No one's POV

Like a ferocious wave, the Xenos were barreling straight down the road in a single line. They were in the western section of the Labyrinth District, near the center. After emerging from the shortcut immediately in front of Loki Familia's formation, the monsters were now running as fast as they could toward the underground passage to Knossos.

Lido: Thanks to Sora-chi, Rin-chi and Lili-chi, there are hardly any adventurers around!

Fels: Do not let down your guard! Here they come!

Fels yelled up from the center of the line. The mage was right: Loki Familia members were at that very moment rushing from the center, northwest, and southwest to fill the gap in the formation.

Loki Familia member: Archers, take your positions!

Loki Familia platoon leaders shouted. The archers drew back their bows and aimed at the advancing group of monsters. Positioned on buildings in front and to the left and right, they were about to unleash a tri-directional rain of arrows on the Xenos. But.

Loki Familia member: ?!

Loki Familia member: It's cooooold?!

The elves and animal people who had been fitting their arrows to their bows were suddenly half-frozen. A blizzard that materialized from thin air had blindsided the girls. The bow, arm, shoulder, and half the face of each demi-human were covered in an armor of ice. They cried out at the bitter cold.

Welf: Sorry...!

Mikoto: Apologies for the surprise attack!

Under their veils, Welf and Mikoto whispered their regrets. Their invisible hands gripped the aqua-colored magic daggers they had drawn from their sheaths. By running alongside the Xenos at a set distance and letting the noisy band of advancing monsters draw the attention of their opponents, Welf and Mikoto had managed to pull off the perfect sneak attack.

Even the upper- class Loki Familia adventurers were helpless against this bombardment from their blind side by an invisible enemy. There was no escaping the blizzard from such close range as it swept over a wide area the instant it was released; even those who attempted to defend themselves from the aqua-blue wave of cold were imprisoned in ice.

Mikoto: With these, we should be able to progress without destroying the city, Sir Welf!

Welf: Yeah!

Welf smiled half-heartedly, unable to fully give himself over to pride in his creation. The Crozzo magic daggers and the original Sage's magic items made for a wicked combination. Without revealing that Hestia Familia had sided with the monsters, they were able to completely immobilize the targets of their surprise attacks.

Haruhime: A little further, and you will emerge onto a broad street. Keep going straight!

Mikoto: Understood, Lady Haruhime.

Leaving Welf to watch for enemy pursuers, Mikoto went to intercept adventurers approaching from other streets. With the help of Hestia and Haruhime, she was able to forestall them without getting lost herself, sending waves of cold over them as they rushed toward the Xenos. The adventurers became her magic dagger's quarry as she plastered herself to a wall above their heads and waited to ambush them. They cried out as the ice forced them to halt. The invisible Welf and Mikoto were able to hold the sporadic groups of Loki Familia fighters entirely in check.

Hestia: Mikoto! Welf! Hang in there for us!

Hestia pumped her fist into the air as she looked down at the magic map. She could see the symbols for Welf and Mikoto moving frenetically around the Xenos, who were advancing east straight through the central zone of the Labyrinth District. She cheered on her familia members as they did their utmost to hold back the enemy's approach.

Tiona: Found ya!

Unfortunately, the goddess's prayers were dashed.

Gros:—!! Shit?!!

Fels: Gros!

The gargoyle rearguard spun around as he sensed a flash of light flying toward him. A knife had been hurled toward the group at high speed. It crashed into his stone right wing—which he had spread to protect his brethren in the rear—and shattered it like a hammer. Rei, who had been singing as she flew along, looked back—and saw two Amazonian women, their black hair flying behind them.

Tione: I knew they were around here!

Tiona: We've caught up with them!

Rei and Gros widened their eyes simultaneously. There was no way they could have forgotten those two Amazons. They were the same extremely strong first-tier adventurers who had trampled the Xenos in this very city several days before.

Gros: OHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Gros let out a tremendous yell. His warning alerted Lido at the front and Fels in the center to the threat, and Welf and Mikoto, too, instantly turned around.

Fels: The Hyrute sisters!

Welf: So they're here... Just like Sora said they would! Let's give 'em hell!

Mikoto: Yeah!

Welf and Mikoto immediately dropped what they were doing and ran to intercept Tiona and Tione, who were approaching with incredible speed. Dropping from the front of the formation to the back, they lifted the Hiens. Welf was on one side of the Xenos and Mikoto on the other, running on top of the buildings lining the street. They aimed their daggers at their opponents and, at nearly the same moment, swung them forward. They were sure they had targeted the sisters' blind spots, as they had managed to do with the other adventurers up till now—but the sisters dodged.

Welf and Mikoto: ?!

Welf and Mikoto were too surprised to utter a word. The sisters had reacted with incredible speed to the blizzard that materialized from thin air, evading it quite easily.

Tione: What was that? Is there an ice bird around here or something?

Tiona: Seems a little too powerful for that!

Tiona replied, glancing backward at the enormous icy form that had risen up in the street. Returning her gaze to the front, the Amazonian girl called out to her sister again as she ran.

Tiona: Hey, Tione. Someone's here, aren't they?

Tione: Yeah. I don't know if they're shape-shifting or they've made themselves invisible...but there are two of them for sure.

The sisters looked up and directed their piercing gazes at two points ahead and above them. Welf and Mikoto shuddered. The sisters had accurately pinpointed their locations. For all their invisibility and freezing blizzards, they both realized that one blow from the sisters would crush them. The twin warriors were she-devils incarnate. The sight of the Level 6 first-tier adventurers bearing down on them was truly petrifying. Yet even though the glint in the sisters' eyes filled them with a horror unlike any they'd experienced before, they summoned their courage.

Welf: Lady Hestia, is there any terrain coming up that we can use?!

Hestia: Uh, um...Sorry, Welf, there's nothing! No turnoffs and no obstacles! The road just gets wider and wider. Looks like the only thing is a downward slope...

The wind was so strong that it nearly blew Welf's veil off and drowned out his questions as he spoke into the oculus. The answer sounded like a screech. He could sense that the invisible Mikoto was growing anxious as well. He looked up, startled.

Welf: A slope...!

Far in the distance down the arrow-straight road, he could see a hill that appeared to lead into a basin. The young smith spoke once more into the blue crystal in his hand.

Welf: Lady Hestia, please connect me with those two.

Hestia understood immediately who he meant by "those two." Working with the flustered Haruhime, she pushed Mikoto's and Fels's crystals together with Welf's so they could hear him. Mikoto and Fels paused for a moment after hearing the gamble Welf proposed, then agreed. Fels spoke first.

Fels: We have no other choice. We're betting on your magic daggers, Welf Crozzo. Lido, run as fast as you can!

Mikoto: I'll try, too, Sir Welf!

Lido: I'm counting on you!

The Xenos mustered their strength and ran even faster. Having given up on aiming directly at the approaching sisters, Welf and Mikoto now attempted to stop them by freezing the road, throwing up dozens of ice walls and knife-sharp ice mountains to block their progress. But Tiona and Tione crushed each one in the space of a single breath, slashing them down with the double-edged sword, kukri knives, and even their bare feet. Mikoto grimaced at the sight of the extraordinary woman warriors in savage pursuit of the Xenos amid a blizzard of shattered ice chunks.

Lido: Run! Run!

The lizardman shouted to his brethren again and again in the howling language only the other monsters could understand. They had to take full advantage of every second Welf and Mikoto gained for them.

Wiene gasped for breath as she ran, and the flat-footed troll flapped its arms even more clumsily than usual as they tried to keep up. Lido and Fels took on the other Loki Familia members who Welf and Mikoto—now fully focused on the Amazons—were no longer able to hold back. Lido's longsword and scimitar mowed down all who tried to block their progress forward, while Fels's jet-black gloves sent out invisible shock waves that kept others from approaching.

Rei, who was flying above the party, dropped back to Gros's position to protect Wiene and the other Xenos at the rear, as well as Welf and Mikoto. With feather projectiles from her wings, she somehow managed to intercept the knives that Tione threw and send them to the ground before they reached their intended targets. But again and again, the white blades made their way through her defense and ripped into the siren's body.

