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—Somewhere in Tsutrail: Underground Room—
Orun and the others received the activation key for the teleportation circle from Christopher and immediately used the teleportation circle at the main branch of the Downing Trading Company to move to Tsutrail.
When the scenery in their vision changed, they found themselves in a fairly spacious room with no windows.
"This is... the basement of Gramps's general store...? Why here...? No, thinking about that can wait. Hart-san! What is the situation aboveground!?"
"...It is pretty bad. The parts that still retain the city's original appearance are fewer than the destroyed sections. The city has been turned into a complete mess. Cult members are rampaging through the streets, and large numbers of magical beasts are pouring out from the Second and Fourth Labyrinths. Most of the explorers are fighting outside the city to stop the magical beasts' advance, while soldiers are rushing around inside the city, but both sides are at a disadvantage."
Upon hearing Hart's report after he used his Bird's Eye View to check the surroundings, Orun clenched his teeth as he desperately tried to suppress his emotions.
"The non-combatant residents have evacuated to the shelters, right?"
Orun asked Hart again in a flat voice that made it clear he was forcing himself to stay calm.
"...Yeah. Almost everything left aboveground is corpses now. But something like a red membrane seems to be covering the area around the Night Sky Silver Rabbit grounds. Even with my ability, I cannot see inside it. What is that?"
"!"
Upon hearing from Hart that there was something abnormal with the Night Sky Silver Rabbit, Orun told the three of them, "I am heading straight to the Night Sky Silver Rabbit grounds! The rest is up to you!" and ran up the stairs leading outside, disappearing from their view.
"Is that not a bit too obvious? The usual Orun-sama would have noticed something at that level of clumsiness."
Once Orun was gone, Telshe removed her glasses and directed a reproachful gaze at Hart.
"Shut up. I said that knowing he had no composure left. Cut me some slack. I am bad at this kind of thing."
Hart, who had also removed his glasses, spat out his words with a slightly sulky look.
The reason they had been wearing glasses was to perceive the fairy Titania.
In other words, they had known in advance that this would happen.
"Hart. More importantly, the enemy?"
Fuuka ignored their exchange and urged Hart to talk about what was necessary.
"As expected, the Battle Ogre has come out to play. The location is near where the explorers guild building used to be. ...Fuuka, can I leave it to you?"
After receiving Fuuka's words, Hart mentioned the Battle Ogre's presence and location.
Then, with a pained frown, he entrusted the Battle Ogre to Fuuka.
Fuuka nodded once.
"Understood. Then I am going."
"...Fuuka, I assume you understand, but the situation has already approached its endgame. Because it would interfere with Titania and Gramps's adjustments, you cannot use your fairy power, of course, or even Future Sight. You will be fighting the Battle Ogre under those conditions. Be very careful."
"I know. I will most likely die from now on. But I am Orun's sword. I am going, Hart."
In contrast to Hart, who was grimacing in pain, Fuuka spoke in her usual flat tone with an unchanged expression, then went up the stairs.
"...Hart, we cannot waste much time. Let us go as well."
Telshe spoke as if pushing Hart forward.
"Yeah, I know. Our role is to support the explorers who are dealing with the magical beasts outside the city. I am worried about Katina and Huey, so I will head to the Fourth Labyrinth. Telshe, I want to leave the Second Labyrinth to you. Is that fine?"
"No problem. Just for reference, what is the fighting strength of the explorers dealing with the magical beasts from the Second Labyrinth?"
"It feels like there are slightly fewer powerful explorers at the Second Labyrinth. In exchange, Selma and Rain, who are among the top fighting forces in Tsutrail, are there, so the overall strength of both sides can be considered roughly equal. From my impression, both would still fall quite short compared to Amunzaas's main forces."
"Understood. Frankly, the fact that my foolish sister is counted among the main forces means I cannot expect too much."
"I have heard some things about Rain as well. I think I understand that you dislike her. But I have seen her working hard in Tsutrail. Can you not at least acknowledge that part?"
Hart let out a weak, resigned laugh as he voiced his thoughts.
"Impossible. If you trace the cause of this situation, it leads back to what that foolish sister caused. Besides, she made Shion-sama cry. There is no way I could ever forgive her."
"But you went so far as to buy the purge of the Hagwell family to protect Rain from Amunzaas's hardliners and send her abroad, right?"
"That was because Shion-sama wished for it. Even though she herself was hurt, she said, 'She was only carrying a burden without knowing anything.'"
"Heh, that young lady did."
"Besides, it is a fact that she still has value as a piece. If things proceed exactly as that gentleman planned, what lies ahead is the reclamation of the Far East. At that time, I will have her work. No matter what happens, absolutely."
"The future, huh... Well, there is no point thinking about it here. Shall we go then? To repay even a little of what that kid is shouldering."
After receiving Telshe's words, Hart exhaled once and switched his thoughts.
He then began walking toward the outside.
Telshe nodded with "Yes, that is right" and followed behind him.
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Orun ran up the stairs all the way while blowing away the rubble blocking his path with magic.
Originally, that should have led to the interior of the general store belonging to the man he called "Gramps," Cavadel Evans.
However, the building had already collapsed, and only faint traces of the general store remained.
The smell of blood and the distinctive odor of burned human flesh stung Orun's nose as he emerged outside.
It was unpleasant, and at the same time, because it was directly linked to memories from before the alteration, a heavy headache assaulted Orun once again.
"Is that the red membrane Hart-san mentioned...? What the hell is that...!"
Orun desperately suppressed the negative emotions of explosive anger and sorrow while ignoring the headache and ran toward the Night Sky Silver Rabbit grounds.
As he approached the Night Sky Silver Rabbit grounds without slowing down, a human figure cut across in front of him and slammed violently into a wall.
"!? Carol!?"
"...Ugh... Guh... Ah, Master...!"
When Orun lifted the weakly opening Caroline into his arms, large tears began to flow from her eyes.
Caroline had no visible wounds, but her entire body was covered in dust, and the clan uniform she wore was in tatters.
"Master... I am sorry... I should have protected them... I could not protect the two of them...!"
Caroline let out her voice like a confession while shedding tears.
Then, as if reaching her physical limit, Caroline lost consciousness.
Hearing Caroline's condition and words, Orun, who had understood the situation, could say nothing.
A sensation as if the world before his eyes had gone dark came over him, and his breathing grew shallow.
"You have finally appeared. I was getting tired of waiting."
A voice called out to Orun from behind in an inappropriately bright tone.
Orun gently laid Caroline on the ground, then slowly turned around and stood up.
What entered his vision was Stieg with his usual innocent smile and Sophia and Logan lying powerless in a pool of blood.
"..."
Upon seeing that scene, Orun lowered his face.
No one could see what expression Orun was making.
"Hm? What is the matter? Ah, as you can see, your precious two disciples are—"
As Stieg provocatively threw words at Orun, before he could finish speaking, a shadow fell over Stieg.
In an instant, Orun closed the distance to Stieg and swung Schwarz Hase, clad in pitch-black magic power compressed so densely that space itself warped, with all his strength while tears flowed from his eyes.
Immediately afterward, the area in front of Orun was swallowed by pitch blackness.