Clang—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On one side, a brilliant green light erupted; on the other, purple flames clashed with white radiance. Yet, despite the cataclysmic collision, an absolute silence followed.
"It ended with his victory, then."
"Tch."
Alfia and Ein watched the scene unfold.
Why were they witnessing this climax together?
"I almost killed him when we first met, but if it ends like this, I suppose it's fine."
"Don't get cocky. He was just lucky."
Ein smirked.
"Don't you realize that luck is also a part of his strength?"
"...Damn it."
To understand this, one must go back several days—to the day Akumo, Bell, and Ryu were defeated on the 27th Floor and went missing in the Deep Floors.
Step, step—
"Alfia."
"Who are you, wench?"
Ein had approached Alfia while she was gathering reinforcements with Hestia after reading Lilliluka's letter.
"Akumo has been defeated. By Akuo."
"...Do you wish to die?"
"I am merely stating a fact."
"....."
Alfia radiated a murderous intent at Ein's sudden appearance and words, but when Ein remained calm—even appearing slightly pleased for some reason—Alfia felt a flicker of doubt.
"Follow me."
Whoosh—!!
The two changed locations, standing atop the roof of Hearthstone Manor, facing each other in a tense standoff.
"Explain yourself. In detail."
"A Juggernaut appeared on the 27th Floor. It engaged Ryu Lion and Bell Cranel in a fierce battle. They were defeated and fell to the Deep Floors."
"!!"
"Don't worry. They are still alive. For now."
Grind—!
"Do you have any idea what you're saying?"
Rumble—!!!!!
Upon hearing that Bell—who was no different from her own son—had fallen into the Deep Floors and was on the brink of death, Alfia wanted nothing more than to tear the woman before her limb from limb. However...
"Akumo is with them."
"...What?"
She had no choice but to listen to the words that followed from Ein's mouth.
"You remember the one who fought Akumo during the Xenos incident, don't you?"
"...No way."
"In their rematch, Akumo was defeated."
The moment Ein announced Akumo's defeat, Alfia's patience finally snapped.
"His right arm was severed—"
"[Gospel]!"
Alfia's magic obliterated everything in Ein's path. The sheer wind pressure caused the entirety of Hearthstone Manor to tremble.
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"This is...!!"
"An earthquake...!?"
"No... this is..."
'Alfia's magic...!!'
Inside the building, Miach and Naaza were startled by the violent aftershocks, but Hestia alone recognized it as the wake of Alfia's power.
Sss—
"My, my. You're as violent as your husband."
"....?"
'This woman... why is she smiling?'
Ein had taken Alfia's attack head-on, leaving her left arm mangled and shredded.
"Even a mere creature like me won't fall from losing a single arm. Do you really think your husband will?"
".....!!"
"Heh, if you're curious, follow me. He has no intention of killing the warriors."
Whoosh—!!
"The location is the 37th Floor. Take your time."
Leaving only those words, Ein vanished. Alfia stood in a daze, the words echoing in her mind.
"Akumo was defeated...?"
'Impossible...'
A being capable of defeating Akumo—and one capable of orchestrating such a precise conclusion that involved saving Bell and Ryu while sending them to the Deep Floors.
'...I think it's truly absurd, but...'
"Is it like a mirror?"
'Really... what a man you are...'
Shaking off her thoughts, Alfia descended to Hestia and informed her that she would head down first to rescue them.
"Alfia, by yourself!?"
"I plan to go with an acquaintance."
"I-I see..."
"That person is also capable, so do not worry. Organize the reinforcements and come to help those children."
With that, Alfia headed toward the Dungeon where Ein would be waiting. For the first time in a long while, a cold dread for him spread through her heart.
Thump—!
"This anxiety and fear... how long has it been?"
Tremble—!
As she entered the Dungeon, her hands were shaking with worry, anxiety, and a simmering rage.
"That arm better be reattached by the time I get there, Akumo."
"[Gospel]."
Boom—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"[Duo Thyrsos]."