As the parade of monsters grew increasingly ferocious and the fighting verged on spinning out of control, the narrow road began to widen as Hestia had said it would. Soon they were running down an avenue more than eight meders wide.

Tione: This is annoying! Tiona, you throw something, too!

Tione shouted, clicking her tongue in irritation at her inability to draw closer to the Xenos.

Tiona: Okay, but Urga is all I've got!

Tiona called back before hurling the double-edged sword. The massive hunk of metal was impossible to fend off. Welf, Mikoto, and Gros gaped at it, and Rei shrieked shrilly for her kin to get out of the way. With no time even to glance backward, Wiene and the others in the rear rushed away. In the next instant, the huge double-edged sword hit the ground.

Xenos: ?!

The stone pavement buckled at the tremendous impact, sending the Xenos flying. Avoiding a direct hit by a mere hairbreadth, they tumbled down a slope paved in black bricks. It was the hill Hestia had told them about.

Tione: Tiona, let's kill them he—

Tione stopped mid-sentence. She had just begun to descend the slope with her sister, who had retrieved her sword from the ground before running on. She sensed that the invisible sources of the bombardment had stopped in the middle of the road at the bottom of the hill.

Tiona: They've stopped!

Tione: So they think they can cut us off?!

Tiona and Tione knew their opponents were facing them, poised for battle. Instantly, they realized they were facing the fiercest attack yet. In the distance, they could see the monsters falling back into formation as they escaped, but they nevertheless made their decision without an instant's hesitation.

Tione: I'll shield you. Kill them, Tiona!

Tiona: Okay!

Rather than retreat from the wide avenue, the sisters had chosen to charge the enemy. Tiona stood directly behind Tione, hiding in her shadow; her older sister would take the fire while she brought down the enemy. Their target was clear. As Mikoto braced herself for a direct attack from the warrior sisters who were ready to risk their lives in the fight, sweat trickled beneath her veil. But her heart was as clear and quiet as a perfectly still pool of water. If they lost the upper hand here, everything was over.

If the enemy caught up with the Xenos, they would be destroyed—and she could not let that happen. The girl from the Far East met the gazes of the approaching first-class adventurers with her invisible eyes and brought her hand to the hilt of her magic dagger.

Mikoto: !

Welf swung his dagger from his position diagonally below them in a final attempt to stop the advance. Unfazed, Tiona and Tione positioned themselves firmly in the middle of the slope. Whether their opponents tried to freeze them or burn them, the sisters were confident they could withstand the attacks. No matter how terribly they were wounded, they would not back down from their enemy. They flew through the air toward the invisible presences. The instant before they made contact, the sisters heard a metallic shing.

Welf:...

The sound was neither ice crystals forming nor raging flames. It was the sound of a glittering metal blade sliding along its sheath—and a sword being loosened from its scabbard. Mikoto, crouched low to the ground, had two weapons at her hip. One was her third-tier adventurer's weapon, Kotetsu. The other was a sword with a magic blade. As the first-class adventurers gaped, Mikoto's eyes flashed with determination. She waited for just the right moment, then drew the weapon. Welf smiled as he watched.

Welf: Go get 'em, Fubu.

Tiona and Tione: —!!

The jade-colored blade sparkled as it was freed from its confines with a single swift, silent movement. As it flashed before the eyes of Tione and Tiona, the blade released a hurricane-force gale.

Tiona: We're flying?! Amazing! We flew through the sky, Tione! That must be what birds feels like!!

Tione: Shut the hell up! You're kidding me!!

The sisters literally flew backward in the gust. There was no fighting against the bombardment. The twins were blown high into the air and far away into the distance, completely unable to "withstand" anything. Their hair whipping around them, Tiona and Tione disappeared from the battlefield.

Mikoto: We did it...Oops!

Mikoto said, struggling to hold down her Reverse Veil as the powerful back draft pushed it up. The Xenos cheered.

Welf: Hurry up, they're not knocked out of the fight! They'll be back before you know it!

Welf shouted to them. The two swords could not kill or wound. It simply created a strong wind. It lacked even the power to lacerate its victims, and so long as it was used correctly, it would inflict no wounds. The instant Tione and Tiona hit the ground, they would most likely rush back toward their opponents in a fit of fury. But Fels couldn't help letting out a shout, even as Welf urged the Xenos along.

Fels: Down with the first-class adventurers!

Mikoto may have made ample use of the magic blade and veil, but she had nevertheless driven off the sisters, and Fels was praising her for it. And now... As the Xenos continued moving forward, the mage felt confident of their position. The fact that Amazon the Slasher and Jormungand had intercepted them was likely the result of a miscalculation on Loki Familia's part.

With guards posted throughout the Labyrinth District as well as at the doors to Knossos, few troops were free to move unhindered—let alone the Sword Princess, who was glued to Sora, and Finn, who was tied up commanding the operation. The underground path to Knossos was close now. If things continued like this, Fels believed they would be victorious. But just at that moment...The black-clad mage saw a lone shadow cross the sky.

Fels:...

The shadow that Fels had seen approaching lifted the weapon in its hand skyward.

Fels: !!

It was a huge battle-ax. The figure holding it was a mighty dwarf warrior, his mantle flapping in the chill night air that had descended after the rain. As Fels watched the aged warrior plunge downward, eyes bulging ferociously, the mage tossed appearances to the wind and let out a piercing scream.

Fels: Run!!

An instant later, the warrior landed.

Gareth: Yaaaah!

He swung his battle-ax downward, shattering the black brick pavement.

Gareth: Gaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrhhhhh!

Gareth's blow bounced high and fell like a meteorite, exploding in the center of the line of Xenos. Immediately Fels released a shock wave. The Xenos were not injured, but the combined force of the blow and the shock wave was strong enough to crumble the earth and throw them back. Not one was left standing—not Welf, not Mikoto, not Wiene. The sound of the rumbling earth mixed with the cries of the monsters, most of whom had been hurled against the walls. Cracks split the stone pavement and fissures ran up the sides of the buildings, sending walls thundering down.

Welf: Sora! Just like you plan, Elgram is here!

Sora: Rin!

Rin: Already on it!

Gareth: Huh? I went too far. Riveria is going to give me another scolding.

Gareth said, readjusting his helmet. Swinging his battle-ax up onto his shoulder, he broke into a run. He was closing in on Fels, who was plastered to a wall.

Fels: ?!

Gareth had guessed that the figure in black was a commander of sorts for the monsters and prudently set his sights on the head of the group. The dwarf's merciless ax cut through the air toward Fels. The instant before it struck, a shield of barrier protected Fels.

Gareth: Yaarrhh!

Fels: Huh?

???: Sorry, I'm late!!

It was Rin. She had cast a protection spell to save Fels and she landed in front of Fels and push Gareth's away.

Gareth: Are you the one creating these fog and those monsters illusion?

Rin: So what if I am?

Gareth: I don't know what you're thinking, you asshole! I must pursue the monsters. You will move aside!

Rin: Yeah, I think not! Since we're just saving a human being!

Rin said while raising her staff and started attacking Gareth with multiple spells that surpasses level 5 type of spells and created a smoke screen to blind Gareth and the rest of the adventurers.

Gareth: No casting?!

Gareth was shocked by how Rin was able to sent multiple magic spell without casting or chanting, as he was being hit by multiple types of spells over and over again from every side with no signs of stopping.

Gareth(mind): Is just like the War Game between Hestia Familia and Apollo Familia. This girl has the ability called instant Cast!

Seeing this, Lido had swooped down on Gareth, and now he immediately raised his weapon to mow him down with a second blow. But Gareth pulled his ax back first and block the incoming magic and, eyes narrowed, drove the pommel into the lizardman's breastplate.

Lido: Ooof!

The monster's massive body flew back as easily as if it were a feather, rolling onto the cracked stone pavement. Fels thrust out both hands and released a shock wave from point-blank range, but the dwarf warrior swiftly leaped to the side, successfully avoiding it.

