In Orario's southeast block, one corner of Daedalus Street was wrapped in an eerie
silence.
The scene unfolding beneath the blue sky was far from normal.
A vouivre lay halfway through a building wall, pinned to the ground by a spear. Directly
in front of it, standing in the middle of the wide street with his weapon raised to
protect the monster, was Bell. Hestia and the rest of her familia were huddled up
against the side of the road, the townspeople were watching from farther back, and
Loki Familia was gathered on the rooftops directly behind them.
As plumes of dust billowed up from the brick rubble, the boy stood before the
onlookers and their suspicious glares.
"So… what do we do about that?"
Tione's substantial breasts swelled as she sighed at the boy positioning himself to
oppose them. Her twin sister, Tiona, was in shock next to her, as Bell, Aiz, and Loki
Familia's strongest adventurers stared each other down.
"Wh-what should we do?"
"Just ignore him. No idea what he's thinking, but it doesn't matter. This ends now."
Bete almost sounded bored as he took a step forward.
Just as the remainder of Loki Familia prepared to follow the adult werewolf's lead
toward the monster—"FIREBOLT!"
"?!"
Boom! A burning thunderbolt tore through the sky with a roaring explosion.
Bete and his allies were moments away from jumping down from the roof, but they all
froze in midstep. Startled by the sudden explosion, Daedalus Street's residents
covered their ears in fright.
Bell had stuffed the jewel into the pouch at his waist before thrusting his left arm
toward the heavens and triggering his Swift-Strike Magic.
It was a threat, a warning to come no closer.
He stood completely still, with sweat running down his skin in rivulets.
"—AAh?"
"?!"
Raw emotion surged from Bete, from Loki Familia, and from the residents.
"What's the big idea?" asked countless sets of eyes in unison.
Criticism for the boy protecting the monster wasn't the only thing in their eyes—
terrible disdain and hostility were rising as well. He was a mere step away from being
ostracized. He could see Aiz's and Tiona's confusion, the wary gazes of the rest of Loki
Familia, and the shocked faces of his own familia.
The Hestia Knife trembled in his right hand, and the boy's sweat and heartbeat had
reached a crescendo.
—This could be the end.
One wrong word here and it was all over.
Bell Cranell would become an enemy of the people.
As for what he said next…
"…Th—"
His parched tongue tangled in knots.
Bell fixed his gaze on the people in front of him and raised his voice.
"…This… this one's mine."
Those words came from his mouth.
"I saw this vouivre first; it's mine…!"
Bete and the others were taken aback, as Bell drove his point home as harshly as he
could.
"So hands off…!!"
Backed into a corner at the moment of truth, Bell chose to act like an ill-tempered
adventurer.
After claiming the monster's magic stone and all drop items for himself, he brandished
the weapon in his right hand at the slack-jawed onlookers, including his own familia.
" ?!"
"!"
That's when the vouivre, who had been thrashing about, finally ripped the spear from
the ground and broke free.
Spewing blood, it bolted away, as if trying to escape both the adventurers and its own
pain.
Bell turned his back on the residents and pursued the monster without a moment's
delay.
"Ooookay… So what did he mean by that?"
Tiona tilted her head in confusion. Aiz opened her mouth.
"It's against the rules for one adventurer to steal a kill from another…"
"Ahh… vouivres are pretty rare, aren't they?"
"Punk-ass kid… That's only true in the Dungeon. Those rules don't belong out here!"
Aiz's explanation satisfied Tiona, who nodded in agreement, but Bete was on the verge
of tearing out his ash-colored fur.
The werewolf wasn't the only one upset that the boy had prioritized his own gain
during this state of emergency—other members of Bete's familia and the townspeople
were fuming with anger and animosity.
"General…"
"There's no need to let a child have his way. Follow that vouivre."
Tione kept her eyes on the monster and the boy approaching the end of the street as
she turned toward Finn, who started issuing a string of orders in a steady voice.
Loki Familia's forces obeyed. Some jumped off the rooftops while others remained
above the streets per his instructions, when…
"—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"?!"
A monster's ferocious howl echoed through the sky as if to drown them out.
Over twenty monsters carrying weapons appeared on the street a moment later.
"Armed monsters!"
"It looks as though there was a connection to Rivira's destruction, after all…"
Furious footsteps echoed through the backstreets as a lizardman jumped to the
forefront and a gargoyle descended into the dungeon-like maze of buildings from
above. The two monsters led their allies forward from both land and sky.
Chaos erupted on the street once again—the civilians screamed as adventurers looked
on in disbelief. The swarm of monsters gathered in front of Loki Familia as if to block
their path—offering themselves as decoys—and to prevent their advance.
"Lido, Gros…!"
—Meanwhile, Fels, who had pursued the Xenos in an attempt to stop them, watched
helplessly from an alley.
"Please do not stop us, Fels."
"Rei…!"
"We've made our decision. We will help that person and our kin. Should we leave them
to their fate now… We lose the right to pursue our desire."
The siren took a bite out of the end of her wing, smearing her face in blood before
smiling at Fels and taking flight. The black-robed mage's gloves clenched into fists as
her golden feathers fluttered down from the blue sky above.
"Damn… You realize my feelings already move me to help you, do you not?"
Fels left the hiding place, determined to assist the Xenos.
"Finn, your orders?"
Riveria began a counteroffensive with her bow as she addressed Finn.
"…Take as many alive as possible."
"Alive?"
Bete scoffed, but the prum general responded with a nod and said, "Yes. There's
something I'd like to know. First off, Tione, lead a group to engage them head-on. Avoid
casting powerful magic. It'll damage the city."
"I got you!"
"Understood!"
