No one's POV

Lemia: ?

Just as that party took flight, elsewhere, Lemia raised her head.

Bella: What is it, Lady Lemia?

Lemia: Oh...nothing, it's just...

For once, Lemia had no ready answer for Bella's question. It was simply a feeling—or rather, the sixth sense of a first-tier adventurer. She tried to put her premonition into words, but quickly gave up and shook her head. If she didn't focus on her immediate surroundings, she would undoubtedly trip up.

Monsters: OOOOOOOOOOOO!

The passage in front of her eyes was packed with monsters. Starved for blood, they roared incessantly. This was the twenty-sixth floor.

Lemia and her companions had made it partway through the ordeal of descending the cliff, but as soon as they got past the twenty-fifth floor, harpies, sirens, and other winged monsters appeared, forcing them to give up on that route. They'd decided instead to enter the twenty-sixth-floor maze before they were hurled against the Great Falls.

Tsubaki: Take That!

Tsubaki guided her sword boldly and skillfully through the wave of grotesque beasts dashing toward them. Silently, almost like magic, multiple monster heads were sent dancing through the air. The terrible flash of silver sliced the long body of an aqua serpent in half, then switched direction to sever the head of a crystal turtle.

The blade she held in her hands was Benishigure, a magnificently crafted naginata-style polearm without a single nick on its blade. She had forged it herself, a first-class weapon that reigned unchallenged over all others. It flashed through the air like swirling flower petals, sending down a rain of fresh blood worthy of its name, which meant Scarlet Winter Shower.

Any monster standing in Cyclops's path was soon stained red and deposited atop the growing mountain of corpses. The other member of Astrea Familia were no different. Bella, Sumela, Susora, three level 5 adventurers whom have retired all mowed down their enemies. Even the second tier were showing perfect teamworks. Milo, Melo, Balda mowed down harpies and Kelpie from close range, while Mejila and Raquelta support them with arrows and magic.

Anya: Out of my way~~~~~~~~~!!

The fighting style of the three waitresses rampaging in front of Lemia and the other Astrea Familia was equally extreme. Befitting their employment at The Benevolent Mistress, which had its own interesting history, their combat skills could not exactly be described as average.

While Anya mowed down a pack of mermen with one swing of her golden lance through their torsos, Chloe cut a fast-rolling crystal urchin into slivers with her assassin's blade. At the same time, Lunoire's merciless knuckledusters tore through the intestines and chest of a kelpie rearing up to strike, transforming it into a mass of ash.

They were making quick work of the lower-level monsters. But no matter how many they slaughtered, the flood was endless.

Lemia: Step back! All of you!

Everyone: !!

With Lemia's call, the team step backwards. With a raised of her staff, Lemia send an Inferno size fire towards a horde of monsters, before lunging herself in with Wind Magic to clear a path. After they were done, Bella heal the party of their strength.

Lunoire: We don't know much about the Dungeon, but wow!

Chloe: Yeah, is it always such a crazy party down here~nya?

Sumela: Is the different between Azbaya's Labyrinth and Orario's dungeon this big?

Lunoire and Chloe kept fighting the unending battle as they spoke. The other Astrea Familia member also bombard with questions. Lemia, Tsubaki and Anya, too, wielded their respective staff, naginata and sword as they answered.

Tsubaki: If things were always like this, the place would be littered with the corpses of adventurers!

Anya: This is an Irregular for sure~nya!

Lemia: I too. Even after 10 years of retirement, I've never seen Orario's Dungeon like this!!

Their expressions were racked with anxiety as they struggled to contain the deluge of monsters, never mind stemming the tide. They were thinking of Hestia Familia, believed to be in this zone, and Gale Wind, whose location was still unknown. If it weren't for 5 first-tier adventurer, Lemia, Tsubaki, Bella, Sumela, and Susora, the party would lose their strength.

Milo: The monsters are howling like crazy...!

Melo: It's scary...!

Even Milo and Melo, twin pallum, who knew little of the Dungeon, could sense something unusual was happening as battle cries echoed from every corner of the floor. It was as if the Dungeon itself was running wild because it couldn't get the situation under control.

Chloe:...I've got the feeling there's a really nasty monster around here~nya.

Lemia: What? What do you mean?

Chloe: Just a hunch~nya. Still...my tail's quivering. Might be on this floor, might be above or below, but there's something nasty nearby~nya.

Chloe narrowed her eyes in irritation as Lemia glanced back at her. As if to back up what experience told her was true, her ears moved constantly and the fur on her slim tail stood on end. Milo, Melo, Raquelta, Mejila, Balda, Anya and Runoa seemed nervous as well; Chloe who was as sensitive to danger as a stray cat, trusted her assessment.

What they didn't realize was that by entering the twenty-sixth floor, and therefore dividing the attention of the monsters, they'd miraculously lightened the burden of the other party also fighting on that floor.

Unbeknownst to them, their struggle had allowed that certain other party to break through the wall of monsters and enter the twenty-seventh floor. That said, how could Lemia and the others have possibly known that they had just ushered the other party into an even more harrowing situation?

Anya:...! A scream?!

Just then, Anya's ear's stood straight up. Amid the war cries of the monsters, she had made out the sound of a human voice.

(Elsewhere)

Welf: The twenty-seventh floor!

Lili: We made it!

Welf and Lili shouted excitedly the second their feet hit the flat crystal ground on the far side of the connecting passage. The labyrinth here didn't look significantly different from what they had seen on the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth floors. The size of the crystal columns and the passageways themselves, however, was generally larger.

Aisha: Stop spacing out!