Gros: OHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

The gargoyle's command echoed through the air, and the next instant the Xenos were flying at Gareth in unison. They had realized they had to deal with this demi-human if they were going to escape. Coughing violently from all the dust, Welf and Mikoto checked that they were still invisible and watched the battle in terror.

Rin along with more than ten Xenos surrounded the dwarf, but still he managed to keep them at bay, overwhelming his opponents with his sheer strength. Using his ax, he sliced off the incoming magic spells, sliced off a jabbing horn of the unicorn and the flailing tail of the lamia, before sending the troll flying with a fierce punch from his gauntlet- clad fist. Even the lizardman and the gargoyle, who were the strongest of the bunch, were dispensed within a matter of seconds.

Rin: I won't let you!! RailGun!!

As Gareth was about to land an attack towards Fels, a huge bolt of lightning fly through faster than anything reaching the power that it could even wounded a level 6 adventurer like Gareth. Being hit by the Lightning Bolt, Gareth was sent flying backwards with his armor all beaten up, but he was still standing on his feet.

Gareth: Why you, younglings!!

The strange bolt of lightning caught Gareth off guard. For the first time, his notably un-dwarflike mental agility dulled for an instant. Welf and Mikoto, who had been standing stock-still until that moment, realized this could be their only chance to act.

Gareth: !!

Gareth sidestepped the blizzard that Welf's Hien drew from thin air, but the wave of frigid air that Mikoto released a moment later froze one of his legs. Standing their ground, Welf and Mikoto unleashed a second attack on the trapped dwarf. The first-class adventurer was imprisoned in a world of freezing winds, ice, and frost. But in the next moment, he rendered Mikoto speechless.

Mikoto(mind): What?!

Welf couldn't believe his eyes.

Welf(mind): Is this some kind of joke?!

Gareth: Uwaaaaaaaaaa—!!

The mighty dwarf warrior was determined to fight, whatever the consequences. His body still frozen, he burst through the armor of ice with sheer will, raised his ax in his fist, and swung it wildly around him. The Xenos flew at him, mouths agape, but were hurled back. Welf and Mikoto edged around to his blind side and released wave after wave of cold. He did not stop. No matter that half his body was frozen solid and covered with frostbite. He was one lone adventurer, but they could not stop him. A moment later, a cracking sound split the air.

Welf and Mikoto:...?!

As if defeated in their battle of wills with the dwarf, the magic blades crumbled to pieces. Overuse had destroyed them. Welf and Mikoto were speechless as they watched the shards of the aquamarine blades crumble through their fingers.

Welf(mind): Shit, this is bad. What do I do?! What if I use this...?! But if I use it now...!

Welf looked at his waist. In place of his usual longsword, his belt held a magic one. As he gazed at the naked blade, which was a deeper aquamarine than the Hien, a ferocious inner struggle tormented him. He had already wasted a few precious seconds on this mental conflict when he heard a familiar voice.

Tsubaki: Ha-ha! This is a real party!

Chunks of ice rained down from the sky onto the street.

Welf: Huh?!

Welf could hear the crackle of the street freezing and the screams of the dwarf and the other adventurers, and through the mist, he was sure he could see a powerful gust of snow. As he stood there bewildered, a figure landed with a thud directly in front of him.

Welf: Uh...Tsubaki?

Tsubaki: Huh? Is that Welfy I hear?

The girl had brown skin, black hair knotted behind her head, and a patch over her left eye like the one her patron deity wore. Dressed in a bright-red hakama and combat clothing, she brought to mind a fencer from the Far East. Her attractive but somehow peculiar features indicated a mix of dwarf and human blood. Tsubaki Collbrande, captain of Hephaestus Familia. At the sight of this unexpected intruder, Welf pulled off his veil and revealed himself.

Welf: What are you doing here?!

Tsubaki: My patron deity begged me to help you guys out. I heard about the Zenoes or whatever you call them, too. Looks like you've got yourself wrapped up in something pretty interesting, Welf!

The half-dwarf explained simply with a smug smile. Like Nahza of the Miach familia, she had come to help Welf and his familia members in their attempt to save the Xenos. Welf wasn't entirely thrilled that Hephaestus had told Tsubaki about the Xenos, even though he could imagine why. From the perspective of Hephaistos, whom Tsubaki venerated, telling the girl must have seemed unproblematic. But Welf hated the idea that this pleasure-seeking adventurer knew about their situation. Totally unaware of Welf's thoughts, Tsubaki held up her magic blade.

Tsubaki: Looks like we both had the same idea, eh, Welf? Anyway, leave it to me. I'll stay out of view and let them have it with this magic blade. Ha-ha, I've got weapons coming out of my ears!

Welf found the sight of Tsubaki with her bundle of weapons slung carelessly over her shoulder revolting.

Welf: You just want to try out your magic swords!

Welf shouted, forgetting where he was in his anger at the master smith's ulterior motives.

Tsubaki was such a pure and eccentric craftswoman that she sometimes descended to the Deep Zone of the Dungeon just to see how well her creations worked. This insane passion also explained her skill as a smith and her genuine battle prowess, which had earned her the nickname "Cyclops."

Tsubaki: Don't be stupid. Didn't I rush to your aid knowing full well Loki Familia would hate me for it? Ha-ha! I'm off! Here I go!

Welf: Just like I thought; you're enjoying this! By the way, if you go crazy with your attacks, Loki Familia's gonna—

Tsubaki: Ha-ha-ha!! You think that dwarf is gonna roll over because of this? Loki Familia leaders are all monsters!

Accurately speaking, she seemed to be after Gareth alone. Taking advantage of the veil of smoke, Tsubaki slashed her magic blade randomly through the air. The chaotic battlefield made Welf uneasy, and he had an excruciating headache. After a few minutes, Tsubaki came across his crumbled magic sword.

Tsubaki: Eh, looks like this one reached its limit. Still room for improvement, I'd say.

Tsubaki said, tossing away the empty hilt. The next moment, her mood shifted, and she glanced sidelong at Welf through her narrowed right eye.

Tsubaki: And? What are you standing there dreaming about? Is that longsword at your waist a decoration?

Welf: ...!

Tsubaki: Why did you even bring it, silly boy? Put that thing to use!

The senior smith seemed to be ridiculing Welf, or perhaps scolding him.

Tsubaki: Didn't you come here to save those Zenoes guys? While you stand there dithering, the monsters are gonna turn into a pile of smoking ash!

Welf: ...If I use this, even a first-tier adventurer would—

Tsubaki: Idiot!

Tsubaki brushed away Welf's needless worries with a smile.

Tsubaki: I told you before, those guys are monsters. A little baby magic sword like that isn't gonna knock them down so easily.

Tsubaki directed her single eye at Welf as if to say he didn't have time to waste worrying about his opponents' well-being. He couldn't find anything to say in response.

Rin: Stop arguing and help me out already! I can't keep this up much longer!!

Tsubaki, Welf, and Mikoto: W-We're sorry!!

Welf frowned and gripped the hilt of his longsword, bracing himself for the fight.

Welf: It's hard to find the enemy in all this mist.

Rin: I'll be your eyes. Get ready.

Rin who was the source of all this mist could sense her opponent's presence especially well in the current chaos, drew his sword, and took a fighting stance.

Rin: Two o'clock. Yeah, right there. They're on guard!

Tsubaki: But nothing to worry about—not with your silly old magic sword.

Welf: Any Xenos in the line of fire?

Rin: Nope, nothing to worry about.

Tsubaki: Now is the time—do it!

Tsubaki said, sidling behind him and pushing her finger into his spine.

Welf: Asshole.

Then he swung the deep-aqua blade down from above his head.

Welf: Hiyo!

With a high-pitched, birdlike screech, a wave of ice and wind materialized. The aqua-blue ice floe swept through the black mist like the outstretched wings of some giant bird of prey. Instantaneously freezing the pavement below, its sharp beak searched for victims. The raging blizzard unleashed by the Hiyo far surpassed anything the Hien had produced. Even Gareth stared wide-eyed at the blizzard and pulled his shield from beneath his mantle, forced for the first time to take a defensive stance.