"Fine, then…"
"Magic users will help protect townspeople as they retreat. Their safety is our top
priority. Now go."
"Sir!"
Having received the orders in quick succession, those under his command
immediately set off to carry them out.
As Tione, Tiona, and Bete charged forward with the brunt of Loki Familia's forces right
behind them, Finn called out to Aiz before she could jump down from the rooftop.
"Aiz, you stay here."
"…?"
"Riveria, prepare a barrier. I know what I said, but I doubt the townspeople will escape
right away."
"…Too much renown poses its own problems. I understand, we must be cautious."
"See that it's done. Gareth, I hate to ask, but would you set up a perimeter over there?"
"Hmm? Fine by me… Ye sure they can handle those armed monsters?"
"Yes, those three alone should be enough."
Outright ignoring Aiz's confusion, Finn issued orders to Riveria and Gareth.
They glanced at the civilians, who were hesitant to evacuate now that they felt safe—
not to mention excited by the prospect of seeing Orario's strongest familia in action
with their own eyes. Riveria sighed to herself as she leaped off the rooftop, already
casting her spell.
Gareth hoisted his ax over his shoulder and ran off in the direction Finn had indicated.
"…Finn."
"Oh, sorry, sorry. Aiz, you're our insurance."
Stare… Finn apologized right away once he felt Aiz's eyes on him.
He forced a smile as if sensing the aloof, normally quiet Sword Princess's thoughts—
her disappointment or perhaps her discontent.
"…Is there… something coming?"
"My thumb is a bit… you know…"
Aiz asked him to elaborate with a docile look on her face while Finn ran his tongue
across his thumb.
Now alone with the girl on the rooftop, the prum general lifted his gaze.
The adventurers and monsters were already engaged in combat before him.
The curtain rose over the battle between Loki Familia and the Xenos.
The battle commenced as the combatants spread out across the eight-meder-wide
street.
The Xenos forces fought with the city's eastern wall at their backs, trying to hold off
the adventurers' advance. Loki Familia came from the west, closer to Babel Tower, and
the two groups collided in the middle of the street.
A troll exchanged blows with a male werewolf; a human girl faced a lamia in combat;
a stunningly elegant elf archer fired arrows toward a griffin. Each was armed with
their weapon of choice. The battlefield resounded with a nearly constant cacophony
of weapon against weapon.
"GAOOOOOOOO!!"
"Lizardman, eh…"
Lido, donning a monstrous visage, clashed with the Amazon Tione.
The former was armed with a longsword and scimitar while the latter wielded a pair
of Kukri knives. The two dual-wielding combatants exchanged a flurry of strikes and
slashes.
"...?!"
However, Lido soon felt that he was fighting against a storm surge at high tide.
Her long black hair swirled, and her blades blurred in a surging, furious dance. Each
high-speed strike was powerful enough to inflict critical damage. Lido blocked them
with his full-strength deflections, creating tremendous metallic clangs that
overwhelmed his hearing.
The Amazon's dance continued to flow, but she mixed in her own style of martial arts.
Her supple wheat-skinned legs lashed out like whips, breaking Lido's prized, solid red
scales on contact. What's more, her bare feet didn't have a scratch on them.
As her blades carved through the air like a net, her exceptional hand-to-hand
technique used her elbows and legs as well.
When his blades were deflected, the impact sent unbelievably fierce shocks through
his gauntlets and into the muscles beneath.
To the lizardman's eyes, to an actual monster, her savage fighting style conjured
images of wild beasts; her two Kukri knives were fangs in their own right.
Lido found himself on the defensive almost immediately.
"Interesting…"
Tione narrowed her eyes at the lizardman that was weathering her attacks, managing
to avoid the fatal blows grazing past its scales.
Suddenly interested in Lido's swordsmanship, she picked up the pace as if to
determine exactly how many skills and tactics the monster possessed.
S-so strong…!
Lido's reptilian yellow eyes trembled.
He had faced many adventurers in combat today and—excluding Ganesha Familia's
elite, Shakti, and the man in goggles, Dix—he was confident he could handily dispatch
any foot soldier. That was neither an overexaggeration nor a bluff.His confidence came
from his many years of consuming other monsters' magic crystals to acquire
enhanced-species potential, as well as the time he had spent perfecting his wild
fighting style.
Against this opponent, however, he couldn't see the slightest glimmer of victory.
Lido had no choice but to accept the fact that he, a monster, had become the prey
before this sharp-eyed Amazon.
—Freya Familia and Loki Familia.
—Lido, you must avoid them at all costs.
—They must never become your enemy.
Lido remembered the advice that Fels had imparted deep in the dark Dungeon.
They'd gone far out of their way to avoid the two groups because of the mage's
warning, and now Lido knew the true meaning behind Fels's words firsthand.
But—I can't go dying now!
Lido, his eyes alight, skillfully deflected his opponent's strikes and set his sights on a
counterattack.
Once he had gained a bit of distance with a few well-placed, deft slashes, he swung the
longsword and scimitar forward with all the might his body had to offer.
Of course, Tione knocked the blades away with ease—prompting Lido to lash forward
with his tail, and the waist-level appendage connected with incredible force.
"!"
The third strike caught Tione off guard, and the two Kukri knives were knocked from
her grasp.
How'd you like that?
The moment Lido slashed the scimitar for the finishing blow—Tione disappeared.
Too fast for his eyes to register, she grabbed hold of Lido's head from the side with her
bare hand and slammed him into a nearby wall in one smooth motion.
"—GHAA!"
The blackened brick wall burst on impact, burying Lido in rubble as one eye widened
in horror.
"…You're not just any lizardman, are you?"