Muller: We're gonna keep moving!

Muller and Aisha didn't even give the party a second to catch their breath before hurrying them along. They were determined to reach the lower-level safety point as soon as possible.

Mikoto: Monsters incoming!

Welf: Out of my way!

Mikoto sensed monster with her Yatani Black Crow. As a great swarm of monsters hurtled toward them from the distance, Welf pushed Mikoto out of the way and leaped to the vanguard.

Welf: Vulcanuuuuuuuuuus!!

He swung Ignis Vulcanus through the air. It spit out a dramatic tongue of dancing flame that burned the entire swarm to a crisp.

Cassandra: He did it again...!

Daphne: Seems a lot stronger than his old blades!

Cassandra and Daphne stared in shock at the vista of decimated enemies. That's how unprecedented the war cry of this new magic sword was. Muller smiled to herself, a storm of sparks flowing around her as she took on the monsters popping up from side tunnels while Welf handled the main route.

Muller: A magic blade that never shatters...! He's crafted us quite the weapon, hasn't he?

The scarlet-and-crimson sword glittered brilliantly against the backdrop of their surroundings. It had played a starring role on their journey to the twenty-seventh floor as well. They'd lured the monsters into cramped passageways and then torched them en masse. There wasn't even a need to chant when monsters tried to approach during the downtime between magic-blade attacks. As long as they had the timing right, the monsters never got a chance to draw near, and if a couple did happen to escape the flames, Muller and the others could easily take care of the leftovers. Plus, they were free of the anxiety they'd always felt from not knowing when a Crozzo's Magic Sword would shatter.

In the party's current heavily wounded state, Welf's magic sword had drastically reduced the burden of fighting and turned the hopeless prospect of reaching the twenty-seventh floor into a reality. Muller silently commended the smith's achievement in such a tough spot. Still, she had some concerns.

Muller(mind): Instead of eventually shattering...I guess they consume the user's Mind like spells do.

She could already see the exhaustion lining Welf's face. It wasn't possible to constantly summon such overwhelming firepower. Conducting this many attacks entailed a rate of Mind depletion that completely dwarfed the strain of using anti-magic fire.

Muller: Welf Crozzo, hang in there!

Welf: I know!!

Muller swing her mithril sword again and again, she along with Aisha cleared a way forward for the party with a ferocity equal to Welf's magic.

Chigusa:—Oh no!

Mikoto: This is! Members of the search part!

Ouka: Don't tell me this was the main hunting party...!

They had been following the paths up and down inside the multilevel maze for some time when they stumbled upon a horrific scene. Mikoto and Chigusa went pale and Ouka groaned as blood-spattered crystal walls, still-wet pools of blood, and half-eaten arms and eyeballs sprang into view. Most likely, they had been killed by the Skull Reaper Sora had spoken of, each corpse belonging to a victim the beast had hunted down. The water nearby was dyed light pink, as though some of the bodies had been dragged inside.

The scene hinted at the sort of atrocious banquet that had taken place here. Aisha examined the space, oddly glad Haruhime was currently unconscious.

Ouka: What the hell showed up here...?!

As they stood stock-still while taking in the aftermath of a string of murders that stretched into the distance like footprints, each member of the party tried to imagine what monster could have carried out this massacre on the hunting party.

Had it really managed to kill so many adventurers?

Was it still on the twenty-seventh floor?

Had Bell and Ryuu managed to survive their encounter with this calamity, due to Sora's arrival? As those idle musings crossed her mind, Muller glanced at Boris, the only member of the group to have actually seen the monster. She was worried he might once again be consumed by terror, but that was not the case.

Boris:...I can't hear it.

He was simply in shock.

Muller: What?

Boris: That hopping sound...that sound it makes when it moves, I can't hear it anymore...!

The calamity played a certain melody of death—an omen of destruction bouncing ever closer, as if it were ricocheting off the floors, walls, and ceiling. Boris had experienced that hell firsthand. The calamity on legs had instantly located and lashed out at them, no matter where they tried to hide, and he was disturbed that there was no longer any sign of it.

Boris: Is it really...gone? Could Gale Wind, Sora and Bell have killed it?

Muller and Aisha didn't know how to interpret the words Bors mumbled in a daze. Was he expressing a real hope or unfounded optimism? They didn't know, so she decided to keep moving.

Aisha: Boris, take us to the last place you saw Gale Wind!

Boris: Right!

Whether the monster was still there or not, every second was precious. Aisha chose action over stagnation. She pushed Bors to the head of the party and told him to lead the way.

Marie:...n't...don't.

The moment they set out, however, Muller and Aisha heard a strange voice.

Marie: Don't...go that way.

Muller and Aisha:...?

The warning came to her in fragments between the sounds of the party's pounding feet. The words were spoken haltingly in human language. The two of them checked around but saw no one. The only things reflected in their eyes were dimly glittering crystals, bloody weapons scattered on the ground, and water running alongside dry land.

Only those two had heard the voice. It sounded urgent and tearful, as if it was desperately trying to hold them back. Although they sensed those emotions, however, their only choice was to ignore the warning. That was because they knew the rest of the party would not stop until they found Sora and Bell.

Boris: Here it is...!

Finally, they reached an enormous room with both an abundance of solid land and numerous waterways. The entire space was scarred by traces of a terrific battle.

Mikoto: What...is...this?!

Enormous crystal formations were lying about, webbed with cracks as if something had crashed into them with incredible speed. Deep fissures ran through the ceiling, walls, and floor, which were perforated with deep, cave- like holes. Some of the crystal columns looked like they'd been melted by the extreme high heat of a flare. Every corner of the room bore scars.