Gareth: ?!?!

Standing protectively in front of the adventurers near him, the dwarf bore the full brunt of the raging snow and crackling ice.

Loki Familia member: M-Mr. Gareth?!

Gareth: ...Feels about the same strength as Riveria's magic. That did a bit of damage.

Gareth's entire left side, including the shield he thrust before him, was frozen solid. His beard was encrusted in ice and his face was frostbitten, but still the mighty dwarf warrior laughed fearlessly. The shield and the hand holding it, and all of Gareth's lower body were frozen over. He was frozen up to his beard, and his face looked frostbitten as if he'd been outdoor in a blizzard in an icy country.

Gareth: You guys step back!

Gareth couldn't help but grin, despite the fact that he was in a position where he needed to chase after the monsters, and his blood boiled as he took a second cannon blast.

Gareth wanted to chase after the armed monsters already, but his situation wouldn't allow it.

Mikoto: I'm sorry for doing this!

Gros: We will go too, Lido!!

Lido: Fels and the others should run away first!!

Gareth: Uooooooooooooooooooh!!

Gareth shouted a name that resembled one of a magic sword. The Far Eastern girl launched the surprise attack. The Mage Girl also launched multiple level 5 based magic spell. A rotten master smith's crackling laughter at the chaos echoed.

Tsubaki: This friggin' dwarf won't die! All of you! Get him!

Gareth: Yer!! In!! My!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!

Tsubaki, Rin, Welf, Mikoto, Lido, and Gros: GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!?!

Everything centered around Gareth. They were desperately trying to hold him down. They all viewed Elgram as a threat and swarmed him. Bathed in ice, Gareth kept wracking havoc, his roar ringing in the wind.

Gareth: 💢 💢EACH! AND EVERY! ONE A YA!! GO EASY ON THE OLD MAN!!!

Tsubaki, Rin, Welf, Mikoto, Lido, and Gros: 💢💢💢💢💢💢AS IF!!!

Shooting ice blast widely, the smiths, the mage, the Far Eastern girl, the lizardman, the gargoyle, all shouted back in unison. If they let the dwarf go, he would wipe out his target, the monsters and the rest of them. They were absolutely convinced this was the case, which was precisely why the minor league players blended together and the smiths, mage struggled desperately to hold him back.

Rin: Lady Hestia, can you hear me?

Hestia: Yes, I'm here. What is it, Rin?

Rin: We'll hold them here somehow! Tell the Xenos to move forward!

The black mist lingered stubbornly despite the repeated blizzards. Rin had decided that he could turn it to his advantage by using it to hide her presence as she fought, and that was why she asked Hestia to send her message to Fels. Mikoto must have heard her, because her voice came back through the oculus.

Hestia: Got it!

Presently, he heard the lizardman's roar. Rin could sense the monsters scattered around him responding to the command to move forward. And then, the adventurers pursuing them. Cursing their inability to hold them back, Welf continued to swing his magic blade in the direction Tsubaki told him to.

Tsubaki: We've just gotta keep that dwarf pinned here!

The road where Gareth stood had turned into a river of ice. They had stopped the first-tier adventurer.

(Elsewhere)

On the outskirts of southwestern Daedalus Street, Hestia dripped with nervous sweat. Next to her, Haruhime had turned white.

Hestia: Oh, this is bad. This is really bad...!

Haruhime: Yes! It's awful!

In the aftermath of the fierce attack from Loki Familia, the names of the Xenos were scattered across the magic map. The enemy had ruined their prospects of reaching the central zone of the Labyrinth District. As if to drive home the dismal message, Hestia saw a lone symbol moving away from the group.

Hestia: No, Wiene! You can't go that way!

The dragon girl was striking out on her own.

(Elsewhere)

Wiene was running. Some of her scales had been torn off, and crimson blood was seeping from the gaps. She gripped her wounded left arm and plunged into the mist. Rin's smoke had overflowed the main avenue and filled the alleys that surrounded it like a spiderweb. The thick fog that blotted out the stars was probably visible from anywhere in Daedalus Street. If Wiene stopped in the mist, the adventurers would surround her. She knew that. And she knew that even now she was running farther and farther from the other Xenos. But she could not stop her feet.

Wiene(mind): They're...coming...!

Arrows flew at her ceaselessly, grazing the hood of her robe and her pointy ears. Loki Familia archers. Terrified of the bolts flying to kill her, she turned a corner. The dragon girl's diabolical pursuers were drawing closer.

Wiene: Huff, puff...

Wiene struggled to find her way through the Labyrinth District. She didn't have an oculus with her, so she could not turn to the goddess for help. The black brick buildings stretched up as far as she could see, turning the streets into canyons. Countless side alleys branched off like fissures, beckoning the girl into the abyss of mist. At last, Wiene broke out of the dense, still fog that blocked her vision.

Wiene: !!!

She emerged into a scene of ruin. The black bricks had given way to ancient cobblestones surrounded by clusters of the strangely shaped, crumbling buildings Daedalus had designed ages ago. Every few minutes, the tremors and rumbling from the battlefield shook loose a rain of sand and stone fragments. The scene suggested that in her confusion, Wiene had crossed the border of the Labyrinth District's western region and entered the northwestern section. She paused for a moment and looked around at the wider and slightly less complicated roads.

Adventurer: There it is! I found it!

Wiene: !!

At the sound of the adventurers' shouts, Wiene took off running again. Evading the rain of arrows, she turned a corner. Her bluish-white skin and scales covered in sweat and her silver-blue hair tangled beneath her robe, Wiene plunged desperately forward, clinging to an invisible hope. But.

Tiona:...

As if to crush the monster's wish, the starlight illuminated a figure far in the distance. Wiene stopped breathing.

Wiene(mind): I've made it this far somehow, but...

The brown-skinned woman's bare feet were planted firmly on the roof of a building, and she had an unbelievably huge double-edged sword over her shoulder—an Amazon. It was Tiona Hyrute.

Wiene(mind): Why—?

Wiene recognized her as a threat. She could not understand how one of the pair Mikoto had blown away earlier could be standing before her now.

Tiona: Well, I guess since I've happened across one, I better do something about it.

Tiona didn't really know why she'd ended up in this place. If she had to say, it was probably because she'd seen the mist creeping to the northwest. Once she had finally landed on the ground after Mikoto's tornado, she'd headed back toward the battlefield with Tione, who was insane with rage. But when she saw the mist spreading northwest, Tiona had changed directions.

The south side was still okay. The only ones down there were adventurers. But she'd heard that there were still some townsfolk on the northern side of the Labyrinth District who hadn't managed to evacuate. Her instincts told her that things could get nasty if they tried to head to the outskirts through the mist, and that had led her to follow the cloud to the northwest.

Tiona: I'll take this one down.

When Wiene saw Tiona toss her double-edged sword to one hand, she sped off in the opposite direction. For all her youth and inexperience, the dragon girl could sense that she was in a desperate situation. As she collided with Loki Familia pursuers, all hope drained from her face. She leaped into an intersection as the adventurers and Tiona closed in on her from both sides.

Wiene(mind): Huh?

A little boy was standing near her.

Wiene(mind): A human...child...?

It was a pale, young half-elf, hugging a kitten to his chest. Wiene saw her own reflection in the child's pupils. Her two amber eyes peering out from the dark hood and, above them, like a drop of blood on her forehead, her sparkling third eye. The sight of her monster's face wreathed in darkness would surely be enough to petrify any small child.

Wiene hesitated for a moment as she faced the terrified boy. Just then, she heard a loud explosion from the direction of the battlefield that shook the ground. An instant later, it gave way to a powerful roar. Suddenly, one of the buildings looming above the child's head pitched forward and began to crumble.

Maria: Ruu?!

Screams exploded from the mouths of Lai, Fina, and Maria as if their chests were bursting open.

Chigusa: Ouka?!

Ouka: It's coming—!