The one who had flung the lizardman's entire body into a wall with one slender limb
said it matter-of-factly as she tightened her grip, cracking his skull under the pressure.
The monster's tail thrashed forward in pain, and Tione jumped back immediately.
Now free, Lido pulled his body from the rubble but could barely stand.
" !!"
"Oh shut up…"
—Near the edge of the street, away from Lido and Tione, Bete covered the wolf ears
on top of his head to shield them from a sound wave blasting overhead.
A monstrous-looking siren easily dodged the arrows and other weapons thrown its
way while unleashing high-frequency sound waves over a wide area. Bete nearly lost
his sense of balance to the powerful onslaught despite the considerable distance
between them. Adventurers directly in the line of fire didn't stand a chance and
collapsed hand-first to the ground with blood leaking out of their ears.
Menace burning in his eyes, Bete kicked off the ground.
"?!"
The siren Rei flinched as he rocketed toward her from the lower left. As Bete tore
through the air like a ravenous wolf hell-bent on devouring the moon, she immediately
ceased the attack and banked to evade him.
The two slid past each other in midair, and the siren broke out in a cold sweat as the
werewolf's fist brushed against her face in a near miss. At the same time, her opponent
seemed to have anticipated this and landed against a nearby building. Whipping his
body around in a split second, he sprang off its surface.
Again, he closed the distance like a bullet.
" ."
Rei, a flying monster, was about to take an attack from the rear. There was no time to
gawk.
Bete grinned, his mythril-metal boot flashing in the sunlight as it arced high over his
head.
"Crash."
Despite being wingless, Bete slammed his foot into the airborne monster's back.
"?!"
Rei plummeted to the ground like a meteorite.
Unable to breathe or break her fall in any way, she shattered the stone pavement on
impact.
It was over in a single blow.
"Why'd you have to go and give that annoying order, Finn…?"
Cursing his instructions to take the monsters alive, Bete walked over to Rei to see if
he'd held back enough. His injured allies watched, wanting nothing more than to pay
the siren back for what she'd done to them, as he walked over to the small crater where
she lay facedown and rolled her over with a careless kick.
The siren's shapely chest shuddered beneath a single layer of battle cloth as she
landed flat on her back.
"Ahhn? The hell…?"
Sliding across the stone pavement had wiped away a part of Rei's mask of blood.
She had long, dark golden hair, eyes as blue as the sky, and elegant facial features on
par with the elves.
Bete cocked an eyebrow at the form Rei had purposely concealed and grinned.
"Quite the looker for a monster, aren't you?"
Then he lifted his right leg and mercilessly drove it straight into Rei's stomach.
"…ah!"
"But monsters can go to hell."
The siren's lower body lurched upward on the boot heel's impact. With a smile of
scorn and anger, he pounded the divide between people and monsters into Rei.
A beautiful yet harsh sun burned into Rei's eyes.
She had yearned to see the surface light for so long, and all it did was illuminate her
cruel reality.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
"Do any of them know how to shut up?!"
A gargoyle dove for the werewolf with his boot on Rei.
Bete jumped backward, avoiding Gros's rage-filled charge, and shattered the swiping
stone claws with a kick before they could rip his head off.
Time stood still for the gargoyle as the stone-claw fragments flew past his eyes, and
Bete's metal boot bore down on him with a high roundhouse kick.
"Gwah?!"
"Your kind doesn't belong here."
The brutal werewolf followed up with another kick, telling the gargoyle to hole up in
the dreary underground.
"One… and two!"
"?!"
Denied an aerial escape route, the gargoyle desperately fended off the barrage while
Tiona disarmed her opponent, a red-cap goblin. The ax was far too big for its tiny
wielder, and she sent it skyward with a few skillful swings of her giant, double-bladed
sword.
—It's a goblin, but it's about as good as a Level 4, maybe?
Tiona thought to herself, both impressed and bewildered by her most likely enhancedspecies red-cap-goblin opponent, as she threw several kicks in a variant of her sister's
fighting style.
"Hi-yaaa!"
"GUH!"
In the blink of an eye, Tiona defeated the especially challenging monster.
"I'm not Bete or anything, but it's hard to hold Urga back."
Balancing the double-bladed weapon over her shoulder with one hand, Tiona jogged
her way through the clashing adventurers and monsters. "Can't have any fun…" she
mumbled to herself in search of prey.
"KIIH!!"
"Heh? An al-miraj~?"
Round red eyes looking right up at her, it had fluffy, cotton-like fur.
It was charging her with one arm held high as if screaming, "This is for my kind!"
The monster resembling a certain boy didn't perk Tiona's interest in the least, and she
stuck out her arm to slap it.
"KYU!"
SMACK! An unbelievable sound burst from its cheek as the wide-eyed al-miraj rolled
back down the street and slammed into a wall.
The blank-eyed al-miraj—Aruru—lost consciousness with a soft squeak. "Kyuu…"
Her hellhound partner left her there and hid behind a nearby building.
"This is very bad…!"
Fels anxiously whispered, surveying the battle from the roof of a tall apartment
building before rushing into action.
One Xenos, then another and another fell to Loki Familia. Even the weaker members
behind Tiona and the other captains demonstrated considerable strength and
outstanding teamwork. Having been in continuous combat since the Dungeon's
eighteenth floor didn't help matters as the lamia, troll, and the injured harpy had
reached their physical limits.
The writing was on the wall. It had come to this. Grinding bony teeth together beneath
the black hood, Fels looked up from the street and scanned the surrounding area.
"The battle is taking place in a corner of Daedalus Street, relatively close to the
Coliseum and East Main Street…!"