Daphne: What could have possibly caused this kind of damage...?

Mikoto wondered aloud. Beside her, Daphne stared around in a daze. The adventurers didn't need to say it aloud to know that a huge battle had taken place here, and that it had been a fight to the death with a monster far more powerful than any of them.

The problem was that neither winner nor loser remained in the room.

There was no pile of ash to show that a monster had been slain, nor did they see the tragic remains of an adventurer who had met a cruel end. The noisy gurgling of the waterways crossing one another was all that remained on the wrecked battlefield.

Welf and the others walked to the center of the room, but found no clues there, either. As if pulled by some invisible force, Lili approached a patch of land where the fighting had been so fierce it had changed the very direction the water flowed in.

Among several holes in the ground, she saw one vertical shaft that was larger and deeper than the others. It looked like it had been carved out by something spinning, and seemed to continue all the way through to the floor below them. As Lili stared wordlessly down the hole, she felt as if it led all the way to the deepest depths of the Dungeon. Like the chamber's other scars, it was slowly healing and closing itself up.

Lili(mind): It can't be.

Suddenly, Lili thought of the lambton, a deep-level monster she would never have expected to meet in this watery zone. The possibility seemed outrageous, yet alarm bells were ringing in a corner of her mind.

Boris: Where the hell did all the corpses go? I saw those guys kick the bucket myself...Did those damn monster eat them, too...?

Clearly still fearing the hideous creature he had encountered, Bors closely examined the copious amounts of gore left behind by the missing adventurers.

He was the only one who knew exactly what had happened here. The rest of the party peered around as he spoke.

Who would be on a battlefield where neither winners nor losers remained, where all who had fought had disappeared? Of course it would be looters who stomped on the dignity of fallen warriors. Bandits who devoured towering piles of corpses to satisfy their hunger. But this devastated battlefield was not home to any loping hyenas on its land or any circling vultures in its skies.

Mikoto: Monsters incoming!

Mikoto shouted, sensing something with Yatano Black Crow. What it did have was corpse fish lurking in its waters.

Everyone: ?!

Splash, splash. Suddenly, multiple forms broke the water's surface and swam into the air.

Ouka: Fish monsters...? Floating in the air...?!

Ouka gaped as the piscine bodies floated through seemingly empty space. The bodies were made of stone. They were purplish black and ranged in length from one to two meders, with eight protruding appendages resembling fins. Where a pair of eyes should have been was only a single goggling eyeball. The ragged scraps of human flesh stuck between their sharp fangs answered the question of where the corpses had gone.

Aisha: Voltemeria!

Aisha, who had been to the twenty-seventh floor before, grimaced. The voltemeria was a rare monster found only on that floor.

Its potential ranked among the highest in the Water Capital, right alongside the kelpie. Its stone body was exceedingly resistant to physical attack, while its powerful jaws and sharp fangs could crush even the heaviest armor donned by adventurers. Its ability to swim through the air distinguished it from all other aquatic monsters.

With a composition similar to that of light quartzes, which also were present on the twenty-seventh floor, the fish monsters were able to float approximately three meders aboveground. Their speed, however, far exceeded that of the floating crystal monsters; voltemeria lunged at adventurers like menacing demons swimming in air just as they would in an underwater battle. Instead of "living fossils," adventurers usually referred to them as "flying fossils."

Normally voltemeria only inhabited areas where multiple waterways met and formed deep pools. But the smell of blood from the massacre had drawn them here. Now, they were leaping incessantly from every waterway in the room.

Muller: These amounts...!

Cassandra: There's so many...!

Chigusa: We're surrounded...!

The endless splashing the voltemeria caused as they flew into the air upset Cassandra, and her alarm quickly spread to Chigusa. They could easily count thirty of the floating fish in front of them.

Daphne(mind): This is bad.

Daphne paled as she took in the scene.

Their advance through the twenty-sixth floor had been an exercise in risk- taking. They had holed up in various rooms and survived monster attacks by limiting the front they presented to only the entryways. But now they were under siege. The monsters were using the massive chamber to their advantage to attack from all directions, including from overhead and underwater. There were far too many for the party to take down one by one.

On top of that, the fish could move through both air and water. Even with Welf's magic sword, there was no way to wipe out an enemy that crept up on them from both directions.

Muller: Welf Crozzo, can you burn them all?

Welf: Do I have a choice?

Welf spat out his response to Muller like a curse. He was on the verge of a Mind Down. Muller could tell from one glance at his harrowed face.

The party realized that for the third time, they were staring into the jaws of death. They had lost track of Sora, Bell and Ryuu again, and with it went all indication of what was the correct way forward. The party's physical stamina and their will to go on were both dwindling.

Voltemeria:...

The stone voltemerias made no sound. They simply rolled their single eyes ceaselessly in their foreheads, signaling that they would never let their prey escape.

The school of monster fish encircled the adventurers exactly like a snake coiling around its prey or a pitch-black tsunami about to swallow them whole. From outside the room, they could hear a thundering mixed chorus of other monsters. Faced with the Dungeon's infinite pool of resources, the adventurers nearly sunk to their knees.

Everyone:—!!

The next instant, the taut thread of tension snapped and the monsters flew toward them. The merciless siege had begun.

Predictably, Welf's magic sword was the first weapon to intercept this school of voltemerias so numerous it could have been considered a monster party on its own. Vulcanus's breath of fire annihilated ten of the monster fish, but another thirty bore down on them from a different direction.

Muller: Not good! Red Lotus!

