Far from the battlefield.
Syr and Artemis were curled up beneath a table, whispering quietly to each other.
"They've all been taken down…"
Syr looked like a child out on an adventure, her face filled with excitement and curiosity.
"Even though it's obvious that girl meant no harm, why do you look so pleased?"
Artemis asked.
Even in such a cramped space, the goddess's distinctive presence remained completely undiminished.
If the situation had truly spiraled out of control, she would have already drawn her sword and rushed out.
But Ais never unsheathed her thin blade, nor did she use any magic.
She relied solely on her physical abilities, instinctively knocking the girls to the ground.
Noticing the almost playful nature of the fight, Artemis chose to hide together with Syr.
"I'm not really that happy, you know?"
Syr smiled softly, a glimmer of light shining in her eyes.
"Hm… don't try to fool me. Be honest."
Artemis spoke in the tone she would use with a close friend.
She stared straight into Syr's gray eyes, radiating an air that demanded the truth.
"..."
Syr blinked, as though carefully examining her own heart.
After a brief silence, she spoke gently.
"Maybe it's because Artemis-sama made me feel… [the unknown]."
"…The unknown?"
Artemis frowned, clearly confused.
"It's actually quite simple. You used to hunt with your Familia, always charging ahead alone at the very front, didn't you?"
Syr asked.
The prey Artemis's Familia hunted weren't beasts, but monsters that attacked humans.
Ordinary hunters would have fled the moment they saw such creatures.
Yet Artemis, as a goddess, always led the charge herself, never sparing a thought for her own safety.
Seeing the Moon Goddess remain silent, Syr continued.
"If that's the case, then why are you hiding here with me now?"
"..."
Artemis stood frozen.
Was it because she thought this was just playful chaos and not worth intervening in?
Was it because she trusted Bell, believing he would resolve the situation properly?
Or was she worried about getting hurt and being forced to use her divine power?
No.
Beyond all of that, there was a far more simple reason.
But Artemis herself didn't know how to put that feeling into words.
Syr smiled gently and spoke the answer for her.
"Artemis-sama, deep down, you're hoping that Bell will treat you like a girl."
She wanted the boy to see her as gentle and reserved.
She wanted to show Bell her very best side.
Those were the feelings now held by the once-chaste goddess.
"..."
Artemis blinked, finally realizing how she had changed.
"Is that so… so what I've really been caring about… is Orion's gaze…"
In the past, the Moon Goddess never adjusted herself to suit anyone else's eyes, always following her own way.
Without a doubt, because the flower of love had begun to bloom, Artemis was slowly stepping into the unknown.
Watching the Moon Goddess's unfamiliar expression, Syr spoke again.
"Artemis-sama, to prevent the entire harem from being wiped out, please stop that blonde girl."
Just as she expected, Artemis's face twisted in clear disgust.
"After saying all that, you still ask something like this? I'm not going out there. Besides, you handling this would be far easier than me getting involved."
"Hm? What are you talking about? I'm just a tavern girl. I can't do anything."
Syr put on an innocent, harmless smile.
Artemis had no response to that and simply peeked out toward the distance.
Amid their quiet whispers, the holy war finally came to an end.
...
"W-what should we do?"
Lefiya looked at the boy and asked anxiously.
Aside from Ryuu, all the other girls had already collapsed onto the floor.
To everyone present, Ais was practically an unbeatable demon king.
Bell thought for a moment before speaking.
"Lefiya-san, it looks like we're the only ones who can stop her."
"Huh? You mean fight Ais-san? N-no… that's impossible!"
Lefiya replied shakily.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt Ais-san," Bell said gently, trying to reassure her.
"That's not the problem! Ais-san is Lv6! One of us is Lv3 and the other is Lv2. There's no way we can win!"
Lefiya felt that hiding here and waiting for Ais to sober up was far safer than rushing in recklessly.
"No. We don't need to defeat her. And I've already reached Lv3, so I'm confident we can handle this."
Bell stated his thoughts plainly.
Lefiya blinked, then froze completely.
Lv3?
Who?
Bell Cranel?
He leveled up again in just over a month?!
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
It had taken her years to reach her current level.
Lefiya stared blankly at the boy.
He wasn't the type to boast without reason.
No matter how hard it was to believe, this was an undeniable fact.
Along with the shock came a strange sense of being caught up to.
Bell had once told her they would work hard together and chase after the distant Ais.
And now, Bell was standing on the same level as Lefiya.
Strangely enough, instead of jealousy or resentment, Lefiya felt genuine happiness for him.
"Lefiya-san? Did you hear the plan?"
Bell asked softly.
"Huh? I did… chanting healing magic, right? I can borrow Riveria-sama's."
Lefiya had only caught part of it.
Even so, she nodded quickly, hurriedly hiding her burning cheeks.
What welled up inside her wasn't competitiveness, but pure joy and happiness.
Realizing that only made her feel even more embarrassed.
"Alright. Operation start. Excuse me."
Before Bell could finish speaking, he lifted Lefiya onto his back.
"...…?!"
"W-wait… wait a second?! What are you doing?!"
Lefiya cried out, startled by the sudden intimacy.
"Didn't you hear the plan? Use the concurrent chanting we practiced before and cast healing magic on Ais-san."
Bell explained as he broke into a run.
"Ugh… there are so many people! Q-quick, put me down!"
Feeling all the eyes on her, Lefiya shouted in embarrassment.
"No time. Ais-san is already coming."
With Lefiya on his back, Bell sprinted across the hall.
"I know! Ugh…"
Lefiya gave up resisting, raised her wand, and began chanting her magic.
Ryuu noticed their movement and instantly understood Bell's intent.
She rushed forward, deliberately buying him time.
Blonde hair scattered in the wind as the pressure in the air rose sharply.
Even after reaching Lv5, Ryuu was no match for the drunken Ais.
The "demon king" who had once given Riveria and the others so much trouble knocked Ryuu to the ground after a brief exchange.
Ais continued chasing after the boy.
Just as she was about to reach him, Lefiya's magic was completed.
A healing light flashed over Ais's body.
"Thank goodness…"
Lefiya let out a long breath of relief.
"..."
Bell frowned, saying nothing.
Even after sobering up, the beautiful blonde girl didn't stop moving.
In the next instant, both Bell and Lefiya were struck down to the floor.
With no one left to interfere, Ais quietly sat down on the ground.
She lifted Bell's head and gently placed it on her lap.
A faint blush colored the blonde girl's cheeks.