Clang—!!
Clang—!!
Crack—!
Inside the forge at Hearthstone Manor, Tsubaki Collbrande was looking after the workshop in Welf's absence.
"This is bad."
She wiped her brow.
"Breaking the tools of the forge without permission... I wonder if he'll be mad?"
She gripped a handle tightly.
"...Or is this an ill omen?"
Tsubaki felt a strange sense of unease at the series of bizarre occurrences today.
'First, the stand displaying Gram shattered, then the head of the box storing Balmung fell off...'
"And now, even Welfy's hammer is broken..."
It had reached a point where she could no longer ignore it. Just as she was about to investigate the source of this dissonance—
Creeeeeak—!
"Hm?"
"Tsubaki Collbrande."
"Naaza...?"
Tsubaki's surprise at seeing Naaza and Miach suddenly open the forge door was brief. One look at their grim expressions told her everything she needed to know.
"Can we ask for your help as reinforcements?"
It was the definitive proof of the ill omen.
BOOM—!!!!!!
"Guh...!!"
Akumo was slammed directly into the wall by the Juggernaut's charge.
"Brother!!!!!!!"
"Calm down and run, now!!"
'My body is in the worst possible condition, and my Mind is depleted...!'
Even if he tried to use healing magic, Bell couldn't defeat that thing even at full strength. There was no guarantee Bell would survive even if Akumo sacrificed himself.
Whoosh—!!
"[Rockfall]!"
Clang—!!!
—GRAAAAAA!!!!!!!
"It didn't even leave a scratch!"
Thwack—!!!!!
He scraped together his remaining Mind, utilizing the bare minimum of techniques he could recall to conserve energy.
"Cough...!!"
'This isn't enough...! Anything, I need a technique...!!'
However, the result was merely lifting rocks and reinforcing them with mana to throw. It was nowhere near enough to stop the Juggernaut.
Thump—!! Thump—!! Thump—!!
"Dammit!!"
'It's targeting Bell and Ryu...!!'
To make matters worse, while Jura's commands couldn't fully control the Juggernaut, they could shift its priorities. The Juggernaut locked onto Bell and Ryu immediately.
"Uwaaaa!!!!!!!!"
'Dangerous!! This is bad!!'
"Somehow...!!"
Ding—!
Ding—!
Ding—!
In that moment, Bell thought of a way to tie down the Juggernaut's feet and began charging [Fire Bolt] with [Argonaut].
Shhh—!
'But... Brother is...!'
"Just fire it already!!!!!!"
"!!"
Fwoosh—!!!!!
"[Fire Bolt]!!!!"
"[Dash]!!"
Magic was invoked from both Bell and Akumo simultaneously. Bell's [Fire Bolt] struck the ceiling above the Juggernaut, causing massive debris to collapse and block the passage.
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bell was blown back by the massive explosion, rolling across the floor. Akumo lay beside him, next to Ryu.
"Haah...! Haah...!"
'This... was just a fluke...'
"Brother...! We have to go...."
"Take Ryu and run."
'That's the best move right now....'
In his exhausted state, the best Akumo could do against the Juggernaut was a mutual kill. Even that was impossible if Bell and Ryu were present, as the monster's attention would be divided.
"Brother...!!!!"
"Face reality, Bell... I—"
"....."
"Fine.... I get it...."
Akumo knew Bell would never accept his sacrifice. Gritting his teeth, he decided they needed to find a place to hide first.
Twitch—!
"Mr. Cranel... Mr. Akumo...."
""!!""
Seeing Ryu regain consciousness, Bell and Akumo forgot their argument and rushed to her side.
"I've applied a splint."
".....We are in the Deep Floors, aren't we?"
After being briefed on the situation, Ryu realized their predicament was dire.
The Juggernaut was hunting them, the whereabouts of the unknown entity that defeated Akumo were a mystery, and they were trapped in the Deep Floors.
Throb—!
"Guh...!?"
"Ms. Lyu!" "Ryu!"
Ryu, suffering from injuries that were far from light, let out a pained gasp. Akumo and Bell looked at her with concern, ignoring their own wounds.
"Ms. Lyu, please heal yourself."
"Don't worry about us, heal your own wounds."
"I have no items left...."
"..."
Bell and Akumo urged Ryu to use her magic on herself first. But Ryu's eyes were fixed on Bell's battered body and Akumo's horrific state—his right arm had been severed.
"Mr. Akumo... your arm...."
"....It's fine. I've stopped the bleeding."
'To think those vines would actually serve as a tourniquet by binding my body....'
"That's not the point...!!"
"Just heal yourself!"
"....!!"
Ryu wavered at Akumo's insistence on prioritizing her despite his own grievous injury. Finally, a chant flowed from her lips.
"[Song of the Distant Forest]."
"....."
'Once Ryu is healed, we can at least hold out until I can face that thing again....'
"[Melodies of Dear Life]."
Whoosh—!!!
"....!! Hey, Ryu!!!"
