Firebolt surged forward, its blazing light reflecting in the enemies' terrified eyes.
By the time Ryuu reached the center of the enemy formation, Bell was already unleashing Quick-Cast Magic while cutting down the disordered frontline fighters.
Steel rang against steel. Violet-blue arcs flashed with ruthless precision, slicing cleanly across enemy throats.
Their Status values weren't particularly high. Without a commander, they were utterly incapable of mounting any resistance.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
The battle was nearing its conclusion.
Yet the unease in Bell's chest only deepened.
Where had these people come from?
How had they slipped past the Guild's inspections and hidden themselves inside the Dungeon?
What kind of god would grant them Falna and set them against the monsters?
Most unsettling of all were their eyes.
Even when struck down. Even writhing in pain. Their expressions never changed.
A single phrase surfaced in Bell's mind.
Fanatical believers.
There was no doubt about it.
They were hiding some kind of trump card...
"..."
Bell swept his dagger sideways, dropping the enemy before him.
Ignoring the spray of blood, he immediately crouched and examined the fallen man.
Something was off.
Whether mage or vanguard, every one of them wore unusually loose robes.
That kind of attire would obviously hinder combat, especially in close quarters. No frontliner would choose to dress like that without a reason.
The robes weren't for mobility.
They were meant to conceal something.
"..."
Beneath the robe, Bell saw it clearly—
Crimson gems, tightly bound around the man's waist.
Kaenseki.
Drop Items from the deep-layer monster [Flame Rock].
They were strung together and coated in a specially made thin membrane.
Judging by their number and quality, the ones strapped to a single person were enough to trigger a powerful explosion.
Bell's thoughts raced.
Neither Lefiya's Light Arrow nor his own Firebolt had caused them to detonate. That meant the pale green membrane was acting as a safeguard.
If the enemy had a way to remove that protection...
And then set off all of these Kaenseki at once...
Bell's expression darkened as he shouted the elf girl's name.
"Ryuu! Get away from them!"
...
A few seconds earlier.
Ryuu had pressed her katana to the commander's throat and reached to tear away his hood.
If he had the ability to lead others, then identifying his face would make uncovering his background far easier.
But the man showed no fear of death.
He muttered like a madman, utterly indifferent as the blade bit into his neck.
"God!"
His bloodshot eyes were wide and feverish.
The rear guard rushed forward without hesitation, desperately trying to stop Ryuu from uncovering his identity.
Rather than risk revealing their faces, they threw themselves onto the blade, choosing death over exposure.
"Tch."
Though she hadn't achieved her goal, Ryuu still delivered a fatal strike to the commander.
The people before her were true suicide warriors.
Blood poured from the man's mouth, yet a deranged smile twisted his face.
"Our long-cherished wish is finally fulfilled!"
"In accordance with the covenant, we offer our loyalty to Familia God!!!"
"Hahahahaha...!!!"
Amid his shrill laughter, every surviving member shouted at the same time.
"Rena, forgive my sins!"
"Andrew, I've finally completed my redemption!"
"Ahh, Cloris, let us meet again!"
"..."
Countless cries overlapped, filling the air.
All of them had descended into madness.
Ryuu's brows knit tightly.
The names they were shouting weren't those of gods.
They were completely different—human names.
Were those the names of the dead?
What exactly were they seeking?
And what had the Familia God promised them?
Their lack of reaction to "Gale" proved they weren't remnants of Evilus.
They were a new breed of darkness.
Could Orario still harbor soil where evil could take root?
No.
Impossible.
Justice had prevailed. Her comrades had fallen along the path of that judgment.
There could not be another nest of darkness.
And yet...
If there truly were corners of Orario that justice had never touched...
Then they would have to be eradicated completely.
Thoughts surged through Ryuu's mind. Anger and shock coursed through her slender body, leaving behind a biting chill.
These people were beyond reason.
Their identities had to be uncovered.
The god behind them had to be dragged into the light.
And [Justice] had to be carried through to the end.
Ryuu heard Bell's warning—and at the same time, she saw the horrifying Kaenseki strapped to the man's body.
But justice echoed within her heart. For her fallen friends. For herself. For the conviction she had upheld all this way.