As they saw the building tipping forward on the west side of the intersection, Chigusa and Ouka dashed into the street, their weapons in hand. They had arrived at the corner just a minute earlier, still searching for the little boy who had run back to the orphanage all alone. They had felt a flood of relief when they caught sight of the half-elf on the east side of the intersection. That was immediately before the explosion.

Chigusa: Miss Tiona?!

Ouka: Oh no!

Ouka saw the monster in the torn robe racing with frightening speed into the intersection, the little boy frozen in place, and the astounded Loki Familia members. Then he noticed the dilapidated building falling toward the intersection.

Ouka(mind): I won't make it!!

Within his heart, Ouka screamed silently at the horrifying disaster about to occur.

Wiene(mind): Ah...

It was a familiar scene for Wiene. The mountain of bricks falling above the boy's head. Back then, it had been packages falling from a horse-drawn cart.

Wiene(mind): I'm sure they'll be scared of me again. But—

Wiene asked her heart a question.

Wiene(mind): But even so, Papa saved me, didn't he?

She had heard from her brethren about her father's plight. It was her fault that even now he faced hostility and malice on all sides. When Wiene learned that, she had burst into tears and felt a tightness in her heart. Sora had saved Wiene even though he knew people would throw rocks at him. Wiene's fearful heart had nothing to say in response. Instead, it gently urged her onward. The next moment, the heat in the finger pushing her forward burst through her skin and her robe and grew into a new wing.

Ruu: !!

The potential of a dragon turned Wiene's body into a bluish-silver arrow speeding toward the child. She spread her wing out to block the mountain of falling brick, using her body to press the half-elf boy to the ground.

Maria: Ruu!!

The collapsing rubble drowned out the screams of the other children. The sound of avalanching debris enveloped the intersection as a waterfall of stone descended. By the time the rush had subsided, an enormous cloud of dust had ballooned from the wreckage, and the entire area was littered with jagged hunks of stone.

Ruu:...Ah.

Wiene and the boy were in the center of this collapsed building. The boy was lying faceup on the ground, and the vouivre was pressing her hands against his face as she peered down into his eyes. Her outstretched wing had not been able to block all the rubble. Blood dripped from her head onto the boy's cheek.

Loki Familia member: Shoot it!

Wiene: ?!

An arrow bounced off Wiene's wing. How had this scene appeared to those who watched it unfold? At least to Maria, the children, and Loki Familia's members, it looked as if the monster had attacked the child with its dreadful wing, and by chance the rubble had fallen onto its head. Wiene looked down as a band of angry adventurers approached from beyond the settling dust. She rose from the boy's side and began running. A moment later, Maria and the children and other Loki Familia members rushed to take her place next to the boy.

Tiona: I'll go after her! You guys protect the children!

Tiona shouted to the adventurers, raising her sword as she ran after the monster.

Loki Familia member: Got it!

Maria, Lai, and Fina hugged the dazed Ruu, who was gripping the kitten tightly.

Maria: Oh, Ruu! Ruu!

Lai: You dummy! What were you doing?!

Fina: Ruu, are you okay?

Maria, Lai, and Fina were all crying.

Ruu: No, you're all wrong...Mother, Lai, Fina.

Ruu whispered faintly as they held him close. A drop of the monster's blood trickled down his cheek like a tear.

Ruu: Big brother...was right all along.

The half-elf child stared up at the deep-blue night sky as his foster mother held him. His lips trembled as he made out the faintly shining moon beyond the settling dust. The child's sobs echoed through the ruins. A few steps away, Ouka and Chigusa were standing stock-still.

Chigusa: Ouka...what just happened?

Ouka: The monster protected him? Protected a child...?

The two had been standing immediately beside Wiene as the scene unfolded, and they had seen all the details that Maria, the children, and Loki Familia members had missed from their position behind the vouivre. Now they exchanged puzzled whispers about what they had witnessed. Their words trailed off, and they gazed toward the street where Wiene had disappeared.

(Elsewhere)

A short distance from the intersection, two pairs of footsteps echoed down a narrow alleyway illuminated by timeworn magic-stone lanterns.
It had taken only a few moments for Tiona to catch up with the fleeing Wiene.

Tiona: You can't run anymore.

Wiene: ?!?!

The Amazon handily swung her double-edged sword down, blocking Wiene's path of retreat. Although the sword did not hit the dragon girl, her thin legs collapsed from the force of the impact and the gust of wind from the rapidly swing of her weapon. Tiona did not waste this chance to lift her sword in preparation for another thrust.

Wiene(mind): Ah...

Wiene didn't even have time to shield her body with her single wing. Even if she had, the sword would have skewered her, wing and all. In the last instant, as the Amazon closed in on her, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Wiene:...?

She waited and waited, but the piercing thrust of the sword did not come. Very timidly, she opened her eyes. The huge double-edged sword was suspended in front of her chest. When she looked up, Tiona was standing there silently with a deeply conflicted expression on her face.

Tiona: Uhhh, errrrr, mmmm...yeah!

After groaning and grumbling for a minute, Tiona nodded and pulled back her weapon.

Tiona: Somehow, I just can't take you down!

She tossed the sword over her shoulder. The massive weapon rolled across the ground with a grating crash.

Wiene: Huh...?

Wiene whispered hoarsely from her bluish-white lips. The best word to describe her expression would be "stunned."

Tiona: I think you saved that boy back there, right?

Wiene reacted with surprise.

Tiona: I don't know if you understand what I'm saying, but you should hurry up and go.

Wiene: Ah...

Tiona: Not everyone's as dumb as I am.

Tiona stared down at the monster. Wiene didn't know what to do, but very timidly, she stood up. She opened her mouth slightly as if to speak, but at that moment the booms of the battle echoed down the alleyway, and she hurried away.

Tiona: Huh?

Just once, she turned to look back at Tiona, then disappeared. The magic-stone lamps flickered in the alleyway. Left alone, Tiona picked up the sword she'd tossed away and slowly raised her eyes to the heavens.

Tiona: This is how the Mr Flash must have felt...

Her words faded into the cloudy night sky.

Tione: Tiona!

Tiona: Oh, hey, Tione.

When she left the alleyway, Tiona bumped into her twin. Tione frowned angrily and pressed in close to Tiona.

Tione: Why'd you run off without telling me? I was looking for you!

Tiona: You came after me? I figured you'd be busy fighting over on the main street.

Tione: The captain told us to stick together! I'm not going to disobey him, am I? And...what about the monster? I heard you chased one over here.

Tiona considered lying to her sister but decided against it.

Tiona: Yeah, I let it go.

Tione: What?! It didn't escape; you purposely let it go?! Are you crazy?

Tiona: But—!

Tione: 'But' my ass! These are unique circumstances. Didn't you hear what the captain said?

Tiona: But, Tione, even you know those monsters are more than just smart...

Tione: Hmph.

Tiona: I think they're different from regular monsters. I don't get a negative feeling from them.

Tiona told her sister frankly, thinking back to the adventurer she'd found who was unconscious but not dead. For a moment, Tione was silent, as if she knew Tiona had hit on the truth. But her anger quickly resurfaced.

Tione: Shut up! I'm going to get that Red Juggernaut no matter what! I'm out of here!

Tiona: You just want revenge!

The sisters ran off side by side, bickering as they went.

(Elsewhere)

Fels: Goddess Hestia, where is Wiene?!

Fels's voice was coming through the oculus.

Hestia: She's in the northwest, heading farther and farther away!

She was at her post in the southwestern outskirts of Daedalus Street. As she looked down at the dragon girl's name moving steadily northward across the magic map, Hestia could feel her heart thumping faster and faster.

Hestia: Can't anyone go rescue her?

Fels: It's impossible. The adventurers are fighting hard...! If Lido or anyone else left, we'd be done for!

Through the blue crystal, Hestia could hear the monsters howling in a furious battle. Frowning, she frantically thought about what else they could do.

Hestia(mind): If Fels can't help, then the closest ones to Wiene are Rin, Welf and Mikoto... No, that's impossible, too; they're holding off the adventurers! And Sora, Bell and Lili are too far!

