Yue lay exhausted in his arms, her expression radiating absolute bliss. It was her first time, and she had to admit, Suzuki was impressively skilled. The memory of their time together—of casting aside her royal dignity and abandoning herself entirely to his touch—stirred a strange, new emotion within her.
Yet... I don't hate it...
She looked up at his sleeping face. A slightly silly smile graced her lips as she kissed his cheek repeatedly, then trailed down to his nape, gently tracing it with her tongue.
"...Do you want to drink again?" he murmured, his eyes still closed.
"Did I wake you up?"
"It's impossible to stay asleep when you keep teasing me like that."
Thanks to the Ambrosia coursing through his veins, his physical recovery was essentially limitless. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had boundless stamina. However, his partners did not. Even if he could—and wanted to—keep going, he had to exercise restraint, knowing that pushing further would do more harm than good.
Still, he had to admit, Yue was remarkably resilient—far more so than Shizuku or Kaori, despite her petite frame. Plus, if she ever truly ran out of stamina, she could simply suck his blood to revitalize herself. But given the potent blood in his body and his overwhelming skills, the sheer euphoria of the experience had caused her to pass out before she could even try.
"I don't want to leave..." Yue murmured, rubbing her cheek against his broad chest. She kissed him softly, savoring the lingering taste of him, convinced that everything about him was simply perfect.
"Then stay here. I will go clear out the rest of the dungeon."
"..."
Yue blinked. She looked around at the comfortable bed, the warm bathroom, the stockpiled food, and all the luxurious comforts he had provided. But most importantly, she looked at him.
She couldn't lose him. He was her entire world now. If anyone tried to steal him away or hurt him, she would slaughter them without hesitation. Knowing the caliber of enemies waiting in the depths of this dungeon, she pushed herself up and quickly gathered her messy blonde hair, twisting it into a simple bun.
"...Don't tempt me again," Suzuki warned playfully, his eyes cracking open.
Yue simply turned toward him, flashing a sultry, captivating smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"..."
Suzuki took a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore his body's immediate and strong reaction. He stood up and made his way toward the bathroom.
"Are we really not going to do it again?" Yue asked curiously, knowing full well how much he loved playing with her.
"Let's wait until we clear this dungeon. Once we succeed, we can properly celebrate." Suzuki paused in the bathroom doorway and poked his head back out. "Wear a princess dress for me later, okay?"
"..."
Yue blinked, then let out a melodic laugh as she hopped out of bed and followed him into the bathroom.
"...What are you doing?"
"I want to help wash your back!"
"...I have a feeling this bath is going to take a very long time if you join me."
"I don't mind~!"
Suzuki was utterly helpless against her. As he felt her gentle, comforting hands washing his back, he sighed in resignation and simply let himself enjoy the warmth.
"So, can you tell me what you are actually planning to do?" Yue asked softly. She paused her cleaning to look at him with deep curiosity.
"..."
There were a million things Suzuki wanted to say, but the warm, steamy bathroom hardly felt like the right setting for such a heavy conversation.
"I plan to take over this world."
"..."
Much like Suzuki when he first formed the thought, Yue was momentarily stunned into silence.
"I'm not talking about some cliché villain's world domination," he clarified.
"Then what?"
"I just want to make the ones who brought me here—the ones pulling the strings—feel the exact same helplessness they forced upon me."
Suzuki had worked tirelessly, sacrificing so much in his original world just to build a secure future. He had simple dreams: to become a civil servant, to work a quiet nine-to-five job, and to live a comfortable life shielded from the chaotic insecurities of the world. Yet, all of that effort was rendered completely meaningless the moment he was dragged to Tortus.
Sure, the summoned students were given unique skills and powerful jobs to survive, but could they ever truly leave?
No. It was impossible.
Even the Mavericks—the legendary figures who created these labyrinths—were forced to hide and leave their burdens to the next generation. The god of this world, Ehit, who orchestrated their summoning, never intended for any of them to survive. To Ehit, they were nothing more than disposable toys.
They were jesters. Clowns performing on a bloody stage, giving their lives solely to keep a bored god entertained!
Suzuki didn't care if Ehit, the Kingdom, or the Church summoned other people. Even if he felt a pang of pity for those strangers, it wasn't his problem. But it became his problem the moment he and the people he cared about were dragged into this twisted colosseum, forced to slaughter for a god who just wanted to watch the world burn.
Suzuki wasn't going to play along.
"I will help you."
"...You don't even hesitate, do you?"
Yue wrapped her arms around his wet torso from behind, pressing her face against his back. "My life. My body. My everything. They are all yours. Without you, I would still be trapped in that darkness. So whatever you want to do, I am with you. Your goal is my goal. Let's do it."
Her grip tightened. "Let's take this world away from those shits."
"..."
Suzuki stared straight ahead, a mixture of shock and profound affection washing over him. He let out a low laugh, turned around, and kissed her forehead.
"Good." He gently stroked her damp hair and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I am so glad I met you."
"Me too..." Yue smiled softly, her heart swelling with warmth.
While they desperately wanted to continue their intimate exchange, they knew they had to postpone it. They would wait until everything was over—until he conquered the dungeon, claimed the ancient Age of Gods magic, and grasped the power to truly forge miracles.
But before that, they had to face the final obstacle.
As they stood fully geared before the boss room, Yue felt a spike of nervousness. Yet, when she looked up at Suzuki's perfectly calm profile, he simply turned, met her gaze, and gently squeezed her hand.
"...Unfair," she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Nothing." She smiled, the heavy anxiety melting away. Having him by her side was all the reassurance she needed.
"I'll open it," he said.
"Yeah."
The massive, intricately carved stone doors loomed over them, radiating an oppressive, suffocating aura of death. Behind these doors lay the final guardian of the abyss. Without a shred of hesitation, Suzuki pushed them open.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
The deafening roar shook the very foundations of the labyrinth.
Before them stood a colossal monstrosity, roughly thirty meters long and encased in a thick, impenetrable armored shell. The creature boasted six towering heads, each glowing with distinct, intricately engraved patterns: Red, Green, Blue, White, Yellow, and Black. This was no natural beast. It was a terrifying guardian, meticulously modified by the ancient Liberator, Vandre Schnee, designed to be the ultimate test of pure destructive output and endurance.
This was the Hydra—the final boss of the True Orcus Labyrinth!