Blinding light stole her vision.
The walls, floor, and ceiling—everything around them—was stained a harsh, searing crimson.
Even through the sacred barrier, Lefiya could feel waves of scorching heat rolling over her. The relentless roar of explosions battered her ears.
Lefiya screamed toward the center of the blast, her voice cracking with desperation.
"Bell!!!"
Filvis gripped the golden-haired elf's arm tightly, refusing to let go even as Lefiya briefly lost control.
"He'll be fine… he'll be fine…"
Filvis's face was deathly pale, tears trembling at the corners of her eyes.
She kept repeating the words, as if trying to convince herself, as if offering a prayer for the boy.
Only when color finally returned to the world did Filvis release Lefiya's arm, and the two of them ran forward together.
The green flesh walls had been torn apart by the explosion.
The pale red ground beneath was exposed, but now it was scorched black.
"Bell Cranel!"
Smoke churned thickly through the air.
Ignoring the miserable remains scattered around them, the two charged straight into the hellish scene without hesitation.
The stench of burning forced its way into their noses.
Dark smoke swallowed their view.
Relying only on memory, Lefiya and Filvis sprinted toward where the boy should be.
Just as the green walls began to regenerate and the smoke slowly started to clear…
A shield of light came into view.
It was almost like something out of a fairy tale.
The white-haired boy was holding a beautiful elf tightly in his arms, their bodies pressed close together.
A smooth, radiant shield protected the two of them as they lay on the ground.
Amid the scorched ruins, only that embrace remained untouched, a lone sanctuary spared from malice.
"Thank goodness…"
Lefiya let out a long breath, the weight in her chest finally lifting.
"Mm…"
Filvis's pale expression softened as well.
No matter how much she trusted him, the part of her that was his lover could never stop worrying about his safety.
"Cranel, are you hurt?"
Filvis stepped closer, her voice careful and concerned.
"No. Thanks to Filvis's barrier magic. With an explosion that big… this fire-resistant armor alone definitely wouldn't have been enough."
Bell answered quietly, still holding her.
"That strange Magic of yours… it really feels a lot like mine…"
Lefiya blinked, then suddenly changed her tone.
"Uh… the explosion's already over… how long are you two planning to keep hugging?!"
Even though the Shield of Light had already disappeared, Bell didn't show the slightest intention of getting up.
And Ryuu didn't push him away.
The moment the explosion erupted, she'd been forced to the ground, protected by both the shield and Bell himself.
When the heat and danger crashed down on them, Ryuu felt her heart pounding wildly—but more than fear, what filled her was guilt and regret.
She was the one who had dragged Bell into this.
Even knowing how powerful the explosion would be, he had still rushed to her side without hesitation.
Suppressing the storm of emotions in her chest, Ryuu tried to apologize.
"Cranel-san… I'm so—"
Before she could finish, Bell cut her off.
"Sorry, but Ryuu-san feels really soft when I hold you. It's such a new feeling… I just couldn't bring myself to let go."
"…?!"
Filvis froze where she stood.
"Y-You… what are you saying? Even at a time like this, you're thinking about that… you permanently horny rabbit! And here I was, so worried about you…"
Lefiya panicked, not knowing where she was supposed to look.
"C-Cranel-san… I'm fine now, so please… please let go…"
Ryuu instantly forgot every word of apology she'd been about to say.
The guilt inside her was swallowed whole by overwhelming embarrassment.
Warmth seeped from his embrace into her body, spreading upward until it dyed her cheeks a deep red.
Ryuu understood it clearly.
Those words were his honest feelings—and also his way of easing her heart.
For the sake of [justice], he was willing to throw himself into danger.
This was the belief Ryuu upheld.
Bell didn't want her to apologize. He refused to let guilt stain that nobility of hers.
Ryuu had only been flustered at first, but once she realized that, her face grew even hotter.
Why could this boy see through every thought she had?
Why was her heart beating so fast?
With Syr in the picture… what was she even expecting?
No…
She absolutely couldn't fall any further.
Ryuu hurriedly stood and turned her back to him, hiding the flush on her face.
"Bell Cranel, are you really alright? Don't lie to me."
Lefiya examined him carefully, worried he might be forcing himself to act tough.
"If you feel any discomfort, I can use Healing Magic. Cranel-san, please—"
Ryuu turned back around.
The instant her eyes met Bell's, her mind went blank. The rest of her words vanished.
She quickly looked away.
In her heart, she repeated her friend's smile like a mantra.
Syr. Syr. Syr…
As if chanting a spell.
That was how she tried to seal away the unfamiliar feelings beginning to take root.
"Thank you for worrying about me. I'm not hurt."
Bell answered honestly.
Aside from the side effects of [Argonaut], he had only used up some magic power.
The charging time had been short, so the slight fatigue wouldn't interfere with combat.
More importantly, it had been his first time successfully performing a parallel charge.
He felt like he'd grasped a small trick—something that might come in handy in future battles.
Looking at it that way, the sudden explosion had actually brought a bit of [luck].
After watching him for a moment, Lefiya suddenly realized she was standing far too close and awkwardly took a step back.
"That's good… but seriously, they actually fought by self-detonating? Where did those people even come from?"
"Judging from what they said and their combat ability, they all received Falna from a God and formed contracts tied to life and death."
Bell recalled the delirious mutterings of their enemies and shared his conclusion.
"Ryuu-san, did you notice anything?"
Before Bell had tackled her earlier, she had already pulled back the commander's hood. She should have seen his face clearly.
"No…"
Ryuu replied firmly, but there was frustration and anger in her voice.
"The one giving orders had already disfigured his own face. There's no way to determine his identity."
Lefiya sucked in a sharp breath.
From the very beginning, the enemy had prepared to die.
They were no longer [Familia] members. They were more like tools—keys meant to open the gates of death.
"Ryuu-san, there's no need to be too discouraged. I memorized the names they shouted at the end. Maybe we can trace something from that."
Bell spoke gently.
Catching the God behind this through that alone was probably unlikely.
Still, it could serve as a sliver of hope for [justice].
After a brief pause, Bell added,
"And they deliberately chose to fight us in the corridor instead of guarding the quartz pillars in the Great Hollow. That suggests they didn't want [a certain existence] to be affected by the explosion."
The secret of the Pantry remained unsolved.
The answer still lay ahead.
"I understand, Cranel-san. Thank you."
Ryuu gave a small nod.
"Let's move. I wonder if Ais-san noticed us after that explosion…"
Lefiya tightened her grip on her wand and stepped forward.
After turning two corners, they reached the end of the passage.