Ryuu could not falter here.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward, determined to seize even the faintest clue before the explosion struck.
The next instant—
Explosion.
Shockwave.
A blinding light burst from the center of the battlefield, swallowing everything in sight in the blink of an eye. A thunderous roar tore through the corridor. An unprecedented blast devoured all in its path.
...
"Hm… don't they seem a little off?!"
Even before the explosion, Lefiya had sensed something was wrong.
"It's a suicide attack."
Filvis kept her eyes on the boy, her crimson pupils brimming with worry. The enemy's intent to self-destruct was unmistakable.
Without hesitation, she began chanting Magic.
"Become a shield, holy grail of crushing evil!"
Her clear voice wove a barrier spell, and the one it guarded was, naturally, the boy she loved.
Lefiya frowned and called out in alarm.
"We have to call them back—now!"
As a pure Mage, there was nothing Lefiya could do to help directly. There wasn't enough time.
Trying to chant a summoning spell to bring the defensive Magic of the Elf Princess (Riveria) here was already impossible.
So Lefiya chose the only thing she could do.
She shouted.
"Ryuu-san! Bell Cranel!! Get back here, hurry!!!"
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized the truth.
Bell, positioned on the front line, might be able to make it out. But Ryuu would never escape the blast radius.
Worse still, the enemy's madness set Lefiya's nerves on edge. A shrill warning rang in her ears.
This wasn't an ordinary explosion. Even from this distance, she was in danger.
Lefiya froze.
Her first instinct wasn't to run.
It was to worry about him.
"Bell Cranel!"
Her voice reached him.
Bell turned his head and glanced back once. He said nothing.
Filvis's barrier Magic finished its chant.
"Dio Grail!"
With her firm, ringing voice, a massive shield of light rose before the two of them.
"Why…?"
Lefiya's eyes widened in disbelief.
She didn't finish the question. But Filvis understood.
Lefiya was asking her why.
Why hadn't she cast defensive Magic on the boy?
Why was she protecting someone as powerless as herself?
Filvis and the boy were lovers. They had been laughing together only moments ago. So why—why abandon him now?
Behind the radiant shield, Bell no longer looked back at them.
Lefiya reached out, watching helplessly as he turned and ran toward the heart of the battlefield.
"Bell Cranel!"
Her cry went unanswered.
She tried to rush forward and grab him. But Filvis caught her silently, stopping her from stepping beyond the barrier.
"…"
Filvis said nothing.
Yet Lefiya saw it clearly—tears trembling in those beautiful crimson eyes.
"…Ah…"
She understood.
She finally understood what Bell's glance had meant.
At first, Filvis had intended to protect her lover. But before her chant had finished, Bell had met her eyes.
No words.
Just a resolute gaze.
In that instant, Filvis knew.
Bell was asking her to protect Lefiya.
Her barrier Magic couldn't be moved. And it wasn't a full enclosure—it could only defend against attacks from one direction.
It couldn't shield Ryuu, who stood at the center of the battlefield, from every angle of the coming blast.
That was why Bell had charged forward.
He had entrusted Lefiya to her.
From the moment Bell chose to rush ahead, Filvis's Magic had already become useless for protecting him.
So she followed his silent request.
And held Lefiya firmly behind her.
"Ugh…Bell Cranel…"
No matter how anxiously the golden-haired elf cried out, Filvis did not let her move forward even a single step.
...
The explosion was about to hit.
"Awaken."
Bell chanted his Magic and surged forward.
Filvis had already understood his intent. With that sacred shield standing firm behind him, he had nothing left to worry about on that side.
The only thing that mattered now was the elf girl at the center of the battlefield.
Bell once heard from Ryuu about what happened in the Sword Smithing City Solingen, where she encountered remnants of Evilus. Those enemies had strapped Kaenseki to their bodies, igniting them with special devices. Each one who rushed forward detonated in a violent blast.
But Bell knew this situation was on an entirely different scale.
Because of the green membrane encasing them, the Kaenseki hadn't detonated at all. They were building up power instead.
If they all exploded at once, the destructive force would multiply several times over.
It would surpass even a Mage's bombardment and become a truly lethal threat.
Perhaps Ryuu hadn't realized that.
