Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

A dazzling light burst forth.

The black greatsword was wrapped with golden fur that was exactly the same as the one Bell remembered.

Oota aimed at Mia and the others who had crashed into the north wall of the theater and unleashed a golden attack.

"If you fall—that's the end of it."

【War Pig】is just "enhancing magic".

This move, which isn't even imbued with magic, shouldn't be able to attack enemies located at a distance.

However, what happens when magic that is simply meant to enhance "power" is combined with monstrous arm strength?

The answer is—it can produce a slash that ignores distance.

"────────"

That was a golden slash that the female warrior (Aisa) could not match (Hel Caios).

Pure spatial isolation.

Covered in blood, Belle and Mia's vision was overwhelmed by a glow that resembled the color of dusk.

"Ugh ugh ...

Ryū was the one who got involved.

She displayed speed befitting her name, scooping up Belle and Mia and desperately trying to escape the attack range.

The moment the overlapping shadows left the firing range, a devastating explosion rang out.

"~ ...

The astonishing impact and sound came crashing down like a tidal wave.

Ryu and the others were blown away and crashed to the ground, rolling around repeatedly.

Pain was unable to move due to the earth-shaking tremor that shook the amphitheater, and let out a muffled scream.

The loud noise quickly subsided.

And there were no aftereffects.

The ultimate strike that seeks to destroy is unlike high-level magic, which causes secondary destruction; it simply flattens the surrounding area.

"Huh…………………………"

When Bell looked up, Mia and Ryu stood up and were all stunned.

Not only the walls, stone pillars, and the low-hill-like seating area, but also the ruins on the north side have all disappeared.

The slash that destroyed the theater flew towards the outer edge of the city ruins, even piercing through the distant outer walls, reaching all the way to the island's edge. Thanks to this, they were able to admire the beautiful emerald-colored lake—a stunning landscape unique to large crater lakes.

"...I still can't be as good as Lyon."

The martial artist's mutterings disappeared into a sound like ocean waves.

The lake surface, cut along the slashing trajectory, gradually returned to its original state after creating a splash.

Bell and his companions were terrified by what they saw.

Paine, who survived by lying on the south side of the stands, was also ashen-faced.

The citizens who witnessed this scene through the "mirror" were equally dumbfounded.

The sight of everything along the path being completely destroyed seemed to stop the flow of time in the entire world.

"Again."

However, the "golden fur" has not disappeared.

“““!?””””

Second shot.

The black greatsword, still wreathed in golden light, slashed down mercilessly.

As if the scene from before were being replayed, another enormous beam of light appeared.

—It's over.

Upon witnessing the impending end, Bell, Ryu, and Mia all had the same thought.

"【Eternal Suppression, Undying Thunder General】".

Suddenly, a clear chanting interrupted and ended the chant from the side.

"【The Valiant and Tragic Undying Warrior (Varian hildr)】".

A massive bolt of lightning shot towards them.

It wasn't an endless barrage of lightning bolts, but rather a powerful barrage of projectiles concentrated into a single beam.

A massive lightning strike, powerful enough to devour the "floor master," approached from the east and struck Zhan Guang directly on the side.

The two emitted a brilliant flash in front of Bell and the others, and then the golden light changed its trajectory from northeast to northwest.

The various ruins located on the northwest side were reduced to ashes, just like before.

On the other hand, Bell and his companions, who had narrowly escaped death, suddenly turned around to look.

"Just changing the attack path takes so much of my mental energy? This is the embodiment of illogicality."

A white elf calmly leaped down from the artillery position—the eastern spectator stands.

The newcomer was Hedin Selander, who held a long sword in one hand and impatiently straightened his crooked glasses.

"...Master? What are you doing here?! Wait, could it be...I guessed right?"

"Stop giving me that annoying, stupid face, you idiot. You should have realized it just by the time I saved you, moron."

Because Bell had been "baptized" by Otto, he was unaware that Hedin had "defected" and couldn't believe his eyes for a moment. But after recalling the "premonition" he had told Lily before the war, his face was filled with astonishment.

After being stared at by that gaze that seemed to regard him as something dirty, Bell's expression stiffened... but he was also happy because of this belated reinforcement, so he put on a half-hearted smile.

He now clearly understood that the person before him was no longer the "cold-blooded man (Herdin Thranduil)" who had ravaged "Bell Crane of the Freya Familia," but rather his "master" who had painstakingly transformed him even before the "closed world."

Seeing the boy's smile, which would surely bring tears to his eyes if circumstances allowed, Hedin still snorted irritably.

"Miya, even with you here, you still managed to make such a mess of things."