Frantically fighting for their very lives, Muller and the others struck back. They sliced, ripped, jabbed, and crushed, struggling desperately to protect their wounded companions and rearguard members currently in the center of their circular formation. But it was no more than the final struggle of a cornered animal.

Aisha: Shiiiiiiiiiiit!

Lili's stores of items were long exhausted, and Cassandra's Mind had been drained to the last dregs. Mikoto's head was in the brink of splitting, sue to her sensing multiple monsters. Welf's fingers were already slipping from the hilt of his magic sword. Muller's speed, Ouka's brute strength, Daphne's quick wit, Chigusa's weapon handling, and Boris's tenacious grip on life were all on the verge of running out. Even the ever-flowing stream of curses from Aisha's mouth was beginning to run dry.

They killed monster after monster, but still the throng came. One of the fish clamped its jaws hard on Daphne's shoulder. The girl vomited blood. Ouka pried it off her with brute strength. Next came his turn to feel sharp fangs sinking into his arm. Cassandra and Chigusa screamed. Lili lost hope in her own meaningless commands.

Then a singular darkness blacked out their vision.

A wall of flying fish had surrounding them.

The adventurers were about to be smashed flat by voltemerias. The purplish-black wave was about to swallow them. It was precisely the "cage of despair" that the prophetess of tragedy had sought to avoid. And then, like a fatal blow, the adventurers glimpsed a sight so horrible it broke their spirits.

Cassandra: But that can't...

From outside the room, an avalanche of monsters led by a lamia thundered in.

The assorted species roared their individual terrible cries.

The adventurers gasped at the overwhelming numbers they faced.

Cassandra: Is this the end...?

Someone muttered the words, and all understood their horrible meaning. The voltemerias set upon the discouraged adventurers with renewed vengeance.

Lili: !! Lady Haruhime?!

Daphne: Cassandra?!

Fangs of death bore down on the rear guard. Having broken through the front line, the monsters closed in on Lili and Cassandra, who were respectively guarding Rin and Haruhime. As their bodies slammed against Cassandra, she went flying together with Haruhime. The renard was hurled onto the ground some distance away, while Cassandra looked up to find herself staring into a hideous maw.

Her pupils contracted. She was staring directly at death. Daphne was shouting something. Cassandra shut her eyes in the face of her inescapable demise. And then— A lamia flew at her from the side and tore the oncoming voltemeria to shreds.

Cassandra: Huh?

The claws drew a bloody arc through the body of the floating fish. As Cassandra froze on the spot, the lamia mowed down the other voltemeria near her with its long snakelike lower body.

Lamia: aaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

The lamia thrashed and screeched in a shrill voice. Other monsters followed suit. Unbelievably, the pack that had just barged into the room began attacking the voltemeria.

Time seemed to stand still as the adventurers watched the monsters begin to slaughter one another.

Daphne: Infighting?!

Ouka: What is going on?!

Daphne and Ouka whipped their heads back and forth, watching the fight in confusion. In no time at all, the battle had turned into an all-out melee. The adventurers stood like statues, unable to make sense of the scene before them.

Lili:...Wh-what the...?

Cassandra:...

Lili was in a daze behind the still-stunned Cassandra, gazing at the monsters attacking the voltemerias. The newcomers were terrifyingly strong. Their faces were stained red with what looked like gory makeup. They were carrying weapons.

Lili: Wait could it really be...?

Lili's eyes practically popped out of her head. The lamia—the same one that had just rescued Cassandra—noticed Lili's gaze and shot her an adorable secret wink. It was not the unfeeling blink of a monster's eye, but more like the sort of wink a human would give a dear friend. Lili's chest filled with an emotion so strong she could hardly breath.

Lili: The Xenos!

She was practically weeping as she screamed the words.

Fia: Greetings once again, good people of the surface!

No sooner had she cried out than a form danced through the air and landed at her side. This figure wore a hood and robe that covered the entire body. Lili recognized this as a disguise meant to impersonate an adventurer. She remembered those monster eyes that were so warm and kind.

Fia: We have come to rescue you!

Under her hood, the harpy Fia shook her deep red hair and smiled brightly at the teary-eyed Lili.

Lett: Are you well, Miss Liliruka?

The next moment, another small monster arrived at Lili's side, having just used a battle-ax far too large for its size to split a voltemeria in half. It was Lett, the gentlemanly red-cap goblin. He, too, was wearing a robe to disguise his true identity.

Lili: Why are you here...?

Lili asked, still unable to quell her surprise.

Fia: Fels ordered us to come! Rei and several of the others are on a separate mission at the moment, but the rest of us rushed here under Lido's command!

Such was the Will of Ouranos when he had learned of the irregularities in the Dungeon. The Xenos had received the wizened deity's mission during their assault on the man-made dungeon, Knossos, and had split into two groups accordingly. Rei had taken charge of the group that remained in Knossos while Lett's group had taken the secret passage on the eighteenth floor into the Dungeon and headed straight for the Water Capital based on the information Ouranos had provided. Taking the shortest possible route and using any means available, they had even barged straight through the adventurers' line of defense to rescue the rear guard.

In fact, the monsters that had caused a huge panic among the adventurers returning to Rivira were these very Xenos.

They had done it all to rescue Hestia Familia, whom they believed had gotten pulled into the maelstrom of a certain calamity's return.

If an outsider had seen Lett and Fia in their costumes, they wouldn't have been the least bit suspicious, but Lilly lost all words at their explanation.

Lett: We made a pledge to Mr. Sora and Mr. Bell! We promised to come running to your aid if you should ever find yourselves in trouble!