Catching a glimpse of the amphitheater from between two buildings, Fels's mind was
set.
"My apologies, Ouranos… I'm using it!"
Fels withdrew a golden wand from beneath the folds of the cloak and sprinted off to
the north.
"…An earthquake?"
Fwump. The lizardman collapsed to the ground in front of her, and Tione glanced at
her feet.
Bete had taken down the gargoyle, and with very few monsters left standing, tremors
raced through the earth. They were getting stronger—no, closer—and the members
of Loki Familia were united in their surprise and disbelief for a moment. And then…
The ground split open with incredible force to reveal a mass of shining metal.
"Uwoah?! What is that?!" Tiona cried in amazement, followed by her allies' surprised
yells.
"A metallic monster?!"
"A new species?!"
Just as the adventurers said, the thing was made of a silver-like metal.
Its arms and legs were thicker than any large-category monster. The head looked like
a small mountain due to the position of its neck and had parts that resembled eyes. A
symbol, deeper black than any language could describe, was just above its eyes.
Standing over three meders tall and lacking symmetry on either side, the thing might
as well have been cobbled together from large chunks of metal. Its crooked body
shared some similarities to flame rocks, a type of monster that resided in the
Dungeon's deep levels.
"A Golem… It's my own magic item, dispatched into the sewer system after the
Monsterphilia incident…!"
Fels monologued on the verge of desperation, announcing the trump card.
The creator could channel magic energy through a wand to control it at a distance, but
it was autonomous for the most part. A metallic warrior that carried out simple
instructions.
An unquestionably loyal combatant without a soul of its own—an extremely highquality magic item requiring a level of skill that only Fels, formerly known as the Sage,
possessed.
Fels used the wand to order the warrior into battle and assist the Xenos.
"What is this?! One of their friends?!"
"How the hell should I know?!"
Tione and Bete immediately moved to engage the rampaging Golem, attacking at close
range.
"—Damn, that's hard!!"
"It's made of adamantite?!"
However, the tips of both Kukri knives snapped on impact, and the shock of his metal
boot striking the solid mass reached Bete's foot.
"You're absolutely right…!"
Fels, looking down from high above, would have been smiling with satisfaction had
there been the muscles or skin to do so.
The Golem's entire body had been created using adamantite. And not just the standard
form but a purer form of adamantite mined from the deep levels. Not even the firsttier adventurers' weapons could easily break it. In terms of money, it would be valued
at one billion valis, an ace in the hole that Fels had kept hidden for centuries.
" !!"
As the mage chuckled with glee far overhead, the Golem effortlessly deflected Tione's
and Bete's attacks while advancing toward the other adventurers without so much as
a scratch. Its movements might have been clumsy, but the sheer weight and density of
adamantite made each wild swing of its arms extremely powerful.
Many adventurers thought better of their attack while others were launched skyward
along with their shields. Bete clicked his tongue, when suddenly—
"—Oh-ho-ho! Now that's what I'm talking about!!" Tiona's eyes sparkled; she was
grinning from ear to ear.
Fels froze in place, watching as the tide of battle shifted before his eyes.
"Everyone, get out of the way!"
"That idiot…!"
"Hey! Kick all those fallen monsters out of the street!"
Tione's mood turned sour when Tiona appeared, whirling her double-bladed sword
over her head like a windmill in both hands, and Bete snapped at her. They were
rattled.
The same was true for their allies. "Run away!" "She's coming!" they yelled to one
another, desperate to get out of her path.
The townspeople—and Hestia Familia, still in the same spot—glanced around in
confusion as Finn smiled wanly, Riveria let out a long sigh, and Aiz watched with a hint
of envy.
The Golem slowly turned around, suddenly alone on the abandoned street.
The metallic warrior charged her head-on as Tiona flashed an innocent smile at her
target—and attacked with her double-bladed weapon.
"Heeereee I gooo !!"
Then, SLASH!
" ."
The townspeople, Hestia Familia, and the fallen Xenos couldn't help but watch.
The massive blade came down at an angle.
Sparkling metal fragments scattered as the adamantite body collapsed to the ground
with a thunderous bang.
Still as an eroding statue, Fels stared blankly at the two halves of the cherished Golem.
"......!"
"Huh? The thing's still moving?!"
Crick, crick, crick! Its severed upper body reached outward, startling Tiona as she
slashed again.
Light left the Golem's eyes the moment her blade cut through the symbol on its head,
and its arm collapsed to the ground. The metallic warrior became silent as the grave.
"Oh! So the head was the weak spot! Finn, I did it!"
"Tiona, you idiot!! The general said to take them alive, didn't he?"
"Ah."
Tione's rebuke struck her sister like a lightning bolt as the younger girl waved. Having
given in to her berserker instincts, Tiona froze on the spot.
Her custom-made, double-bladed sword—two massive blades on either end of the
hilt—was huge even by adventurer standards. The hulking weapon glinted in Tiona's
grasp.
A few moments passed before the quiet crowd once again erupted with cheers.
"Hah, ha-ha-ha… It's no use, Ouranos. They are the true monsters after all…!"
After coming out of the daze, Fels could only force an empty laugh.
A mixture of awe and fear had taken hold of the mage after seeing Loki Familia's true
strength.
And, right then…
"Finn's hunch was right on the money. Sharp as a tack, as always."
" ."
A dwarf's low voice came from behind Fels.
It was Gareth, his battle-ax at the ready.
Finn had reasoned that there must be a tamer—or someone—calling the shots, due to
the timing and coordination of the Xenos's appearance, and ordered Gareth to circle
behind the strange figure watching over the battle.
"Are you the monster mastermind?"
"..."