Crackle—!!!!!!!!!!!!
From the 25th to the 27th Floor, they tore through everything in their path, caring for nothing but reaching Akumo and Akuo.
'Level 7... is that all?'
Crunch—!!!!
'As expected of Silence. Impressive.'
Bang—!!!!!
—Graaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!
""Begone.""
Splat—!!!!!
Under Alfia's fists and Ein's palm strikes, the monsters of the Lower Floors were slaughtered like soft tofu in an instant.
Step—
"This is where the fierce battle took place."
"Hmm..."
They discovered the massive scars of battle on the 27th Floor.
Ssh—!
"Those sword marks..."
"They must be the traces left by Akuo."
"Then those marks must be what Akumo left behind."
Seeing the massive gouges, Ein smiled. Just by looking at the scars, she could tell what weapon he had drawn and the resolve behind his strikes.
'It seems he went down because he wasn't satisfied.'
Simultaneously, Alfia looked at a section of the space that had been completely melted, her expression turning bitter.
'He hesitated... to save everyone.'
"I told him to be a bit more selfish, yet he still..."
Realizing he had been defeated while trying to protect Bell, Ryu, and likely the adventurers who came to subjugate Ryu, Alfia let out a frustrated sigh.
"If you die, I will personally kill you."
'To the ends of hell... no, even if I have to crawl out of hell itself.'
Rumble—!!!!
The aura Alfia radiated was remarkably similar to the one Ein had emitted on the day Akuo was defeated.
Crunch—!!!!
"[Gospel]."
Time passed, and they finally arrived.
—!!!!!!!!!!!
"Is that the [Juggernaut]?"
The cacophonous screams echoed from beyond the entrance and passages of the 37th Floor.
"Did your people summon this?"
"No, this is the work of a man named Jura Halmer."
"Tch. The Gale... it seems she didn't finish her job cleanly."
Ein listened to her words with a faint smile, shaking her head as if to say, 'As expected.'
"To call murder a 'job'..."
"Are you trying to say I'm broken?"
"By that logic, everyone is broken."
"From the blacksmith challenging the sublime to the girls yearning for a hero."
Both Alfia and Ein let out a dry chuckle.
"There's no way." "Perhaps so."
'That would be disrespectful to those children.'
'Conviction can sometimes turn into madness or stubbornness.'
As the two women shared different yet similar thoughts, a sound reached them.
Step—
""!!""
Footsteps. Each step carried an immeasurably heavy and powerful spirit.
"Ein, why are you here?"
"Akuo. I had a feeling you'd be victorious."
"...If you call this a victory, then I suppose it is."
"If the woman beside me and I can feel it, it's a victory."
"The woman beside you...?"
Akuo approached them, momentarily stiffening as he looked at Alfia standing there.
Sss—
It was undoubtedly due to the Level 8 murderous intent she radiated, making no effort to hide it from the enemy who had struck down her man.
"You are Alfia?" "You are Akuo?"
""...""
Their words overlapped. As they questioned each other's identities, Akuo moved to remove his mask, but Alfia could already feel it just by looking at the being before her.
"You... are Akumo's clone."
It was an absurd claim, yet the sheer, gargantuan size of the soul he possessed made it undeniable.
"Wouldn't 'brother' be a more accurate term?"
"Nonsense."
"To call us clones implies we have no ill will toward each other, but conversely, I had no intention of helping him either."
That explanation allowed her to grasp the reality before her.
"But you see..."
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly, Akuo released a heavy pressure toward the two women.
"I assume you didn't interfere?"
"Sigh... so you really are brothers."
Ssh—
"Your way of thinking is identical."
'Do not interfere.' Those words were exactly what Akumo usually said while watching the children's adventures.
"No, perhaps you're even more radical?"
'Even though it's a dangerous situation where the children might die.'
Alfia couldn't know exactly what was happening, but her intuition was sharp.
She knew the Hestia Familia party was in danger, and that Akumo, Bell, and Ryu were currently suffering.
"I created him because I wanted that aspect, after all."