They had only made it in time because they were Xenos. Even the support troops Lili had requested would have been too late to save them from this scene of tragedy.

Only the monsters that Hestia Familia had shaken hands with, forged a relationship of trust with, and ultimately saved from certain death could have made it in time to rescue them from imminent danger.

Fia: We have come to pay back our debt to our irreplaceable friends!

And there was one more reason.

There was the bond that Sora had woven.

Just as that Hero had saved Lili, he had also saved the Xenos, and now they were here to return what he had freely offered them. There was no way to stop the tears spilling from Lili's chestnut eyes this time.

Lili: B-but, how did you get here? How did you find Lili and her companions in this immense Dungeon...?

She hurriedly rubbed her eyes dry. Fia answered with a smile.

Fia: We have Helga and Aruru to thank for that!

Aruru: Meep!

As Cassandra lay slumped on the ground, a white al-miraj straddling a hellhound appeared before her. Ignoring her shock, the fluffy white monster raised one hand energetically, as if to say, Hello again, old friend!

Cassandra: Y-you...

The wide-eyed Cassandra had seen these faces before on that unforgettable day when these very same armed monsters had appeared on the surface and plunged Orario into complete chaos. Obeying a prophetic dream, Cassandra had secretly protected the hellhound and the al-miraj.

Aruru: Meep! Meep!

Helga: Woof, woof!

Cassandra yelped as the al-miraj threw its arms around her and the hellhound licked her. She was about to faint as the white rabbit monster buried its face in her cleavage and nuzzled her breasts. As it looked up at her with its red eyes, she couldn't help flinching a little.

Cassandra: Did you...come to find me?

The little round eyes glittered as the al-miraj rubbed its face against her chest. Cassandra took that as a yes—but an instant later, a shock ran through her, taking her breath away.

Cassandra: That dream I had...with the Crimson-Red wave and the rabbit charm...

It had happened about twenty days earlier, just before the battle on Daedalus Street. She had seen a prophetic dream that led her to shelter the al- miraj. In the dream, a Crimson-Red wave had swallowed her up. Just as she was on the verge of death, she had taken out a rabbit charm she'd received beforehand and managed to escape. At the time, she'd taken the Crimson wave as a representation of the Red Juggernaut. Because she protected the al-miraj, she'd avoided being attacked by the frightening beast.

But now that she thought about it more closely, that interpretation seemed odd. If she hadn't protected the "rabbit" like the oracle had dictated and gone to the place it had told her to go, she wouldn't have encountered the Juggernaut in the first place. Maybe Daphne had been right when she'd gotten mad and told her she was acting in a play she wrote herself.

In other words, the destruction she avoided by protecting the al-miraj hadn't taken place that day.

Cassandra looked around in a daze.

The voltemeria were reddish-black. And when a mass of them crowded together, they looked exactly like a Crimson-Red wave. Could it be that the dark wave that swallowed her in that dream wasn't the minotaur but rather the school of reddish-black flying fish?

Had the "rabbit charm"—that is, the al-miraj—grown used to her scent when she cared for it for days on end and then used it to locate her in the Dungeon? Squeezing the fluffy white monster with her right hand as it gently pawed her cleavage, she realized that she had only just evaded the fate laid out in the prophetic dream moments ago.

Cassandra: Can prophetic dreams be redundant...? Was the vision of that day a warning to avoid the destruction of today?

Cassandra looked questioningly at the al-miraj and the hellhound who seemed so overjoyed to see her. Meanwhile, Daphne—who was totally overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events—wasn't paying attention to Cassandra, who had mustered up her courage and was about to furtively hug the monsters.

Daphne:...Nope, can't do it!

Aruru: Meep?

Well intentioned or not, it seemed that she still wasn't ready to go that far.

Welf: You guys...

Mikoto: You all have our gratitude...

On the verge of a Mind Down and exhaustion, Mikoto and Welf could only manage a few mumbled words. But as they watched, a troll, a lamia, and a deadly hornet wiped the floor with a huge school of voltemerias while totally ignoring the adventurers.

Boris: Wh-what...the hell is going...on?

Chigusa: Are these...the armed monsters we heard about?

Ouka: I thought Loki Familia wiped them out on Daedalus Street!

Boris, Chigusa, and Ouka were hopelessly confused. Daphne was still frozen, unable to understand what was happening. The monsters appeared to be protecting the adventurers, or rather prioritizing their fierce battle with their own kind as they ignored the adventurers. Boris, Chigusa, Ouka, and Daphne couldn't manage much more than a freaked-out response, let alone a coherent reaction.

But Mikoto and Welf understood what was happening. A gargoyle flew over their head, noticed Mikoto and Welf's stare, and glanced back at them before turning away like a rude person. Suddenly, savage air combat commenced. Completely overpowered by the Xenos with its huge, nearly indestructible stone wings, the voltemerias fell one after the next.

Below the gargoyle, a certain lizardman was fighting his own battle. With countless ground-battle victories under his belt, the proud warrior sliced through several furious flying fish with one swipe of the scimitar in his right hand, while pounding still more with a bold swing of the longsword in his left.

As he sped in front of Mikoto and Welf, the lizardman turned up the corners of his fang-filled mouth. He looked like he was about to smile.

Lido(mind): Guess who else is here?

That's what the indomitable glint in his narrowed reptilian eyes seemed to say as he glanced across the room. Mikoto and Welf followed his gaze and jumped in surprise. A figure in a black robe was dashing across the battlefield—

Haruhime:...Ahh.