"Are you a person or a monster…? Well, taking that robe of yours away should make it
clear enough."
The mage froze, unable to come up with a way to escape the first-tier adventurer's
overwhelming presence.
Beneath the black robe, Fels remembered the sensation of cold sweat, despite not
being able to feel it anymore.
"...!"
With the Xenos's cries of pain and the townspeople's cheers of joy in his ears, Welf
tightened his grip on his greatsword.
Hestia Familia hadn't moved from the street side. They hadn't been able to pursue Bell
due to the Xenos suddenly appearing in their way, but above all else, they'd been in
awe of Loki Familia's teamwork and skill in battle.
The young smith's vision was filled with badly injured Xenos, bleeding as they crawled
across the ground. Welf couldn't take it anymore and stepped out from their hiding
place.
"You mustn't, Mr. Welf!"
Lilly jumped out right behind him, grabbing ahold of his waist.
"Let go, Li'l E!! At this rate, they'll all—"
"We can't! Mr. Bell's situation is still unresolved, but should any of us protect them as
well, Hestia Familia will be…!"
Lilly was also fighting against fear.
Fear of what would happen to their soon-to-be-denounced familia and fear of the firsttier adventurers' unparalleled power, scarier than any of the monsters.
Welf bit his lip, seeing Lilly tremble as she warned of persecution and retribution.
"…It's fine. Go to it, Welf."
"Lady Hestia?!"
"Just say your goddess told you to. Followers can't go against their deity's wishes, can
they? Deities are always after entertainment… If it looks like my whim, people
shouldn't be too hard on you."
Lilly couldn't ignore her goddess's words and compassion for Wiene's comrades.
Letting go of Welf's jacket, she thrust her hand into her item pouch as though
determined to assist their cause.
"…I shall attempt to weigh the adventurers down with my magic. Use that opportunity
to reach the Xenos."
"Miss Mikoto…"
"Lady Haruhime, would you lend me your Level Boost? To be blunt, I doubt my ability
to restrain top-tier adventurers for long…"
"…But of course!"
Mikoto stepped up to Welf's side, sheathing her katana. Haruhime gave her a firm nod.
Everyone sweated as the tension escalated, and Mikoto and Haruhime were just about
to hide behind the nearest building so that the renart's spell wouldn't be overheard,
when suddenly—
A rumbling howl filled the air.
" "
Aiz, Finn, Riveria, Tiona, Tione, Bete, and Gareth—each stopped what they were doing
on the battlefield and immediately turned toward it.
Welf, Mikoto, and the rest of Hestia Familia froze at the sight of the trembling sky.
"What… was that…?"
The cheering crowd was suddenly silent.
The combatants of Loki Familia had come to a sudden halt, but even the noncombatant
Haruhime stood completely still, her fox tail twitching, her instincts telling her to flee
in terror. Hestia, a deity, was stunned.
Then… thud… thud…
The heavy, threatening echoes and shuddering earth heralded the arrival of a
newcomer.
No one needed to see it to know those were footsteps. They were approaching,
steadily, from behind the wall that the vouivre had broken through on its arrival.
Every set of eyes focused on the wall, still shrouded in smoke.
Many monsters were still lying facedown in the street, and all other sound
disappeared from the battlefield.
Moments later…
A shadow appeared in the smoke, crushing rubble underfoot as its form took shape.
"—What the…?" one of the adventurers whispered.
It had skin so black it could have been born from the deepest, darkest bowels of the
Dungeon. Over two meders tall with muscles built like boulders, it was equipped with
adventurer's armor.
A nigh-indestructible breastplate, shoulder armor, gauntlets, waist plates, and
greaves.
The full set of plate armor couldn't cover the entire body and almost resembled light
armor on its massive frame. Holding an enormous Labrys aloft with one hand, the new
arrival had another massive ax strapped to its shoulder armor. Each weapon's blades
were dyed red with the blood of its victims.
Both of the horns on its head were crimson.
The sight called to mind the words raging bull.
A creature absent from the Guild's files and unfamiliar even to Loki Familia—an
"unknown" monster stood before them.
The ever-calm Finn unfolded his arms and stepped forward, suddenly anxious.
His thumb convulsed, sending spasms down his arm.
" ."
Huff, huff. The monster rotated its thick neck in their direction, and its ragged
breathing sounded in their ears.
The instant it saw the adventurers and the fallen monsters—
—it roared with all its might.
"oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
A dreadnought Howl obliterated the silence.
The residents of Daedalus Street tumbled to the ground one by one, their eyes rolled
up in shock after the dust-raising roar.
" a."
"Supporter! Haruhime!"
A pale Lilly and Haruhime weren't far behind the townspeople, knees buckling until
they were sitting on the street.
Welf, Mikoto, and many members of Loki Familia were blown back, fighting tooth and
nail to remain standing as Hestia screamed.
A Howl, far stronger than normal.
A monster's intimidating song that bound living creatures with primitive fear.
Those unworthy to meet the challenge were immediately rendered motionless—the
roar restrained its victims.
Welf and Mikoto dropped to their knees. They both stared into the palms of their
quivering hands; even their higher Levels couldn't save them from its effects. There
were many within Loki Familia's ranks who were on the verge of losing their will to
fight, jamming their swords into the ground for support to keep on their feet.
"...!!"
With only the worthy remaining on the battlefield, the monster charged.
The rocketing, massive black shadow's first target was Tione.
"!"
Tione glared at the monster descending upon her like a night-colored storm surge.
Raising her two Kukri knives, she planted her feet to meet the attack with her own.
"Get out of there, Tione!!"
The air whistling past the Labrys drowned out Finn's desperate call as the silver blade
streaked straight down—into the ground one meder in front of Tione's feet.