However, the magic wasn't directed at herself. Akumo called out to her in panic.
"[Noah Heal]!"
Her touch reached Bell, healing him instead.
"Ms. Lyu!!"
"....Haah."
Akumo pressed his left hand against his dizzy head and let out a long sigh.
'Are you planning to sacrifice yourself too.... Ryu!'
At least she hadn't used it on him, so his plan wasn't entirely ruined, but Akumo's anxiety deepened as he intended to save Ryu's life as well.
"In my current state, I am completely useless."
"That was likely my last bit of magic...."
She looked at them with a hollow gaze.
"Therefore, it is only right to heal you...."
But Akumo and Bell spoke in unison.
""That is not right at all!!!!""
'Seriously.... you and Bell both...!!!'
Despite their protest, Ryu spoke with an air of resignation.
"Leave me behind and save yourselves...."
Clatter—!
"""!!"""
'The sound of bones clashing...'
The conversation was cut short by a sound echoing from the distance.
Clatter—!
"Could it be.... a [Skull Sheep]?"
"Bell, get ready!"
"....Right!"
Bell, whose condition had improved thanks to Ryu's magic, gripped the Hestia Knife. Akumo also reached behind his back, but—
"....It's gone?"
'I'm sure I brought it with me....!!'
Akumo panicked when his hand failed to find Lævateinn in the sheath on his back. He quickly turned the sheath over, and only then was the mystery solved.
Clink—!
"..."
'It's returned to how it was—'
He caught the falling object.
"No, I should be glad I have anything at all...!!"
'Get a grip....!!'
Holding the Green Fang in his left hand, Akumo stood beside Bell with eyes full of resolve.
"What do you mean!! The [Hestia Familia] was left behind!?"
Meanwhile, in the town of Rivira, a significant number of adventurers who had participated in the subjugation force had fled and reported the situation.
"You bastards!! You abandoned them and ran!?"
"It couldn't be helped...!!"
"Just making it back here alive was a gamble with our lives!"
Luviss and Dormul, hearing the news, grabbed the adventurers by their collars in a fit of rage. However, the adventurers simply avoided their gaze and tried to flee the scene.
"Those pieces of trash....!"
"Stop it, Dormul."
"But! They..."
"I know. The [Hestia Familia] is in a crisis, just like we were before."
Luviss spoke calmly to Dormul, having seemingly made up his mind.
"Regardless of the circumstances, we cannot leave the [Hestia Familia] to their fate."
"I'm going back into the Dungeon."
"!!? You! What are you saying with a body like that!"
Dormul grabbed Luviss's shoulder in shock, trying to stop him. Just as he was about to say he would go instead—
"Hey!"
""!!""
Step, step—
A woman's voice reached their ears. Turning around, they saw Tsubaki standing there fully armed, accompanied by Anya Fromel, Chloe Rollo, and Runoa Faust.
"What was that about the [Hestia Familia]?"
"You are...."
"Care to tell us the story?"
"Tsubaki Collbrande!"
"Why is the captain of the [Hephaestus Familia] here...!!"
Despite their confusion, Tsubaki spoke with a serious expression, even while maintaining a slight smile.
"Come on, spit it out."
Luviss and Dormul hesitated for a moment, but after exchanging a nod, they decided to trust her and relay what they knew.
"Hmm, I see...."
"An irregular Floor Master appeared, the 25th floor exploded~ and the monsters are acting weird?"
Tsubaki stared at them intensely.
"Even if you look at us like that, we don't know anything else!!!"
"Is that so?"
Tsubaki wondered how so many incidents could happen at once, starting from the Gale's murder case. But staring at Luviss and Dormul wouldn't provide any more clear answers.
"It feels like something incredibly troublesome is happening, nya...."
"It doesn't matter, nya! We're the reinforcements! We just have to go help Ryu and the white-haired boy, nya!!"
"Even so...."
"Akumo is there too, so we probably just need to provide support, nya!!"
Ignoring Chloe's worries, Anya laughed brightly as she shouldered her spear and immediately started moving.
"GO GO~!"
"Hey! Wait, you stupid cat!!"
Chloe and Runoa Faust chased after Anya to stop her.
"Who are those people....?"
"Ahaha!! Sorry about that~"
The scene was so detached from the gravity of the situation that Luviss and Dormul were stunned. Tsubaki laughed heartily to reassure them.
"Well then, we'll take a quick trip down to the 25th floor."
Of course, her laughter was anything but light.
"What are you doing!!"
"I'll handle this!!"
"This is no time to be stubborn—"
Akumo tried to stop Bell as the boy stepped forward to face the [Skull Sheep].
"It's not stubbornness!!!!"
"!!"
Bell shouted as if he were the only one who could do this.
"If I just keep receiving help here, nothing will ever be resolved...!!"
'If I don't grow... then nothing...!!'
"You...."
"So please, trust me!!!"
'Please....!'
