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

"Whoa, Maru! Leon beat me to it~! I always thought Leon would never have a man, whether she was over there or after coming here~!"

"Alright, alright, Iska. Little Leon is a girl too, so there's nothing we can do about it~. Besides, she's the most girly one among us~"

"Iska, what does that mean! And Maru! I... I'm not that young!"

On the other side, which she could neither approach nor reach even if she did, Amazon Iska embraced her full breasts, while the human Maru stroked her head.

Liu blushed and couldn't help but speak loudly.

"But what's the reality? Leon's boyfriend... isn't he even fifteen yet?"

"Twenty-one years old and fourteen years old, seven years younger—"

"What? Leon, so you like girls younger than you?"

"Leyana, don't whisper in a voice I can hear! That's not whispering at all! And Asta! What's with that strange smile of yours!? What are you trying to say! And Niz, I have absolutely no interest in that! You've got it all wrong! It's just... just that the man I like happens to be younger than me!!"

The mage Leyana was speaking in a surprisingly serious tone, while the dwarf Asta answered with an undisguised wicked grin, and the orc Niz wore an expression that said she finally understood her companion's fetishes.

This time, the tips of Liulian's thin ears were stained red, and she pointed at Leyana and the others several times.

"Speaking of ten years from now, it's not impossible, is it? If I become an adult, it seems possible... I'm fourteen."

"Yes, yes, should I say that even the romantic views of long-lived races can't fool us, or should I say that it's really difficult after all...?"　

"Why do you only show such an optimistic expression at times like this, Noin! Don't think more profoundly than anyone else, Celty!!"

Noin, the human who was always calm and composed, raised his head slightly and looked into the distance. Celty, the usually honest elf, also wavered and repeatedly adjusted the position of his glasses, seriously agonizing over whether he should stop his fellow human from making a mistake.

Because of the solid injury, Ryu's clear blue eyes almost turned into tears.

"Hey, you lecherous little devil."

"Pervert...!? I-I'm not a pervert!!"

"A shameless humiliator."

"Don't call me shameless!!"

The final blow was delivered by Lyra and Kaguya.

The two girls who loved teasing Ryu the most—one with her arms crossed behind her head, grinning mischievously, and the other elegantly covering her mouth with her kimono sleeve. Clearly, a wicked smile was lurking beneath those gestures, and Ryu's tears erupted like wildfire.

Finally, there's the red-haired girl.

"Leon—well done."

"Don't give me a thumbs up, Alexie!!"

Faced with her confidante's beautiful smile that she had never seen before, and her thumbs-up that she had given a thud, Ryu let out a huge shout that she hadn't uttered in the past five years, inappropriately pouring out her entire being.

Even the attempt to be moved has been futile.

—I've had enough!

That's why I wanted to turn around and leave quickly!

Ryu, her cheeks, ears, neck, and entire body flushed red, clutched her head. In their presence, she felt utterly like a toy.

That's right.

Even if this is during a time that feels like a beautiful dream, whether it's delusion or fantasy.

Before feeling reluctant to leave, Ryu wanted to start her journey from where Alyssa and the others were.

"But it's so wonderful that Leon has someone she likes!"

"They actually managed to turn Leon into a lovesick fool."

"However, this might be better."

"Although I don't really want to say anything like 'replacing us' or anything like that."

"If this is what you've been struggling with and holding back, then surely you'll be able to take that first step."

"Yes! Because a spirit that has found a mate is invincible! That's what the book says!"

Starting with Alyssa's beaming smile, Lyra, Asta, Noin, Leyana, and Celty all began to speak freely.　

Liu's entire body was stained red, her face frequently flushed, and she was very embarrassed.

To cheer Ryu up, her former friends would talk to her even from the other side of the river, just like they were worried about their youngest child.

Seeing Ryu glaring at them with resentment, they suddenly smiled.

"Then, Leon, let me hear your answer?"

"Answer……"　

"That's right. You have now found your own justice (answer)."

Hearing what Alisha said, Ryu gripped her chest tightly with her right hand.

In my left hand, I felt the warmth of a boy who wasn't here.

Ryu closed her eyes briefly, then looked towards the horizon where Alicia and the others stood on the other side, and declared.

"My 'justice' is—'hope'."

From the day she lost Alicia and the others, what Ryu pursued must have been 'hope'.

When Seele saved her, Ryu decided to live on in order to witness the fruits of 'justice' by Alyssa and the others.

Ryu believes that what the Astrea Familia left behind is indeed closely connected with "hope".

It brings order and stability to Orario, and makes people smile.

From that day on, Ryu has been pursuing these things.

Having survived the arena, the boy kept calling out for the same thing. Ryu helped Bell and the others, saved them, and brought them 'hope'.

Whose "hope" is Ryu's behavior linked to?

Justice is a recurring concept.

"Justice" in a broad sense does not exist.

Therefore, this is Ryu's "justice".

It's not for the 'past,' but for the 'hope' that illuminates the 'future.'

Ryu used her own strength to finally find the answer.

Because she will never again be consumed by despair.

To be able to confront the tragic past and that calamity (Zagnot).

Just as Leila said at the beginning, Ryu was prepared.

"And then, in order to grasp 'hope'—I will pursue 'ideals'!"

To protect the teenagers.

Because of the determination to not succumb to reality and to grasp the 'ideal', this person is imbued with a spirit.

"Alice, just like you once told me!"

—What if someone actually achieves their "ideal"?

—Don't you know? People like that are called 'heroes'.

Ryu and Arisha had this conversation.

While engraving the memories of that time in her heart, Ryu gave her current answer.

Upon hearing this answer, Alexie smiled broadly.

The surrounding darkness suddenly began to stir.

It was as if the underworld was laughing heartily.

Among the group of girls, