"Four weapons and four potions."
'The condition is poor, but we have food at least.'
"And the greatest harvest is..."
"This, I believe."
Ryu produced the map obtained through [Looting] and spread it across the floor.
"It is unfinished, but it contains information spanning a considerable range."
Ssh—
"Their resentment must be immeasurable, but this will be a great boon to us."
The map bore the desperate traces of those who had wandered the 37th floor in a bid for survival. Numerous 'X' marks served as a grim testament to the dead ends they had encountered time and again.
"If we can identify the routes leading to dead ends, we won't waste any steps."
"However...."
'Pinpointing our exact location remains difficult.'
"Akumo-san, even I have never seen this particular area before."
"Still, there is cause for hope."
As Ryu spoke, Akumo recalled the layout of the regular routes he had memorized previously, mentally overlaying them with the map to find a connection.
"If we use this map as a guide, leading us to the connecting passage will be no problem."
Akumo stood up and reached for the equipment they had [Looted].
"..."
"Fine, you two handle it...."
Under the heavy, insistent gazes of Bell and Ryu, he eventually gave up on carrying the luggage, forced to accept their consideration.
Rustle— rustle—
"..."
'I never dreamed the day would come where I'd be the one being protected....'
Thud—
"Bell?"
While moving the supplies into the bag with Bell, the boy suddenly froze mid-action.
"Ugh...."
"...?"
Bell hurriedly averted his eyes from a certain direction. When Akumo followed his gaze—
"....."
Wrap— wrap—!
'Ah.... because of that....?'
There, Ryu was using her torn top as a makeshift bandage to bind the wound on her chest. The sight was likely overwhelming for Bell, whose preference for Elves was well-documented.
Grip—!
"Do you want to die...?"
"Ahaha....."
"One moment you're serious, the next you're a mess..."
Whether this was proof of growth or simply the lingering influence of Zeus, the sudden break in tension brought a faint smile to Akumo's lips.
"....!!"
"Bell, not again..."
"No, brother. I think this might be quite dangerous."
Bell, having realized something, showed the bread he was holding to Akumo. The veteran immediately grasped the implication.
'I see...!!'
"Akumo-san? Cranel-san?"
"Ryu, stay sharp from here on out."
"What do you mean...."
"[Peluda]."
"!!"
Ryu's eyes widened in shock at the monster's name. She quickly scanned the remaining food and potions, realizing that only the antidotes were missing.
"Seeing as there are no antidotes, the cause of death was poisoning."
"And the last survivor...."
Faced with a Deep Floor monster's venom, the party had succumbed to poison. They had entrusted everything to the final survivor, but—
Gaze—
The dried blood on the knife in Bell's hand told the story. That final hope had never reached its destination.
Flutter—!
"Please look at this."
While Bell composed himself, mourning the tragic self-sacrifice, Ryu unfolded the map once more.
However, she flipped it over.
"This is....."
"It's not just a map; it's a Familia flag."
"There's something written here..!"
Bell discovered a record inscribed on the back and began to read the final words they had left behind.
"I'm sorry... Lord..."
"Forgive me... Mom... I couldn't come home...."
"".....""
Grip—!
"We will deliver this to the surface. This map....!"
Bell clutched the map with newfound resolve, vowing to survive and return.
For himself, for Akumo and Ryu, and above all, for the adventurers who had fallen here.
CLANG—!!!!
""""OHHHHHH!!!!!!!!""""
Slash—!!!
Crunch—!!!!
CLANG—!!!!
Meanwhile, on the 26th floor, the space was filled with the cacophony of a desperate struggle between those holding the line and the monsters trying to break through—interspersed with the rhythmic strikes of a blacksmith's hammer.
CLANG—!!!!
'What am I doing... what kind of man am I...!'
CLANG—!!!
'There's no time... I have to forge the magic sword here....!!'
Welf continued to strike the Adamantite, but the metal refused to yield or change shape.
Whoosh—!!!
"Dammit...!!"
CLANG—!!!!
The core of Gram remained unmoved by the flames of Welf's magic sword, as if stubbornly refusing to be refined.
CLANG—!!!!
CLANG—!!!!
CLANG—!!!!
CLANG—!!!!!
The hammer strikes echoed incessantly, yet the minerals showed no sign of transformation.
CLANG—!!
'As I thought.... was it just a reckless gamble?'
CLANG—!!!
'Attempting the unprecedented feat of forging a magic sword within the Dungeon....'
CLANG—!!!
'Was I just drunk on the situation, using the greatest masterpiece I've ever seen as material...!!'
CLANG—!!!
'I asked my comrades to trust me with their lives... for something I can't even do...!!'
Distractions clouded Welf's mind. Self-doubt crept in as the reality of failure loomed closer.
However, he had yet to notice.
"I'll ask you one more time. Is your [Flame] burning?"
Amidst the sounds of battle and the ringing of his hammer, Hephaestus's voice resurfaced in his subconscious, questioning him once more.
'Of course it's burning...!'
CLANG—!!
'It's burning like this!'
CLANG—!!
'My strength, my technique, my pride as a craftsman! I'm pouring it all in!'
Grip—!!
'And yet...!!'
"Is that so?"
'!!'
Then, Welf heard his own voice.
"The Crozzo family used to say this."
CLANG—!
"Listen to the voice of the iron. Heed the resonance of the steel. Put your heart into the hammer."
'Shut up...!! Who cares what the Crozzos say...!!'