Akumo saw an unyielding conviction in Bell's eyes as the boy looked back at him. He found himself unable to argue and moved instead.
Whoosh—!!
"If you're going to say that...."
"Brother....!?"
For a moment, Bell's eyes trembled, thinking Akumo was going to overexert himself without backing down.
Clang—!!!
"Watch your back before you talk!!"
"!!"
Akumo parried the [Skull Sheep]'s attack that had targeted Bell's blind spot while he was distracted. Once the [Skull Sheep] vanished from sight, Akumo retreated.
Thud—!
"Haah... haah... that thing can mimic its surroundings!"
"Read its presence!!"
Akumo and Ryu, sitting behind him, provided Bell with information on the [Skull Sheep], trusting him and supporting him as best they could.
Thump—!
'Where is it...?'
Thump—!
'Where could it be....'
However, Bell couldn't concentrate properly due to the tension and worry of the current situation. He could only hear the pounding of his own heart.
""To the right!""
Slash—!!
The [Skull Sheep] tore a chunk of flesh from Bell's right arm. Akumo and Ryu's eyes widened.
"The attack....!"
"No!! Watch the situation first!!"
"!!"
Ryu tried to strike as the [Skull Sheep] revealed itself, but Akumo, knowing its patterns, urgently stopped her.
Whiz—!!
Whoosh—!
'S-So fast!'
Slash—!!
Fortunately, Bell saw something emerging from the [Skull Sheep]'s back and prepared for a ranged attack, but in his exhausted state, he couldn't counter it properly.
"Kh...!"
"Don't let your guard down!!!!"
"!!"
Crunch—!!!!
"Uwaaaa!!!?"
Before he could even tend to his wounds, the [Skull Sheep] charged fiercely. Bell desperately blocked it by letting the monster bite into his left arm.
"This isn't working... I'm going in!!"
"M-Mr. Cranel!!"
Akumo and Ryu prepared to rush out to save Bell before his injuries worsened.
"I'm fine!!!!!"
""Bell!!""
'I won't lose....! Never...!!!'
Stab—!! Stab—!!!
Bell shouted at them and then violently drove the Hestia Knife into the [Skull Sheep] in front of him.
'Die...!!'
Stab—!!!
"Uwaaaa!!!!!"
Stab—!!!!
Stab—!!!!!!!
Perhaps Bell's will had reached the blade.
Shatter—!!
""!!""
Among the countless stabs, Bell succeeded in piercing the [Skull Sheep]'s magic stone with the Hestia Knife, finally taking it down.
"Haah...! Haah...!"
'Just one battle.... and it took this much out of me...!'
Despite defeating the [Skull Sheep], Bell felt no joy. He had consumed his stamina to the point of suffocation, and damage had accumulated on his barely-treated body.
"Bell, let's move for now."
"....Yeah."
Akumo stood up, worried but knowing they had to keep moving. He approached Ryu and reached out his arm.
"Ryu, get on my bac—"
He froze.
"Ah....."
His right arm was already gone.
"I'm sorry, Ryu....."
".....Why are you apologizing?"
"It was my mistake, don't worry about it."
"How can I not worry about it!!!!"
Akumo quickly withdrew his shoulder and apologized, but Ryu's eyes trembled as she looked at his empty right sleeve, once again consumed by guilt.
He had followed her into the Dungeon for her sake, and he had fought monsters to protect her.
"Bell, you take care of Ryu."
"But Brother...!"
"I'm asking you, please!"
".....Alright."
And this was the result.
Akumo had lost his right arm, and even his weapons were all brutally destroyed.
"Leave me behind."
"In my current state, I am nothing but a burden to you both...."
Akumo tried to ignore her words. He knew he would never choose the option of abandoning her.
"If it were just Mr. Akumo and Mr. Cranel...."
"....No."
"Mr. Cranel—"
"No, no, no!!!"
"How could we possibly leave you alone!!!!!"
Bell scolded her, as if telling her never to say such things again.
"Leaving Ms. Lyu behind could never be the right choice!!!"
"Even in the battle just now, it would have been dangerous without you!"
"You are not a burden!!!"
Despite Bell's words, Ryu believed that their chances of survival in the Deep Floors would be higher if only Bell and Akumo were hiding together.
"But...."
"Ryu?"
"Mr. Akumo...?"
"You are the commander, Bell is the vanguard, and I will be the support."
"....!!"
"If you argue any further, I'm going to get truly angry."
Akumo hoisted Ryu up with his remaining arm and spoke calmly.
His eyes were unwavering, looking only at Bell and Ryu as if to say he would never abandon her.
".....I understand."
Ryu felt a wave of guilt at Bell and Akumo's continued willingness to sacrifice themselves for her, but then Akumo handed her something.
".....This is."
'The Green Fang....'
Ryu couldn't say a word as she looked at the dagger.
Just like during the Great Feud... no, she felt a firm resolve from him, telling her to trust not only herself but also the adventurer known as Bell Cranel.