Haruhime's eyelids fluttered as something moved against her cheek. She felt very groggy, almost like some gauze draped over her ears was muffling the sounds around her. The one thing she knew for sure was that she was on a battlefield.

Perhaps due to the persistent aftereffects of the Mind Down, an extraordinary exhaustion and lethargy weighed down her arms and legs. But she had to sing. She understood her role as a sorcerer. She could not afford to remain lying down.

Haruhime whipped her body with the lash of her will. She needed to summon strength in her limbs and bring a chant to her lips. She had to grant that miraculous light to her companions. But right as she was thinking that she should stand up, and fast, like Sora and Bell had done on that day in the past— somebody took her in their arms.

Haruhime:...?

As she realized that her body was being gently supported, she opened her eyes. She saw a pair of amber eyes, and then a face filled with a warm red light. It looked exactly like the face of the girl Haruhime had been thinking of ceaselessly since they parted. As soon as her hazy vision came into focus, Haruhime's lips spoke the girl's name.

Haruhime: Lady...Wiene...?

In response to the feebly whispered words, the dragon girl's face blossomed into a smile, her blue-white hair swaying.

Wiene: Yes, Haruhime.

Tears fell from Haruhime's green eyes at the sound of the vouivre's voice.

Wiene: I've come to save you!

Haruhime: Ah...ahhhh...!

Still kneeling, the Xenos drew her close in her slender arms. Haruhime found holding back her emotions an impossible feat. She had never stopped thinking of this girl who felt so much like a sister. Not a day had passed when she did not think of her. Her tender feelings at seeing Wiene again swept away any thought of exhaustion. She wrapped her own arms around the dragon girl and pulled her close. Wiene nuzzled her tear-stained face against Haruhime's.

Wiene: I wanted to see you so much, Haruhime!

Haruhime: Me too...me too!

Wiene: I didn't cry the whole time! I didn't want to make you worry!

Like Fia, Wiene was wearing a robe that concealed her head and body. Her beautiful voice sounded like birdsong to Haruhime's ears.

Wiene: But...now I can't stop crying!

Haruhime felt as if her heart would burst. The dragon girl's smile was as pure as the clear tears rolling down her cheeks. They embraced once again.

Rin: Wiene...!

Lett: Wiene has been taking part in our various activities, and when she heard you were in trouble, she said she wanted to come no matter what.

Rin: You all came...

Rin who was like Haruhime, or probably had the worst injuries out of the party, finally open her eyes. She had been watching the reunion unfold in happy surprise. As Lett explained the dragon girl's motivations, she sensed the truth in his words. She thought back warmly on the days she had spent on the surface with Wiene. She truly had become a part of their familia.

Anya: What is going on in here~nya~~~~?!

Just then, Lili heard an oblivious voice shouting at them from the room's entryway, accompanied by the sound of a monster being brazenly kicked aside. Anya and her party had arrived just a few steps behind the Xenos.

Lunoire: We found the adventurers, but...

Chloe: The monsters are killing one another~nya?!

The panting Ahnya was startled out of her wits by the scene they found inside the room. Lunoire and Chloe also gaped at the ferocious battle between the various monsters—that was to say, between the voltemeria and the Xenos.

Lemia: I see what's going on.

Balda: Those armed monsters...!

Raquelta: There's no mistaking it...!

Mejila: Yeah! It's the Xenos!

After the band of four heard Lili's scream, they had followed Chloe's hunch to the twenty-seventh floor, where they caught a glimpse of a terrifyingly strong parade of armed monsters from behind. Sensing the monsters might be up to something based on their single-minded march into the floor's depths, Anya and her companions had decided to follow them. Whenever they lost sight of the parade, they simply followed the sounds of fighting before eventually ending up in this room.

Muller: Lemia...! Lady Astrea came through!

Muller was the first to guess the meaning of their arrival, silently cheering her patron deity's response to her request for support from the surface. Lemia glance at Muller, giving her a nodding smile, then glance at the injured Rin. Lemia immediately raised her staff.

Lemia: Bella, heal the adventurers! The rest of you, kill the monsters that aren't armed! As for me, I'll start to cook up something huge.

Anya: Huh? I guess this no time to be confused~nya. We'll just follow orders and give some support~nya!

Anya, Chole, and Lunoire didn't understand because they didn't knew about the Xenos yet, but those 3 along with Tsubaki and the other Astrea Familia all leaped into actions. Anya's piercing spear strike, Chloe's slices, Lunoire's powerful punch. Raquelta's arrow, Mejila's magic, Balda's strike.

Balda: Hell yeah!

Milo and Melo: Now Fall down!

Milo and Melo slammed their spears into the ground creating a pit hole, where Sumela and Susora strikes even more.

Susora: Blaze Wave!

Sumela: Now take these!

Lili: They're the same as me, a pallum, but they're so strong!

Lili was in awe when she saw Mejila, Milo and Melo in actions. Meanwhile, a certain half-dwarf was advancing toward a certain young man as if drawn to him magnetically.

Tsubaki: Welfy...

Welf: Tsubaki?! Why are you...?

Tsubaki stopped in front of the confused smith. Her former colleague was in tatters. He was gasping for breath, covered in wounds large and small, and seemed ready to collapse at the slightest nudge. But for the moment, she didn't care. All her single eye could see was the sword in his hands.

Tsubaki: That magic sword...

It was a crimson longsword. Not a Crozzo's Magic Sword—a Welf's Magic Sword. Her right eye opened wide with a level of emotion Welf had never seen in it before. She was not so unsophisticated as to ask what it was, however. To the contrary, she found herself momentarily dumbstruck. One glance at the sword's gleam told the master smith what Welf had achieved.