CLANG—!!
'I must forge a magic sword here and now...!'
But the voice was asking something deeper.
"But why?"
'What do you mean, why....!!'
"Why do you swing the hammer—why do you swing me?"
'To forge a weapon!'
"Then why do you forge weapons?"
'That's obvious! To survive!'
To that answer, the voice fell silent.
"Have you forgotten already?"
"!!"
Instead, a voice that was more familiar to Welf than any other reached him.
It was the voice of the blacksmith he respected, and the hero he wished to follow as an adventurer.
'Akumo-san....'
"A magic sword is just another form of power. Everything is simply power."
CLANG—!!
"Don't be bound by useless things like whether a magic sword is good or bad, or what the Crozzo name means."
CLANG—!!
"Remember the conviction you decided on that day."
".....!!"
Welf finally understood. His own voice returned, finally awakening his spirit.
""For whom are you forging this weapon?""
THRUM—!!!
For the comrades who truly see him, and who will use his child to its fullest potential.
**
"For my friends....!"
Recalling his conviction, Welf's mind cleared as if he had been struck by his own hammer.
'Why did I forget? Something so obvious...!!'
THRUM—!!!
THRUM—!!!
'The reason I forge weapons...!'
CLANG—!!!
'Is for the comrades who looked at a man like me with sincerity!'
His sincerity successfully channeled into the hammer, and the sound of the strikes transformed into something of a different dimension.
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!
"!!"
As if responding to that sincerity, the core of [Gram] reacted to Welf's [Flame]. The incomplete red fire evolved into a brilliant blue, signaling its intent to entrust everything to Welf.
'Thank you...!! Thank you!!'
THRUM—!!!
Simultaneously, the Adamantite that had been immobile began to shift its form under Welf's hammering.
'Don't settle for a mediocre magic sword!!'
THRUM—!!
'Keep striking, keep refining!!'
CLANG—!!!
'I'll make it for you...!'
THRUM—!!!
"My very own masterpiece!!"
Welf recalled the peerless masterpieces he had witnessed.
THRUM—!!!!
'Akumo-san...!!'
From the green magic sword that severed curses to the colossal sword of flame that could part the heavens, and the blade of dark shadows.
CLANG—!!!
'Hephaestus-sama...!!'
The weapons that reached the sublime heights forged by a God.
Drip—! Drip—!
His hands, enduring the continuous hammering and the blue flames Gram emitted as it sacrificed its own life, began to bleed.
FLARE—!!!
SHIIIIING—!!!!!!
The blood flowing from his hands infused into the flame and the iron.
CRACK—!!!
"The shield broke!!"
'We can't hold the monsters back...!!'
Time had slipped away. The shields held by Ouka and Bors cracked, finally allowing the monsters to breach their perimeter.
"It doesn't matter! Use your bodies as shields and protect the blacksmith!!!"
"""OHHHHHH!!!!!!"""
Their resolve remained unbroken. Just as they were about to sacrifice their lives to protect Welf—
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive pillar of fire swept the monsters away in an instant.
"That is....!"
"A magic sword...."
"Blacksmith, you!"
It was a flame of hope. Bors's group, Ouka, and the others in the rear were overwhelmed by the sight and turned back.
Shing—!
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
The crimson greatsword in Welf's hand captured everyone's gaze.
—KIIIIIIII!!!!!!
"There's more of them!!"
"Trust the magic sword and hold them back!!"
Seeing Welf complete the sword, morale surged. Bors's group and Ouka moved to block the monsters, attempting to create a path for the magic sword's strike.
"No! It's fine!"
"""""!!"""""
"Trust me, and trust this guy!"
THUD—!!!
To repay the comrades who believed in him, Welf stood alone before the cave mouth where the monsters swarmed and leveled the sword.
"[Shigo] [Kazuki]!!"
SHUUUU—!!!!!!!!!
The moment Welf called the name of his masterpiece, a fierce aura began to swirl from [Kazuki].
"[O resurrected flame, grant me your strength.]"
WHOOSH—!!!
""""!!""""
'Magic...!? No, that's...!!'
As a chant flowed from Welf's lips, everyone watching was struck with shock. Aisha immediately realized what Welf had created.
"[O wings of radiant light that transcend the crimson, burn toward the supreme domain!]"
The crimson blade of [Kazuki] was dyed blue, amplifying its heat. Bors couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
'That's!!'
"What the [Pioneer] showed us...."
Regardless of its raw power, the radiant flame blooming from [Kazuki] declared that [Gram] had not died.
"[Ignis Deluge]!!!!!!!!!"
A massive wave of radiant flame incinerated every enemy in sight, proving his words.
**
Shing—!
"This magic sword will not break."
Welf declared to everyone as he held [Kazuki].
"It will walk alongside its user, sharing their fate until the very end!"
Seeing this, Cassandra realized that her final revelation referred to Welf.
"The Solar Lantern!"
'And that radiant flame just now....!'
It was the flame of hope. A radiant light that would accompany Welf to the supreme domain with unparalleled beauty.
"This is the beginning."
"The first step for me to climb to those heights!"
'To the domain where Akumo-san stands! To the domain of Hephaestus-sama!!'
Grip—!!
"Let's go together, [Kazuki]!"
HUMMMM—!!
As if answering Welf, [Kazuki]—which had returned to its crimson state—flashed blue once more, and Welf smiled joyfully.
========================
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