There was an explosion and shock wave, followed by sudden weightlessness.
Awe flashed through Tione's eyes.
Her feet left the ground, robbing her of any chance to evade as swirling dust and stone
debris blinded her. The monster immediately descended upon her, its left arm homing
in on her.
Tione crossed the Kukri knives at the last moment to defend herself, but the two
blades could do nothing in the face of that massive palm.
They shattered.
" GHaHH?!"
The blow broke through her defense and collided with the left side of her body—
strikingly similar to Aisha's fate—and sent Tione hurtling into the corner of a nearby
house.
"Tione?!"
It all happened in the blink of an eye. However, the scene was more than enough to
rob the adventurers of their will and sense of time.
The monster stood tall, roaring at the other adventurers before Tiona's scream could
reach their ears.
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
As it stepped forward with a ground-shattering stomp, the monster swung its
clenched left fist in a wide semicircle with the force of a hurricane. Every single
adventurer standing over a Xenos was swept up in the blast and launched backward,
just like Tione.
Bones broken and coughing up blood, the adventurers collided with their allies who
happened to be out of range, screaming at the top of their lungs.
"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
As the men's screams rose into the sky, Loki Familia lost more than half of their forces
in one devastating fell swoop.
"You'll pay for that—!!"
"Cruz, move it! Outta my way!"
Tiona charged forward, double-bladed sword held high with Bete right behind her,
jeering with all his might.
First-tier adventurers collided with the raging bull as other adventurers dragged
those affected by the Howl and the injured to safety.
The double-bladed sword couldn't power through the Labrys's solid strike. A wide-
eyed Tiona managed to absorb the heavy blow and fight it off, immediately opening a
window for Bete to come in low and attack its legs.
The monster was knocked off balance. Two Level 6 adventurers worked in tandem to
drive it back.
"Elfie, get all the unconscious people to safety! Now!!"
"S-sir!"
Finn called down to the pale, cowering magic users at the back of the formation.
Startled at their general's direct order, the women quickly moved to the bodies
sprawled out nearby to speed up the evacuation.
"Finn, shall we support them with magic?!"
"No. That would only draw the enemy's attention toward the bystanders around us.
Your barrier is powerful, but it won't hold up against a direct hit."
Riveria looked up from her position at street level as Finn told her to hold off until the
evacuation was complete.
With a magic circle spreading at her feet, the high elf shifted her completed spell to
standby mode as she frowned at the front lines, frustrated.
"A black minotaur…?"
"I don't think so… Looks more like a black rhino subspecies to me."
Aiz kept her eyes on the rampaging monster that was paying little attention to Tiona's
and Bete's wave upon wave of attacks. Finn noticed the girl looked anxious to join the
fight, following her gaze and theorizing that the creature was an Irregular from the
deep levels.
That, and that it was an enhanced species like the rest of the armed monsters.
"…A-Asterios…"
The fallen Xenos looked up from the ground to face the black shadow.
Badly injured, Lido whispered the name of their final comrade.
"…Damn show-off."
—Elsewhere, amid a pile of brick rubble…
Tione emerged from the debris and, coughing up bloody saliva, smoothly pulled back
the bangs that hid her eyes from view.
Then her eyes flared to life.
"So you think you're hot shit, bovine bastard?"
Completely ignoring her broken ribs, she exploded with anger.
Tiona and the others didn't have time to react to her snarling howl, barely
recognizable as a person's voice, before Tione raced back into battle, unarmed.
Clearing Tiona and Bete in a single bound, she hurtled toward the raging bull with her
left fist held high, challenging the beast one-on-one.
The monster shifted to meet her head-on, pulling its own left fist back and setting its
feet.
"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
Tiona slammed a punch directly into the enemy's clenched, metal-like fist.
The resulting bloodcurdling collision made bystanders want to cover their ears.
The tremendous impact drove the monster's fist straight back and snapped every
bone in Tiona's hand.
She clenched her fleshy, broken, bleeding blob of a hand tight and threw another
punch.
"?!"
Taking a hit to its solid midsection for the first time, the raging bull staggered
backward.
"I'll make mincemeat outta you!!"
Tione didn't stop.
Consumed by a fiery rage that became her strength and fueled her onslaught, she
unleashed a rush of punches and kicks onto her enemy's large body. Heel, elbow, knee,
fist. As her long black hair trailed behind like a snake, her furious dance of physical
blows shook the monster's metal-like frame from head to toe.
"—UoHoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The black bull didn't flinch, taking each blow head-on and responding in kind.
"Wh-what are you doing, Tione?!"
"Shut the hell up!!"
Tiona called out despite being knocked back, but Tione would have nothing of it and
yelled at her furiously.
Bete and Tiona looked at her with fatigue.
"No use. She's pissed…"
Her true self had been exposed—Tione was even more of a berserker than her younger
sister.
Her offensive continued to escalate no matter how much of her skin was torn up on
contact with her enemy's towering, solid body or how many of her leg bones cracked
in the process. Evading the occasional counterattack, she had every intention of
obliterating the enemy in her sights.
Living up to the sea serpent of her title, her hair whipped back and forth as she fought
with extreme ferocity.
"SHII!!"
Then, after weaving past her enemy's massive arm, Tione put all her strength into a
left-footed kick that caught the bull square in the face.
It was a shattering blow, even for monsters from the deep levels.
Tione, who had launched the hit in the air, glared up at her opponent only to go wideeyed in disbelief.
Even with her foot buried deep in its jawbone, the black minotaur was still standing.
Damn, this, thing .
She had no answer.