Fels and the Xenos were fighting in the western sector, just on the edge of the central zone, Rin and Mikoto and Welf were very close by. Sora was heading west, Lili was due east, and Bell was heading southeast, stirring up trouble with adventurers. It would be hard for them to reach Wiene as she fled to the northwest. It was clear the adventurers were pursuing Wiene as she headed north through the Labyrinth District. Hestia felt like every tick of the hands on her broken watch shaved off more minutes of the girl's life. She was at a loss for what to do, when—

Haruhime: Aaah!

Hestia: Haruhime?!

The girl, who had been on the tower rooftop with Hestia, had leaped off the edge. Just as her golden hair and crimson kimono disappeared into the darkness of the Labyrinth District, the loud crack of something breaking rang through the air. Panicked, Hestia peered over the edge of the roof. Far below, she could make out a hole in the roof of a barrack and, below it, the renart's form stumbling forward as if she had rolled onto the ground.

Hestia: !!

Haruhime had abandoned all trace of logic or reason at the thought of Wiene in peril, and she literally jumped into the night to find her. Hestia, too, threw aside her indecision, grabbed one of the oculi, and shouted into it at the top of her lungs.

Hestia: Sora! Help!

(Elsewhere)

Sora: Wiene has run off from the Xenos! And now Haruhime has gone after her!

Hidden under his veil, Sora panic at first when the goddess's voice unexpectedly comes through the oculus. But as he listen to her desperate plea, the blood drains from his face.

Sora: Wiene's by herself?!

Burning with anxiety, Sora slip into a back alley to get away from the shouts of the adventurers.

Sora(mind): Wiene is all alone? And no one can get there to rescue her?

The vision of her daughter crying by herself is deeply upsetting. As he pull up a map of Orario in his mind's eye, he know that they were in an awful situation. He was in the southwest. Wiene is in the northwest. They're as far as we can be from each other. If he take the most direct route to her, he'll run straight into Loki Familia's encampment in the center of the Labyrinth District. It's impossible for him to get through without a hitch, invisible or not.

Sora: To Haruhime!

Hestia: Huh?

Sora: Please tell me where Haruhime is!! And please tell Bell this!!

Sora started running even before Hestia has answered him. Realizing what Sora plan to do, she gasps, and then—as if she's made a decision—relays the information on the magic map. Sora forgot all about clandestine actions and rush headlong down the street. His body heat was building up inside his veil, but he didn't even have time to wipe away the sweat. Forsaking his role as a decoy, he leap and run across the uneven rooftops.

Sora(mind): Faster, faster! Hurry!!

Hestia's voice guides him as he cross the southern section of the Labyrinth District.

Sora: Haruhime!

Haruhime: Eeek!! Oh—Master Sora?!

Haruhime has been running as fast as she can through the back alleys as the goddess guides her. Sora catch up with her and grab her hand, forgetting to take off his veil. As he pull her into an abandoned old house, she guesses his identity, and her surprise gives way to tears.

Haruhime: Master Sora! Lady Wiene, Lady Wiene has...!

Her trembling hand grips Sora's clothes. Sora try to support her as she collapses, and they both sink to their knees. As the tears spill from her green eyes onto her kimono, Sora took her hand again and squeeze it.

Sora: Haruhime—

She looks up at him, and Sora asked her to do.

Sora: Please help me. We will save Wiene together.

Surprised by the urgency in his eyes, Haruhime dries her tears and nods. Sora's right hand grasps her left, and her right hand takes his left. The beautiful renart begins to chant a song of illusion.

Haruhime: Grow.

Her voice is clear and pure as crystal. She closes her eyes and continues to sing in her sonorous voice. That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion. As the spell builds, a golden light begins to glow in the dim room, illuminating Sora's tense face.

Haruhime: Grow.

From this point on, Sora and Haruhime will be in great danger. Perhaps because Haruhime, too, realizes this, her hands shake despite her smooth, flowing singing voice.

Haruhime: Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you.

Her hands cling to Sora as they rest on his knees, revealing her fear for Wiene. Sora answer with a squeeze. Trembling under her kimono, she forcefully utters the final line.

Haruhime: Grow.

Haruhime opens her eyes and looks into his. She says the name of the spell.

Haruhime: Uchide no Kozuchi.

The room is filled with a brilliant light. At the same time, a swirl of sparkles surrounds his body. She has given Sora a level boost, raising him one level with the strongest of sorcery. The thrill of reaching Level 8 buzzes through his whole body, and Sora let out a cry of joy. Sora pull the veil around him again, stand up—and lift Haruhime off her feet.

Haruhime: Huh?!

Level boost alone will not be enough. Sora still need Haruhime's help, and he have no intention of leaving her behind. He was sure she knew that, but her cheeks flush pink all the same—maybe because she wasn't expecting him to sling her under his arm like this. Sora feel bad, but there's no other choice. She'll just have to endure it. Sora check to make sure both Haruhime and his sparkling body are completely covered by the veil, then bring his mouth to the fox ears at his chest.

Sora: Please hold the veil down.

She nods. Since both Sora's hands are holding on to her, she reaches her arms around his neck and grabs on to the Reverse Veil for him. Through the fabric, the objects of the outside world appear transparent. Sora peer around and steel myself for what is to come.

Sora: We're off.

A single bead of sweat trickles down his cheek, and Sora took off running.

Haruhime: Ack?!

Haruhime gulps back a shocked yelp at Sora's extreme Level 8 speed. Sora fly through the wide-open door of the old house, leap down the street with stone-crushing strides, and soar into the night sky. Below him sprawls the Labyrinth District. There are the blinking magic- stone lamps of Loki Familia's encampment. There's the western sector cloaked in black mist. And there's the northwestern part, where Wiene has been left all alone. Sora take one last glance, then let gravity pull him down to the rooftop of a building—and start running again at full speed.

Loki Familia member: ?!

Loki Familia member: What's that?!

Despite their invisibility, people are bound to notice them passing by. They were unbelievably fast, and they're stirring up a wind that makes a ferocious roar, and his feet are pounding across rooftops and walls. The adventurers in the area look up as they sense Sora speeding past above their heads. But it doesn't matter. All Sora could do is ignore it. He don't have time for anything else. Sora had to get to Wiene as fast as he possibly could.

Sora: !!

Haruhime grips Sora's neck tight as he ran even faster, desperately trying to hold down the veil as the wind pulls it up. Sora rushed through the streets, sometimes even scaling lofty towers in a single breath.

Hestia: Yes, keep going straight ahead just like that!

Sora: Have you told Bell yet?

Hestia: I have!

The sound of the wind rushing past him almost drowns out Hestia's voice, but Sora manage to follow her instructions and blast through town via the shortest route. The risk of Loki Familia detecting them is extremely high. First-tier members of their familia will definitely be able to sense Sora's movements. But his only option is to continue.

Haruhime: Pardon me, Master Sora! Despite my current strange position, I am deeply happy!!

The shivering renart says, as if she can't help herself.

Sora: I see!

Sora blush at understanding what she really meant.

(Elsewhere)

Wiene was advancing through the alleyways.

Wiene: Huff, puff...

Her ragged breath was a sign of just how worn out she had become. She had no sense of where she was. She walked forlornly through the backstreets, her new wing hidden and her hand against the walls, confused by the darkness. Her pursuers seemed to have disappeared, but she could not calm her terror of the phantom adventurers who her fear drew from thin air. More than anything, an overwhelming loneliness tormented her.

Wiene:......

She desperately tried to keep her lips from uttering that one name. She didn't want to worry him. If she cried, he would start worrying about her again. She wanted to reassure him. That was why she was trying so hard to control her feelings. But the dim Labyrinth District eroded her determination. At last, the pitiful fear that shook her reedy body got the better of her, and she sought the shadow of the past, that irreplaceable warmth.

Wiene: Papa...

She whispered her father so faintly it seemed to melt into the darkness. And something happened.

Sora: Wiene!!

He answered her prayer.

Wiene: !

Haruhime: Lady Wiene!!