'Well, it doesn't really matter now.'
"Rather than saying you created him, it's more like he appeared before you."
"Perhaps?"
Except for the first day, the two women had been moving through the floors, monitoring the situation.
"How unexpected. To think Evilus would agree to protect people."
"I am not Evilus, specifically."
As they conversed, they eventually approached Akumo, who was looking down at the unconscious Bell and Ryu, and the fallen, armless Akuo.
"You won."
"Alfia...!?"
'Why is she here...'
"Getting your life saved by an enemy... you've done quite a job."
"...Ahaha."
Alfia sighed as she looked at his empty right shoulder. Seeing her expression, Akumo flusteredly showed her the scythe in his hand.
"This... is my arm, actually..."
"...We're going to have a talk. A very deep one."
"W-Wait a second...!!"
At the insane claim that he had turned his own arm into a weapon, Alfia became truly incensed, concentrating her aura. While Akumo was panicking...
Grab—!
"It's two against one, Akuo."
"Sorry, sorry. I acted on my own and lost again."
"You didn't even have the intention to kill him anyway."
"Well, that's true."
Ein reattached Akuo's severed right arm and supported him as they departed from the 37th Floor.
"Is it okay to just let them go?"
"Well, aside from fighting, he's a guy who has no interests..."
'Even if he's called Evilus, he doesn't mess with anyone first unless it's me...'
Even without that thought, Akumo had reached his limit after days of hardship. His strength failed him, and he collapsed into Alfia's arms.
Thud—
"Right, well... the time will come soon enough anyway."
Whether she had heard something from Ein or not, Alfia simply thought of the incident that would occur shortly, praying that Akumo would win then as well.
Step, step—
"Oh~?"
As Akuo and Ein headed out, they encountered the Xenos.
Dash—!!!
"Mr. Akuo...!?"
"Akuo!!"
Lido and Gros were horrified to see Akuo with a severed arm as they rushed toward him. Ray and Vane instinctively reached out to tend to him, but...
"I am already supporting him, am I not?"
""!?""
'Who is she...?'
'Who is this person helping Akuo...?'
At their reaction, Ein released a terrifying pressure while looking at the sleeping Akuo, but then sighed, lamenting that monopolizing him was indeed greedy.
"Bell Cranel and Akumo are collapsed in the room over there."
"Bell-chi and Mr. Akumo are...!"
Ein told the Xenos to look after Bell and Akumo as she passed them. Lido and Gros immediately ran toward the room.
"Wait! Who are you...?"
Flutter—!
"What did you do to Akuo...!"
Ssh—!
'If things go wrong, I might have to fight...'
Ray and Vane, assuming the worst, spread their wings and prepared to strike, but...
"It's okay..."
"Akuo!" "Mr. Akuo!"
Akuo stopped them, warning that staying any longer would risk discovery.
"You aren't the only ones coming, right? Other adventurers will arrive soon."
Ssh—
"I'm not going to die, so don't worry and take care of the kids inside."
Even so, Ray and Vane tried to ask what he had been doing and why he had fought.
"Just why..."
"It's the same as you guys."
"The same as us...?"
"To reach the place I yearn for."
Leaving those words, Akuo and Ein departed. Ray and Vane were forced to run ahead into the room.
"Those guys really..."
Lido, Gros, Ray, and Vane finally arrived and saw it.
Ssh—
"Bell, Ryu. You've truly worked hard."
They saw Akumo giving a warm smile to the boy and the elf, his eyes just as pure as the moment Akuo had first called them people.
"....."
Squeeze—!!!!
"A-Alfia...?"
"I'll ask about the elf later because of Bell."
"Thank you..."
Of course, the man with that gaze was currently trembling under the frostiness radiating from his partner.
"Clean up this mess yourself."
"Ehh..."
As Akumo thought about his missing right arm and who he would have to explain this situation to...
'...I'm doomed.'
From the people who would be horrified by his state to the Gods themselves, he was destined for a very, very difficult time.
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