An adventurer could never attain this amount of resilience, this toughness no matter
how hard they trained. Not only was its defense powerful enough to break Tione's foot
on impact but its two legs were still firmly planted on the ground.
The black raging bull grabbed Tione's left leg, still wedged in its face, and flung her.
"?!"
Tiona threw down her double-bladed sword and dove to catch her sister just before
she careened into a wall. However, that didn't prevent the ensuing explosion from the
building.
"The heck's gotten into you?!"
"Keep your nose out of it!! I told you to shut the hell up, didn't I?!"
The two went through the wall together, pulverizing it as they argued back and forth.
Meanwhile, Bete moved in to engage the monster one-on-one. The werewolf
unleashed a barrage of kicks no less potent than Tione's, while the bull howled and
countered with the Labrys. The two went back and forth, alternating offense and
defense until Tiona and Tione rejoined the battle, their argument escalating to the
point of exchanging insults.
The double-bladed sword and the Labrys violently collided,the metal boots redirected
attacks, and a frenzy of physical blows connected with the creature's armor.
Neither adventurers nor monster surrendered a step. The rest of Loki Familia watched
in awe, and then they saw it.
"Th-that's a grin…"
The ferocious smile on the monster's face.
Its large white teeth had appeared from beneath a split in its cheeks. No doubt, the
raging bull was having the time of its life.
Taking on three first-tier adventurers at once and absorbing countless hits did nothing
to deter the colossal fighting spirit pulsing through its body.
The black bull swung its head and loosed a ferocious roar.
Is it just me, or does this feel like…?
Tiona's skin broke out in goose bumps as she weathered the roar and brought her
double-bladed weapon down for another strike.
This sensation, I've felt it before…!!
Clicking her tongue in frustration at the ineffectiveness of her attacks, Tione dove out
of the Labrys's path.
This creature, it's almost…!!
Bete felt as though he were fighting against an extremely small floor boss. His metal
boots were a blur.
This excessive strength.
It was the same as something else, a distant shadow lurking in their memories.
The young adventurers were reminded of a certain man.
"..."
Ottar watched the battle unfolding in the dungeon town from the highestfloor in Babel
Tower.
"Do you recognize that minotaur?"
One rectangular wall was constructed entirely out of glass. Standing before it,
watching the entire scene at once from Orario's highest point, Freya addressed her
attendant, who was fixated on Daedalus Street.
"That… No, then again… Impossible."
Ottar's face remained stoic as he faced forward, fumbling around to find the right
words to respond to his goddess.
Stepping beside the warrior and taking a sip from the wineglass in her hand, Freya
looked away from Loki Familia's battle.
Even at this great distance, the deity's silver eyes could see a blur of color and a
shimmering, transparent streak.
It was the vouivre, weaving a path of destruction through the dungeon town, and the
boy, hot on its tail in pursuit.
"Helen."
"My Lady."
A girl standing nearby straightened her posture at the goddess's call, but Freya kept
her back to her as she continued.
"Any word from Alfregg and the party I sent to the Dungeon?"
"They have yet to return."
"I see… Could you catch up to the charging vouivre if you departed now?"
"…I do not believe that I would make it in time."
Taking her follower's honest opinion in stride, Freya ordered, "That's fine. Go."
As the girl made a bow and exited the room, Freya whispered quietly under her breath:
"To think monsters like this existed."
Marveling at this world's unpredictability, the silver-haired goddess smiled from ear
to ear.
"—Like I've been telling you, my brats have been catching those monsters."
Gareth narrowed his eyes as a god's confession dissolved into the sky.
"They were after money in the black market, but the darn things escaped, as you can
see."
"And you're expectin' me to believe that?"
"If my word isn't enough, I'll tell you right where to go in the sewers beneath Daedalus
Street. You'll see the cages where these monsters were kept."
Ikelos had appeared on the rooftop with Gareth and Fels mere moments ago when the
dwarf was distracted by the black bull's entrance. Then, he suddenly began explaining
his involvement in the situation.
"So, how about letting Black Cloak here go, eh?"
"..."
"The poor sap's got nothing to do with my brats. Just got caught up in all this, is all."
Ikelos pointed his finger a few times atthe black-robed figure, who was still as a statue,
facing away.
While he wasn't lying, he was also not telling the truth. After decades of training under
Loki, Gareth could see through Ikelos's faint grin and decided to press for an answer
to what had been on his mind from the start.
"And why are you tellin' me here and now?"
"Because I lost… Had to do what the winner wanted."
Right after he said that…
The black-robed figure jumped from the rooftop, slipping away during a lull in the
conversation.
Gareth sighed as he saw his quarry disappear over the edge but made no efforts to
pursue.
"…I'll be askin' fer details later. For now, ye're comin' with me."
"Yeah, sure. Just be gentle, okay?"
Ignoring Ikelos's words and his grin, Gareth grabbed hold of the deity's collar.
As the battle escalated out of the corner of his eye, the dwarf knew that time was of
the essence and paid no attention to the screaming god as he bounded through the air.
"Looks like he's on his way."
"…You have my thanks, God Hermes."
—Hiding in a backstreet, Fels watched Gareth disappear from the rooftop above and
turned to thank Hermes, standing before him.
Not only had Hermes been observing the battle from his vantage point on top of the
brick tower, he had also witnessed Gareth's approach behind Fels and convinced
Ikelos to intervene with a one-sided negotiation. Knowing that the mage functioned
as Ouranos's right hand, he had saved Fels by offering up the deity instead.
"What can I say? The way things are now, we're gonna need your power to get through
this, Sage."
"…I go by Fels now, God Hermes."
The black-robed mage sounded bashful, but the dandy god simply shrugged.
