, unwilling to let such a wonderful match end so easily.

Muller: Looks like I got no choice.

Asuna: Hm...?

Muller: I'll come at you with all my strength.

Muller yelled with a brazen smile. Then, she purposefully widened the distance with Asuna, whose speed surpassed her own, and smoothly braced her sword without hesitation. Then she started singing.

Muller: Respond to the contract, flames of earth.

Magic essence is converging around her entire body... Asuna immediately noticed that Muller was trying to use magic. She could charge forward and close the distance, but that would be a risky move when she didn't know what skill her opponent was using.

Muller: Follow my order and burn the violence!

Then she invoke her magic.

Muller: Lunar Flame Burst!

Flames immediately rose from her body. A powerful fire enchantment that sheathed her arms, legs, and sword in an armor of flames.

Asuna(mind): A fire enchantment?

Asuna showed no sign of fear, however. She raised her own magic essence as though to face the fire Muller was about to release head on, and watched carefully.

Muller: Spellsword, Scorching Heat Slash!

Muller swung her sword in a straight line, and a giant avalanche slash in the air came flying toward Asuna. It was a flame blade that had been infused with essence through her skills. The blade of fire Muller had unleashed was extremely powerful. Against regular humans, it would have been able to tear through and mow down several people at once.

Asuna immediately detected the power behind the attack and gave up receiving it with her rapier. However, she made no move to evade it, deciding to accept the challenge directly.

Asuna: Auros, Aqua Current!

Asuna finally invoke her own enchantment. She manipulated the magic essence she had drawn from her body and gathered it in her right hand before swinging it like a scythe. Immediately after, a tsunami-like wall of water appeared before Asuna's eyes, crashing into the flame blade.

An explosive sound echoed throughout Daedalus Street as fire and water scattered about the surroundings.

Muller: Gah, what in the world...?!

With her vision impaired by the spray, Muller narrowed her eyes a bit. Asuna used that opening to move around Muller and cut into her side, thrusting her free left hand aimed towards Muller's chest, landing a power punch.

Muller: Gah...!

A single punch smashed into her opponent's side at extreme strength—a scathing and decisive blow. When the air was forced out of her lungs, she spat up blood as she was blasted away with the force of a river bursting through a dam. Her sword and short sword were thrown back into the boxes and barrels behind them.

The beautiful golden elf adventurer slump on the ground, exchanging a final glance with Asuna right before losing consciousness. Their searching sky-colored eyes filled with regret as they slumped over. The sonata of the phoenix died down. And in its place, long azure locks fluttered in the alley.

Asuna: Thank you. But like I said, I don't have time right now.

4 minutes. That was the amount of time spent from the start of their battle to finished. That was a minute longer than Aiz and the masked adventurer's fight. That was the time that Muller had managed to buy. Without glancing back at the unconscious elf, Asuna sped off.

(Elsewhere)

She was a young animal person, one of the many shameless adventurers aiming to make a killing from the rewards the Guild had put out on the armed monsters. As she pretended to play that part, she scampered around among the other violent people, gathering information and occasionally shouting.

Adventurer 1: Outta my way!

Adventurer 2: Th-this's awful...

Adventurer 3: Shit, how many people is that?!

There was a sea of blood—adventurers collapsed at every turn on winding roads, bodies piled up as far as the eye could see. It looked as if they'd been crushed, broken, their blood splattered from an excessive amount of brute force. Among the fallen were some bearing the jester's emblem.

Gasping at the awful scene, she left the place without being noticed by the other adventurers, from 277th Street to the sign for the back alley of 278th.

As she slunk around the eastern side of the Labyrinth District, she made extra effort to ensure that no one was nearby before she crouched and stealthily held her hand to her mouth.

Lili: This is bad. The Xenos aren't here. They were probably noticed by some adventurers at the meet-up point...Yes. Yes...Yes, give up on meeting with them and start another diversion—

She softly whispered into the crystal in her small hand, even though she was alone. She stopped murmuring, stood up, and scanned the area, about to run off again.

Aki: Just as Captain predicted—

Lili(mind): Huh?

She was stopped by a shadow floating above the ground.

Aki:—you were passing from the south to the east.

The shadow leaped down on the girl's head, silently and in a feline fashion. Without allowing her a chance to get a good look, the shadow woman held a blade to her slender neck.

Lili: Gh?!

Her left hand was twisted behind her back. She could feel the cold blade against her skin. She was rendered helpless in an instant. The animal person's eyes widened in shock, unable to process what had happened.

Hestia: Supporter? What's wrong? Did something happen?

Called out the crystal in her right hand, giving off a dim glow. It was painfully quiet in the middle of the alley. A single crimson drop seeped from her neck under the pressure of the blade.

The cold steel commanded that she lie. The girl breathed in and responded with a quivering voice.

Lili: There are...adventurers here...I'll be caught...Please cut transmission for the time being...

Hestia: Okay, got it.

Replied the goddess on the other end, withdrawing without noticing anything and mistaking her hushed voice for nervousness about being near other adventurers.

The light dimmed, and the crystal went silent. At the same time, a sudden cold sweat drenched her entire body.

The distasteful insignia on the hilt of the shortsword was that of a certain familia: the emblem of a jester, its lips strung up into a crescent smile.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

Lili(mind): Wh-why...? Why did I get caught? Did they see through my disguise? No way! Why? How? This isn't my real body—

As if to answer the questions running through the girl's head, the woman standing behind her, Anakity, whispered in her ear.

Aki: You, and only you, don't smell like anything.

The girl's body temperature instantly dropped.

Aki: A scent-erasing item, right? I noticed it when I was investigating with Bete...Were you the one who hid the monster in the west?

Lili:...?!

Aki: When you're alone, it's one thing...But when you're in a group, it stands out.

Lili(mind): Is that it? Is that all? Did she find me hidden among all the adventurers from that alone?

As the emotions swirled on her face at a blinding pace, her small body started to quiver.

Aki: And...you're the same height as the fake Captain who fooled Raul.

Anakity Autumn. A Level 4, just like her uninteresting colleague Raul Nord. But despite being a second-tier adventurer, she was a little too skilled. With Finn's prediction about the girl's transformation, she managed to narrow down her target and find her among all the adventurers running around. Several members of Loki Familia appeared around them. This time, all the blood drained from the girl's face.

Aki: I'll have you come with us.

Lili(mind):—Bell.

As if sensing her end, she whispered his name.

Astrea: Sora, just like you predicted, Anakitty Autumn had captured Liliruka Arde.

Not far from the scene was the Goddess of Justice holding an Oculus on her hand.

Sora: I see. Then things will start moving into place. Can you continue to keep an eye on Lili?

On the other side of the crystal orb, was the Light of Hope's voice whom had predicted the outcome.

Astrea: Fufu~ Leave it to me. So is everything going to your plan?

Sora: It is. The tides have turned. The Hide and Seek play is over. From here on out, it's gonna be a real fight.