Tsubaki: Heh-heh-heh, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!! So you've finally gone and don't it, eh, greenhorn?

Her roaring laughter was hardly appropriate for a battlefield. As Boris and the others peered crossly at her, only Welf returned her gaze with clear eyes.

Tsubaki: You tried your hand at it even though you didn't know how far the heights of mastery go! You aimed for the peaks of the heavens!

Welf:...

Tsubaki: I said you were an idiot, but to think you were actually an idiot even among idiots! And all the more a fool for giving unnecessary advice! Ahhh, what a cheeky bastard! A unique pleasure, this is!

Tsubaki's words were neither insults nor criticisms, but instead the expression of pure delight. They were a sign of the rivalry she felt toward this boy who had exceeded her expectations. And they were proof that she had accepted him as a part of her tribe.

Tsubaki: Congratulations, Welf Crozzo. You're finally one of us.

Then she added.

Tsubaki: And...welcome to hell.

Her praise was genuine; the master smith celebrated Welf's achievement from the bottom of her heart.

Tsubaki: I'm in a good mood. Leave the rest of these monsters to me.

Welf:...! Wait, Tsubaki, those monsters are—

Tsubaki: I know, I know. I'll only take down the ones that aren't armed.

Tsubaki turned away from Welf, licking her lips at the arrival of a fresh school of voltemeria that the waterway had carried to her side. Unable to hide her excitement, she grinned as she set upon them like a demoness. Bella threw herself into action and joined the paralyzed party they had come to save. She immediately began to sing.

Bella: Oh merciful mother of gods, please heal these wounds, and let them recover with a healthy body! Shining Terraria!

The ground...The blackened, soot-like earth of the Dungeon, began to glow bright yellow beneath the dangling girl. Soft, fresh shoots erupted from the ground—and bloomed tiny flowers of many colors. Fragrant, healing scent exuded from them, and even the bloodred sunlight changed to a gentle, milky white.

The rich blooming of life from the little mound of grass swirled upward and into the body of the adventurers. Their pale skin began to flush. Their mind began to return. Their broken bones were now all intact. Their physical wounds were all closed. Feeling the sensation, Rin who was still having trouble staying focused immediately open her eyes.

The yellow magic circle on the ground then vanished, Hestia Familia, Muller, Aisha, Ouka, Chigusa, Daphne, Cassandra, and finally Boris. Their life was fully restored.

Rin: Thank you, Bella. You saved us...

Bella: From the looks of it, you really push yourself to your limit, Rin. Sora would be proud.

Rin: Yeah.

Lemia: Everyone, fall back! That includes you, Xenos!

Everyone: !!

Hearing the only Level 6 in the party, the adventurers and monsters leap backwards. Those who were late to react such as Lili and Haruhime, were carried by Sumela and Susora. Lemia had finished her preparation. Her long range wide area spell which took at least 30 seconds to over one minute of chant were done.

Lemia: Heed my words and manifest your power to trample over everything. Breath of the Night Queen!!

Suddenly, a catastrophic tornado had landed upon the battlefield. Consuming the monsters one after the other. Lemia, a pseudo Level 6, and a retire adventurer. Was previously the strongest mage, before Riveria beat her title. She wiped out the last remaining monsters and lay down.

Lili: What a terrifying stream of magic.

Mikoto: This is completely...

Welf: Out of this world.

After the immediate danger was gone-

Marie: Lido! Lidoooooooooo!

A soprano voice pierced the ceaseless sound of fierce fighting. The lizardman looked up to see the Xenos mermaid Marie popping her head out of a waterway. He hurried to her side.

Lido: Marie, you're here of all places?! Then you must know what happ—

Marie: Bell! Bell went below!

Marie tearfully interrupted Lido's human words.

Lido: Bellucchi? Mari, you were with him?!

The surprised lizardman quickly made sense of Marie's halting words, gleaning that Bell, a gray hair human and an elf had been sucked into a wormhole and taken to a level somewhere below them, only to be followed by the "apostle of murder" that had recently spawned. The report matched up with what they'd learned about the "calamity" from the wizened god via Fels.

Lido: UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

The Xenos whipped their heads around toward Lido as he bellowed a war cry. That call was a message to monsters that humans could not understand. Having received his information, the lamia and several other Xenos howled back at him and immediately raced out of the room.

Chigusa: The armed monsters have...!

Chloe: One minute I think they're fighting among themselves, and the next they're taking off. What exactly is going on, meow?! I don't understand one bit~nya!

Chigusa and Chloe watched in shock as the eccentric monsters hunted down the last few voltemerias before suddenly rushing out of the room.

Lili: Mr. Lido has—?!

Lett: He said that Mr. Bell, Mr. Sora and an elven adventurer were taken to a lower level by another monster!

Lett, still wearing his adventurer disguise, had remained behind with Fia. He relayed what they had just learned.

Fia: It seems that an apostle of our mother, the Dungeon...a huge monster chased after Sora, Bell and the elf!

Lili:...! And what floor are they on?!

Lett: We don't know! But if the god Ouranos's guess is right...they could be in the deep levels.

Lett's words left Lili speechless. Her mind went completely blank at the prospect of this worst-of-all-possible news.

Lett: And Lido had a message for you...'If you want to come, then come. We will take you there.'

Lili: !!

Lido's call to action startled Lili. She perfectly understood what he was trying to say. The very next instant, Lili shouted a command to the party.