Or perhaps this noble, unyielding elf girl had chosen to risk herself in order to expose the malice behind it all.
Either way, the situation had reached a breaking point.
"Hear now, the love song played upon the tower of purity.."
Bell ran as he chanted his Ability-Granting Magic.
He knew Ryuu far too well.
How could he allow those wings of justice, which loathed evil so fiercely, to be burned away here?
Even if this entire farce was shaped by the expectations and mockery of the Gods.
He would never allow it.
The moment Ryuu volunteered to come help on the 24th floor, Bell had already made up his mind.
No matter what happened, he would bring them all back.
How many times had Ryuu saved him on this journey?
How much suffering had this girl, who upheld justice with unwavering pride, endured?
He had to save her.
Bell refused to watch Ryuu be swallowed by malice.
He forced his legs to move faster, sprinting toward the center of the battlefield.
But—
The distance between them was too great.
Before Bell could reach her, the explosion was already on the verge of erupting.
Despair.
Powerlessness.
In an instant, Bell understood.
He wouldn't make it in time.
A few seconds was simply too short.
He couldn't teleport.
In fairy tales, the [Hero] always clung to his luck, saving the maiden at the very last moment.
Reality wasn't that kind.
Not every story ends happily.
Not every hero manages to save the one he treasures most.
Mad laughter rang in his ears, as if jeering at his helplessness.
It's useless.
No matter what you do, you won't make it.
Reason whispered coldly in his mind:
Cast a barrier Magic on yourself. Now.
Ryuu had already reached Level 5. Maybe she believed she could endure the blast—that was why she hadn't retreated immediately.
No.
Emotion roared back just as fiercely.
He didn't want to see the elf girl consumed by flames.
He couldn't let that righteous figure be corroded by malice.
A noble girl like her should face the world with a smile—not lie battered and broken, wracked with agony.
Ryuu had already suffered enough.
If he gave up now, how could he ever face her again? How could he ever fulfill his promise to Astraea?
That's right.
Ryuu only had her cloak. There was no way it could withstand such a violent explosion.
But he was wearing the fire-resistant armor meticulously crafted by Cecil.
If he could just reach her, throw himself over her, and activate [Argo's Ship]—
With Filvis's barrier behind him and his armor absorbing the heat, they could survive this blast.
As long as—
As long as he could reach her.
In Bell's eyes, time seemed to freeze.
The hysterical laughter faded.
The chaotic whispers vanished.
His gaze locked onto Ryuu.
In his world, only this beautiful elf girl remained.
He wanted to keep walking the path of justice alongside her.
He wanted to soothe the sorrows of her past and see that breathtaking face bloom with a smile.
Even if they were not lovers.
Even if they were only friends.
Ryuu Lion was someone he had to protect.
Her resolute composure when she helped him.
Her smile when she spoke of justice.
The sadness in her eyes when she told him about her past.
The shy look she showed during their playful moments.
And beyond those, countless small details that had quietly stirred his heart.
Bell remembered them all.
Is this the end?
No.
Who decided that ending?
Who wrote that story?
Gods or fate, it didn't matter.
He would surpass them all.
Faster.
Faster still.
Faster than any being.
Faster than any hero.
If he was called the [World's Fastest Rabbit], then he would see that speed through to the very end.
Save everyone.
Bring back their smiles.
Bell Cranel would become a true [Hero] who surpassed everything.
His yearning ignited.
At the same time, the sound of bells rang in his ears.
Chime.
Chime.
The clear, resounding chimes echoed urgently and solemnly, as if urging him forward.
Bell did not slow down.
By all logic, [Argonaut] could only be charged while standing still. It should have been impossible to use it like this.
Yet the chimes continued to ring.
White light gathered beneath his feet.
This was the first time [Argonaut] had ever been charged while in motion.
It was the [unknown] that Bell Cranel forced into existence through sheer will in the face of crisis.
The charging time was incredibly short.
But for him, it was enough.
The moment the chimes fell silent—
White light burst forth.
Bell's speed surged once more.
Like a streak of light cutting through the darkness, he reached Ryuu's side.
He wrapped his arms around her.
The two of them fell to the ground together.
"Divine Light • Voyage (Argo's Ship)."
In the very next instant—
The explosion swallowed everything.