But Hermes knew that there was no time for small talk and got right to the point.
"All right then, Fels. As a way to thank me for saving your life, I've a favor to ask… Bell
is alone right now. Please help him."
"But… were I to leave now, the Xenos…"
"Thanks to that black minotaur, things should work out okay, don't you think? And
from what I've seen, Braver wants to capture them alive. Worse shouldn't come to
worst today."
Hermes carefully crafted his argument.
A few moments passed in heavy silence, and then the deity narrowed his eyes behind
the brim of his hat.
"I have a lot of things I'd like to sweep under the rug as well, you know? I'm sure
Ouranos's right arm understands."
"..."
"This won't make amends for the past but… could you find it in your heart to do this
for me?"
Hermes leaned in close to whisper beside the silent mage's hood.
Fels took a few moments to think before extending a hand toward Hermes.
Then several black spheres, smaller than an oculus, fell from the black glove into the
palm of his outstretched hand.
"These are for an emergency. Break them to use them."
"…Understood. I am Hermes and swear by my name. Lulune."
Hermes handed the spheres to a chienthrope girl who appeared from deeper down
the alley.
Watching her disappear, Fels set out in accordance with Hermes's will.
"Bell and the vouivre were headed south. I bet they're out of Daedalus Street, probably
somewhere in the Pleasure Quarter reconstruction project by now."
"Acknowledged."
After Hermes had imparted what he saw from on top of the tower, Fels sped down a
path leading southeast.
The battle raged on.
Combat between first-tier adventurers and the black minotaur had reached a fever
pitch. One step forward, one step back. Offense and defense switched sides every
second in an epic back-and-forth while the other adventurers gawked. However,
numbers were on the adventurers' side. Once Tiona and Bete ignored Tione's raging
fury and showed some semblance of teamwork, the monster was forced to give
ground.
Just as the tides of combat appeared to be flowing in their favor…
The monster's next action turned the entire battle on its head.
"WOOOOOOO!"
As yet another blow connected with its armor, the black minotaur reached behind its
right shoulder.
Those five meaty fingers wrapped around the elongated metal ax hilt.
—Dual Axes?
Faced with the prospect of an abrupt change in battle style, the three watched the
black minotaur's every move with nervous eyes.
" ."
The first one to recognize the danger wasn't in Loki Familia's ranks—it was Welf.
"—We're getting out of here, now!!"
"Eh?!"
"Just move it!!"
Shaking off the last effects of the Howl, Welf willed his body forward, picking up Lilly's
unconscious body and grabbing hold ofHestia's hand. With Mikoto carrying Haruhime
in her arms close behind, Welf ran headlong in the other direction, toward where
Riveria stood with her staff held high in front of Loki Familia's forces.
"!!"
Arm and shoulder muscles pulsing, the monster swung the bloodstained ax down with
its right hand.
The instant it connected with Tiona's double-bladed sword—thunder struck.
"""?!"""
A flash of light engulfed Tiona along with her weapon, and Tione and Bete on either
side of her were also swept up in the shock wave.
Crackle! An electrical current danced across the blade in front of the dumbstruck trio.
The blood coating it was blasted away, and the weapon's true beautiful golden hue
came to light.
Tiona, Tione, Bete, and the rest of Loki Familia all recognized in that moment the
weapon for what it was.
The blood-splattered ax—was a magic weapon.
Finn's face contorted, Aiz watched in amazement, and Riveria readied her staff with
incredible speed thanks to her abilities as a magic user. Welf, who had prioritized his
own familia, gritted his teeth while the rest of Loki Familia, still on the battlefield, froze
with fear.
"OOO "
Still reeling from the unexpected electrical shock, the three momentarily numbed
adventurers watched as the hulking black shadow's right arm swung the ax yet again.
The weapon rose high into the sky. The beast prepared for another volley to blow all
of them away.
Finn called out, and Riveria triggered her magic at nearly the same instant.
"Riveria, the barrier!!"
Just as the last member of Hestia Familia dove into the magic circle…
Riveria's magic—an enormous dome barrier—took shape.
"—ooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The Howl tore through the air along with the shock wave.
"—Damn you!"
Bete forced his tingling foot high into the air and brought it straight down onto the
magic weapon. Brutal lightning bolts burst forth the instant his metal boot touched
the black minotaur's weapon.
Blinding yellow light drowned out their surroundings. Each bolt raced forward like
one of a hydra's many heads, with electrified fangs that tore up the street and turned
the vicinity into a swirling whirlpool of destruction. Being so close to the blast, it went
without saying that not only Tiona, Tione, and Bete but adventurers still out on the
street had no chance to evade. They were all caught up in the barrage.
The bolts advanced all the way to Riveria's barrier. Ka-boom! An immense shower of
sparks flared on impact. The barricade of green light shielded the unconscious
townspeople, the young magic users, Finn, Aiz, and Welf without so much as a quiver.
As their ears recovered from the blast, they all waited for the smoke to clear… only to
see an utter ruin before their eyes. Every house and building that once lined the street
had been razed, the stone pavement was carved up as if by dragon claws, and the
burned, smoldering bodies of adventurers were scattered throughout.
It looked as though the apocalypse had arrived, but they all were still breathing by
some miracle.
"S-so tingly…! I'm paralyzed~!"
"Damn it…! Why couldn't you take the whole thing, you damn werewolf!!"
"Want me to smash your head in, damn Amazon…?"
Just before the explosion, Bete had put his body on the line to block the blast at close
range by sticking out his metal boot—the mythril absorbed the electricity—and
greatly reducing its power. But of course, he couldn't block the entirety of a discharge
on that scale.