As the vouivre looked up in shock, Sora and Haruhime threw off their veil and materialized from nowhere, floating down from the dark-blue sky. Tears overflowed from Wiene's amber eyes, and in the next instant she was running toward them. She flew into the arms of her father and girl who had landed in front of her.

Wiene: Papa! Haruhime!

Their outstretched arms encircled her.

Haruhime: Oh, Lady Wiene, Lady Wiene!

Sora: Wiene, it's so good to see you...! I'm so glad!!

Wiene: I'm sorry, so sorry, Papa and Haruhime...! Thank you, I love you...!

All three could hardly form a sentence for all their tears. They simply held one another in a warm embrace. Wiene buried her face in Haruhime's chest, and Sora wrapped himself around both of them—Wiene's new wing and all.

Wiene: You came looking for me...?

Haruhime: The goddess told us where you were!

Sora: So you're okay, Wiene? I'm so glad you haven't been hurt!

Sora smiled at Wiene's upturned, tear-covered face.

Wiene: Thank you, Goddess!

They heard sniffling from the sparkling blue oculus on Sora's jacket, and Wiene's expression blossomed into a smile. After they had hugged for a few minutes, Sora stepped back from Wiene and Haruhime.

Sora: Come on, there's no time to waste. We have to meet up with Lido and the others somehow.

Haruhime: Right!

Wiene and Haruhime nodded, and they set out. By now, more than five minutes had passed since Sora met up with Haruhime. He wanted to find a place to renew the level boost. They were currently in the north-northwest of the Labyrinth District. He knew full well that heading south to meet up with the Xenos while dodging Loki Familia along the way would be next to impossible. In the worst-case scenario, he would have to serve as a decoy. Still, he brought the oculus to his lips.

Sora: Goddess, please tell us the w—

Sora's sixth sense suddenly set internal alarm bells clanging.

Sora: Not good!

Haruhime: Huh?

It was practically a miracle that he was able to pull Wiene and Haruhime close and throw the Reverse Veil over all three of them. The instant he had retreated into the darkness of an alleyway—thwack! A pair of silver metal boots crashed onto the ground. The figure wearing them had a coat of wind-ruffled gray fur and an intimidating blue tattoo on one side of his face. Sora, Haruhime, and Wiene all gasped at the young werewolf who had descended from the sky.

Sora(mind): It's Bete...!

As Sora had feared, they'd been detected. Bete Loga had sensed Sora and Haruhime's reckless trip through town. Defying Finn's orders, the first-tier adventurer had left Loki Familia's encampment to pursue them. Sora was stunned by the werewolf's incredible sense of smell.

Sora(mind): Dammit! Do I really have to fight Bete and Aiz too?

Sora glanced behind him near the stone wall and he could also see a shadow of a woman. He knew right away that it was Aiz. She must've defeated Ryuu faster than Sora could imagine and went to chase after him even in this fog.

Bete: Get out here! I know your there you Flashing bastard!! Even if you run fast, you can't erase your scent.

Accurately and mercilessly, Bete had scanned the many alleys branching off the plaza and determined the one where Sora and the others were hiding. Wiene and Haruhime froze beneath his gaze, which pierced them despite their invisibility. The minute it had taken him to find them had felt like an eternity, and now their hopes crumbled like sand. Wiene's shoulders shook as Bete pointed his feet in their direction. Sora squeezed them and prepared to do the only thing he could: walk out to Bete. But Haruhime's next move prevented him from doing that.

Wiene(mind): Haruhime...?

Wiene looked up when she felt someone stroking a lock of her hair, and she saw the renart smiling down at her. Haruhime gently extracted herself from the dragon girl's embrace and sent a fleeting smile at the dumbfounded Sora. His outstretched arm met air as Haruhime pushed aside the veil and stepped into the darkness.

Bete: Huh?

Haruhime:...

As the astonished Sora and Wiene watched, she stood facing Bete directly, illuminated by the starry sky. Her fox's tail quivered as the werewolf eyed her dubiously. But she hid it behind her back and returned his stare resolutely.

Bete: The rest of you, get out of here, too! Get out here you Flashing Bastard!! I know your there!!

Haruhime: I am alone.

Bete: Don't give me that garbage!!

Haruhime: I am alone!! So please leave!!

Wiene jumped—she'd never heard Haruhime speak so loudly. Her gracefully arched eyebrows and determined green eyes showed no sign of yielding to the boy's dangerous glare. She pressed her hands to her voluptuous chest and shouted at the young werewolf again.

Haruhime: Please move!

Sora(mind): Haruhime...

Sora understood that she was speaking not to Bete but to him. The weak young girl he had rescued from such depraved surroundings was nowhere to be seen. Standing guard with her back to them, she was like a Shinto maiden bravely confronting calamity, a sister protecting her dragon-girl sibling, a mother. She howled. The girl who had always needed rescuing cried out now to save the ones she loved. Sora was amazed.

Haruhime: Now!!

Haruhime's yell, along with the sight of her resolute back, urged Sora forward. He couldn't let her determination go to waste. He shook off his distress and pulled his hand back from Wiene's shoulder. Gritting his teeth with determination, Sora tugged the dragon girl along as she glanced tearfully back, then took off running in the opposite direction from Bete and Haruhime.

Bete: You won't even fight, so stop lording it over me!

Bete could sense the two invisible forms beyond Haruhime disappearing into the distance. He pawed the ground, his foot scraping over the cobblestones. As he did, fragments of broken stone shot like bullets toward Haruhime, tearing into her cheeks and kimono. She threw her arm in front of her face and stumbled but caught herself before she fell. Still, she did not move aside.

Bete: You're in the way. Move!

Haruhime: I will not.

Bete: I'll crush you.

Haruhime: I will not move!

As Bete strode toward her, she threw both arms out. He narrowed his eyes at the renart, who still refused to budge, and kicked the ground. He moved with such incredible speed that she could not even track him with her eyes.

In an instant, the werewolf's shadow was at her feet. As she stood frozen, Bete raised his left hand as if to brush away a trivial speck of dust. He was about to bring it down on her when...

Bete: !!!

His hand stopped in midair. He was looking at Haruhime's steadfast green eyes below her golden bangs.

Bete: ...

His gaze was fixed on Haruhime, silently taking in this girl who refused to look away even on the verge of a direct blow.

Haruhime: I will not move!!

Quiet fell over the pair. In the distance, the two animal people could hear the faint sound of battle cries.

Bete: You small-fry!

A brutal smile played over the werewolf's lips.

Bete: You're totally helpless—but you've still made up your mind, eh?

Haruhime: ?!

The werewolf's thirst for blood was out of control. Haruhime's animal- person instincts trembled before the overwhelming presence of this starving wolf. He was about to devour her on the principal that the strong must consume the weak. Still, she did not retreat. She looked back at him as a humiliating trembling finally overtook her, her arms still thrown out.

Bete: Got a little carried away, didn't you?

Instead of his lowered fist, his left metal boot came crashing down on the ground. His foot struck the stone with a splintering sound and a shockwave that launched Haruhime backward. She doubled over in pain and groaned as her back was slammed against the wall at the entrance to the alley. Bete's smile contrasted with his harsh words. It was half mocking condescension toward the "small-fry" and half enjoyment.

He had accepted Haruhime as an enemy. He recognized that she was not just another nonentity hardly worth sneering at but an opponent he was meeting on the battlefield. He smiled because he recognized the renart's determination.

Bete: Don't stand there all pleased with yourself like a little minx! You're all show!

Haruhime: !!

Haruhime, who had been suffering under Bete's stream of abuse, raised her face. She glared as hard as she could at the werewolf smiling wickedly down at her and thrust both hands out in front of her chest as if she was presenting an offering.

Haruhime: Grow.

She began to chant.

Haruhime: That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion.

It was the only magic Haruhime knew, and it had no use as a weapon. She was well aware that it could not harm the mighty adventurer standing before her, but still, she chanted.

Haruhime: Grow.

She needed an interval of around ten minutes between level boosts. By the time her strange exchange with Bete was over, almost ten minutes had elapsed, and as she began to chant, the magic drew forth her powers even more.