Lili: It is highly likely that Master Bell, Master Sora, and Ms. Ryuu were carried through a wormwell hole to a lower level! We'll all head to the safety point and regroup! From there we will go to rescue Master Bell, Master Sora and Ms. Ryuu!

Boris: What...?!

Boris and the others stared at Lili in a daze as she shot out her orders.

Lili: No arguments!!

The little commander proclaimed her decision like a tyrant.

Lili(mind): The mysterious waitresses from The Benevolent Mistress are actually Level Four fighters! And Tsubaki, the captain of Hephaestus Familia, is Level Five! New Astrea Familia are all First and Second-tier adventurers! If we work together with them and the Xenos, we can make our way through the twenty-eighth floor and beyond...!

Lili noted the fighting ability of Anya and her companions on her mental battle map, calculating whether the strategy she envisioned was feasible. She had guessed the intention behind Lido's message correctly.

The Xenos planned to rescue Sora and Bell together with Lili's party. Most likely they would maintain a certain distance from the adventurers as they searched for Sora, Bell and Ryuu, relaying messages back and forth via bestial howls that Lett could interpret for them. This is what Lido meant by saying the Xenos would take them there.

Starting with Lido and Gros, who both had Level 5 potential, the Xenos had high fighting ability. Including Lemia's party meant they had more than enough strength for the battles that lay ahead. Plenty to break through the lower levels. All Lili and the other Level 1 and 2 adventurers had to do was provide support.

It was clear that an unexpected opportunity—a kind of opening—had materialized. But could they properly execute the strategy needed to take advantage of it?

Lili(mind): We might. No. We're absolutely going to make it work!

They would take up the challenge to defeat the Dungeon and find the boy, the hero and the elf. Nearby, Daphne and Cassandra were debating their next move.

Daphne: You mean we're looking for the wormwell's hole? But we have no proof Rabbit Foot and Fang of Flash were even taken down there, let alone any assurance they're alive...

Daphne argued.

Cassandra: L-let's go with them, Daphne!! Let's save Bell, Sora and Ryuu!

Daphne: Oh geez! Fine, I'll come along! It's not exactly a question of logic now that we've come this far, anyway.

Daphne tried to voice her doubts about Lili's plans, but when Cassandra eagerly leaned forward to convince her friend, Daphne gave in and responded in a detached manner. Meanwhile, Boris was looking for a way out. As usual, he was putting his own safety first.

Boris: I'm not obligated to go along to the end...!

Muller: What are you talking about? A Level Three fighter like you is valuable to us.

Aisha: We're going to squeeze every drop of strength out of you until you're bone dry!

Boris: You've gotta be kidding me!

Muller and Aisha laughed shamelessly, having effectively denied him any chance to escape. At the same time, Tsubaki's party was renewing its commitment to saving Ryuu.

Anya: I don't really get it...but if Ryuu's down below, then I'm going~nya!

Lunoire: In the Dungeon, the lower you go the worse it gets, right? Whew, I'm already exhausted.

Chloe: It's a losing proposition if we're not getting compensated for this quest~nya...And we're not even adventurers.

Balda: Sora is my friend! There's no way I'm abandoning him!

Raquelta: We'll definitely rescue them!

Mejila: We're going to see to it that they make it out of this safely.

Milo and Melo: Yeah, that's right!

Susora: You guys are too energetic! But... You're right. We'd never abandon Sora like that.

Bella: I owe him a whole lot. This is a chance for me to make up just a little bit of that.

Sumela: Oh... Are you sure that's the only reason. I'm sure it's because you were head over heels for him.

Bella: Sumela!

Bella looked at Sumela annoyed while blushing.

Lemia: Well with these party, we'll managed.

Tsubaki: Ha-ha-ha! We're all in the same boat now!

Chigusa and Ouka, on the other hand, were still thinking about the scene they had witnessed on Daedalus Street, when a certain vouivre had rescued the children.

Chigusa:...I feel like those armed monsters...were intentionally helping us...

Ouka:...And those guys hiding behind robes who seemed to be adventurers... Mikoto, Smith, you two better explain all this later!

Welf: Not sure I can explain it very well!

Mikoto: Not even know where to start.

Brushing aside their questions, Mikoto shook her head while Welf threw his two companions an annoyingly calm smile. That same vouivre was still standing beside Rin and Haruhime.

Wiene: Let's go, Rin, Haruhime! Let's save Papa and Bell!

Rin: As you say, Wiene!

Haruhime: Yes, Lady Wiene!

The dragon girl reached out her hands, and both Rin and Haruhime squeezed it firmly. As Lili looked around at the determination and high morale apparent in the faces of her companions, her little chest grew warm with emotion.

Lili(mind): We can do it...! With this party, we can make it to the deep levels!!

There was just one problem left.

Lett: From here on out it's a battle against time. We've got to find Mr. Sora while he's still okay!

Lili:...!

Lett: Mr. Sora was severely wounded during our assault at Knossos. He's not in his prime shape. To be honest, he shouldn't be moving much. And progress in the lower levels is slow. It'll take us at least a day or two to reach the deep levels...!

Lili responded to Lett's muttered concern by clearing her throat. Without proper equipment, they would only be able to function in the lower levels for a limited amount of time. They didn't have a second to spare. They had to advance at top speed if they were going to rescue Bell, Sora and Ryuu. She momentarily pushed away the anxiety, uncertainty, and fear she felt swirling around her and issued an order.

Lili: We're off!

The adventurers began to run. They left the room and flew into the main route leading to the next floor. The Dungeon could not stop them now. The war cries of the Xenos thundered ahead of them, as if they were welcoming this advancing front of courage.