"...It's so noisy, after all, I've been single for a while."

"Then I'd better get back into form quickly. If you continue to be lazy and slack off, neither I nor you will be able to escape unscathed."

After landing from the audience, Hedin, who was equally sarcastic towards Mia, threw two small bottles to her.

These were Hedin's only remaining items. Mia used them on herself, and after her wounds healed, she sprinkled the remaining half-bottle of high-grade elixir and high-grade spiritual power elixir on Bell and Ryu's heads respectively. Startled, but knowing that it was too late to protest, Bell and the others staggered to their feet after recovering.

"Herdin..."

"As for you, you don't need my explanation, oh it."

"Um."

Despite his own attack being thwarted by his strategist (Hedin), and now even switching sides to stand on the enemy's side, Otto showed no sign of wavering.

He shouldered the black greatsword, now devoid of magical power, and met the elf's gaze.

Answer me a question.

"What is it?"

"How well do you understand it?"

With his back to Bell and the others who had already stood up, Hedin confronted Otto and asked the question in a calm tone.

"I made many preparations to train this stupid rabbit, and in order to make him as useful as possible, I instigated Hegny and others to train him to the point of almost losing his life."

"Huh?" Just as Bell froze, forgetting his earlier emotion, Hedin continued.

"But you alone refuse to accept my instructions."

This happens after cracks begin to appear in the goddess's (Freya's) "closed world," and Hedin intends to strengthen the "baptism."

Hedin persuaded all the officers that they must immediately put Bell in a corner and get everyone to join the "baptism" process.

"Oh, you too, crush the foolish rabbit with your steel sword."

"...There's no need for me to get involved. Hedin, I'll leave it to you."

But only Otto responded by insisting on refusing to participate.

"Did you predict back then that I would defect and 'it would turn out this way'?"

Hedin remained active behind the scenes, unnoticed even by the goddess (Freya).

But the martial artist in front of him seemed to have seen through him all along and kept his distance.

When asked Hedin's question, Otto answered without batting an eye:

"...I don't have your intelligence; I have no idea what will happen."

Then, the gaze of those reddish-brown eyes shifted from Hedin to Bell, who was standing diagonally behind him.

"However, I saw a 'scene' at that time... a 'scene' of the two of you standing in front of me."

Just like the current situation. —That's how he concluded.

Hedin frowned after hearing this.

"Don't let your intuition override your strategy, you combat idiot."

He clicked his tongue in disdain at the boarman's instinct, which could be called "warrior's intuition."

Hedin stared at the person before him, who was the complete opposite of himself in terms of acting rationally, and then radiated a strong fighting spirit.

"Are you done talking?"

"Hmm, I need to deal with you as soon as possible, or that noisy, stupid cat will come after me."

As if ending a conversation, Hedin began to gather his mental energy and switch to battle mode.

Bell quickly interrupted at this moment:

"Master, would you be willing to fight alongside us!?"

"Are there any other options in this situation? Useless, don't you dare say another word."

"...We were overwhelmed by the [Fierce Ones] before, do you have any battle plans?"

"I'd like to ask, why do you think I'm unprepared? What do people do when facing a real monster? They devise a plan, exhausting every means to expose the enemy's weaknesses. Or do you confront the floor master head-on?"

Hedin mercilessly berated Bell until he dared not speak, then responded to Liu's question with disdain.

Hedin, who never once looked at them, demonstrated through his actions that this battle was no different from fighting the "Monster rex".

"Miya, I'll be playing the role of 'defender,' and this time I'll ask you to team up with that silly rabbit over there to stop O'It."

"...With my current skills, I'm not capable of immediately following your commands and effectively assisting you?"

"I never had any expectations for this from the very beginning."

The strategist stared intently at the martial artist who stood leisurely in place and gave instructions.

"Just try to stop him for ten seconds."

Then, as if announcing the resumption of war, it unleashed its magic.

"[Eternal struggle, undying thunder soldiers]".

Starting with the elf's song, Bell and the others rushed forward at the same time, while Ryu also activated "Parallel Chanting".

In contrast, Otto abandoned his "defensive stance" and adopted an "offensive stance" for the first time.

Then it charged straight ahead.

“Ugh!?”

“Hmm!?”

"Stop beating people up!!"

It was as if he was expressing that he had no reason to silently endure the onslaught of the defender (Herdin).

Although the reddish-brown wild boar easily knocked Bell and Ryu away with its charge, Mia was the only one who managed to withstand it.

She blocked the boarman's charge head-on, as if embodying the traits of a powerful race (dwarves), her shoes creating two cracks in the shattered floor.