Haruhime: Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you.

Bete remained facing her at a slight distance, waiting silently until she finished chanting. Did he wait out of pride? No. He waited because he respected the girl's determination—this weak girl's roar toward the strong. The instant she finished, the werewolf would set upon her without hesitation or mercy. Just before he did so, he clapped his hands.

Haruhime: Grow.

Uchide no Kozuchi. Even though Haruhime hadn't formed a magic circle, golden light beamed out before the spell took effect, signaling its peculiar nature. As the chanting continued, the faint mist of magical power gathered into a cloud of light, announcing the presence of a magic so potent even the goddess Ishtar had groaned under its force.

A cloud of light and a swirl of golden sparkles rose up above the heads of Haruhime and Bete. Like the mist spreading through the Labyrinth District's western region, a faint glittering enveloped the north-northwest area where they were. Anyone who saw it likely recognized it as a sign that the hammerhead made of light was being summoned. Just as Haruhime finished chanting and Bete leaned toward her, the one who had heard the girl's prayers rushed toward them.

Bete: !!

Bete turned to look behind him and saw a beautiful woman with coal- black hair land firmly on the ground. It was an Amazon armed with a huge broadsword Aisha Belka had arrived as backup.

Haruhime: Uchide no Kozuchi.

Instantly, the sparks of light flowed over Bete and gathered around Aisha, and the shaftless hammer of light fell onto her.

Bete: You...

Before Bete's narrowed gaze, the level boost was completed. Wrapped in a torrent of light, the Amazon brandished her sword and pointed it at Bete, sparks of light rising from its tip.

Aisha: Hey, asshole. You were about to lay your dirty paws on my little sister, weren't you? I think you were. In fact, in my eyes, you already did.

Bete:Hey now.

Aisha: I don't let anyone mess with my sweet little sister. I just won't feel right unless I kick your ass right here and now.

Aisha was picking a fight with a smile on her face. This had nothing to do with the Xenos. Aisha had turned it into a personal grudge. As Haruhime watched her confront Bete and his glare, she shivered with emotion.

Haruhime: Lady Aisha...!

Aisha: Useless little fox, don't be so reckless. I told you not to use your magic so freely...but I like the look in your eyes today, so I'll forgive you.

Aisha replied with a shrug. She seemed secretly pleased that Haruhime had called on her for help. Bete snorted at the two women.

Bete: Worthless girl, leaving all your hard work to someone else.

Despite smiling in recognition of Haruhime's tactics. He was raring for a fight.

Bete: Get over here and take me on, crazy woman. I'll stomp you into the ground, idiotic head and all.

Aisha: I'm ready for you!!

As Haruhime looked on, the two began their battle.

(Elsewhere)

Hestia: Sora, Haruhime will be...!

Sora: Its fine. Aisha is with her!!

Before Sora left, he saw a glimpse of Aisha rushing towards them and he knew that Aisha wouldn't do anything to let Haruhime get hurt. And with Haruhime's level boost, they should buy enough time for Sora and Wiene to escape.

Hestia: Sora, we're out of time. If you don't hurry, you won't be able to meet up with Fels and the others.

Sora: I know! I know!

Spurred on by Hestia's anxious voice, Sora and Wiene hurried ahead even faster. The sparks of light from the level boost were already gone. Sora was wearing the veil and taking care not to draw the attention of adventurers or Loki Familia members, but the streets were so empty there was hardly need for those precautions. Instead of seeing this as good fortune, however, Sora sensed a threat in the air. Glancing from side to side, he headed south toward their destination. South, south, ever farther south...eventually, Sora's feet could move no more.

Wiene: Papa...?

Wiene asked, confused that their progress had stopped.

Sora:...

Gripping her thin hand, Sora was drenched in what seemed like every last drop of sweat in his body. His breath came in ragged gasps, and the deafening sound of his own heartbeat thundered in his ears. He stood in the middle of a backstreet, surrounded by narrow side streets and steps leading up and down. His blue eyes stared into the blackness ahead.

(Elsewhere)

Southeast Orario. In a corner of an alleyway where the ongoing chaos and shouts of the adventurers did not reach, a form lay twitching. An arm moved slightly in the dim light as the figure peeled its back from the cracked brick wall and coughed weakly.

Ryuu: Five years, is it? She's left me in the dust...

Three minutes. That's how long the fight had lasted. As consciousness returned, the figure sluggishly lifted its head and looked up at the sky. Forgetting to wipe the blood from her lip, she pressed her hands against her stomach, where she'd been hit with the back of her opponent's sword.

Ryuu: I'm sorry, Sora....

(Elsewhere)

Aiz:...

The ruffled clouds covering the sky had dissipated, and the moonlight chased away the darkness below. Its beams illuminated long hair that shone like gold dust, glinting faintly off silver-and-blue clothing and the hilt of a sheathed sword. Sora and Wiene blinked at the brilliance. To Wiene, time seemed to stand still as the girl stared down on them.

Sora: Aiz... Bell, you better come here fast!!

Sora glanced to the left for a bit and saw Asuna standing atop of a building not to far from where Aiz and Sora is. Golden hair and golden eyes. At the sight of the swordswoman standing in the middle of the backstreet. He quickly close off his oculus so no one would hear their conversation and look at her.

Aiz: So the vouivre is alive...

The word vouivre—there was no doubt Aiz had said that word—shot through Sora like a shock wave. He has noticed her because she hadn't actually been looking at him. She had followed even through the tick fog and managed to catch up to Sora's amazing speed. After losing track of him once because of Ryuu's interference, she had picked up the trail again when he crossed from the southeast to the southwest. She'd watched as he met up with Haruhime and again when he was reunited with Wiene. She'd been watching the whole time. In other words, Aiz had succeeded in trailing off Sora. Bete had shown up first only because she'd been unable to make up her mind.

Aiz: Come out, Big Bro...

Sora:...

With a trace of sadness, Aiz ordered Sora to take off the Reverse Veil. Silently, he pushed aside the veil.

Sora:...

Aiz:...

Sora:...

Aiz: Big Bro...?

Sora: Since when did you figure it out...?

Aiz: During the Rakia invasion. During our dance at Edas mountain. You said the word that Uncle use to say...

Sora: In the world full of Heroes. Those who break the rules are regarded as scums... But, those who abandon their friends are worst than scum...

Sora said those words during their dance at Edas mountain before seeing Karm died.

Aiz: After that, I started thinking why you know those words when I saw you were watching Bell and Goddess Hestia from the back, you say that, "Father, please continue to watch over me". After that, I'm certain, that your father is none other than Uncle Kakashi...

Sora:...

Aiz: Big Brother Hatake...

Sora: So now that you figure it out. What are you going to do...?

Aiz: Why didn't you come home to me...?

Sora:...

Aiz lowered her eyes as Sora and Wiene, with her single new wing, appeared.

Aiz: I've been thinking about...why Bell asked me that.

Five days earlier, immediately before the mission had been issued to the entire city, Bell had asked Aiz a question.

Bell: If the monsters had a reason for living...had feelings just like you or me, what would you do? If you met monsters who could smile just like people, worry about things, shed tears just like people—could you still draw your sword against them?

Aiz: So this is what he meant...

Aiz said, slowly raising her gaze from the ground to look at Wiene. Sora saw something dangerous in that gaze. Her expression was as emotionless as always, yet something in her eyes was distinctly different from the Aiz he knew. It was full of hatred and black flames. The complete opposite of him.

Sora: You've change... Your no longer the Aiz I knew anymore...

Aiz:...

Sora: Please don't draw your sword... Listen to what I have to—

Aiz: My answer has not changed.

Aiz said, interrupting him emphatically with that, she brought her hand to the hilt of her sword.

Aiz: If anyone is crying because of a monster—then I will kill that monster.

Sora look at her in dismay at her little sister's answer and the sight of her silver blade. Aiz's boot came down with a resounding thud as she took one step forward.

Sora: Listen to what I have to say for once!! You stupid little sister!!

Sora drawn his Kanshou Blade as the fight between the reunited siblings has finally started.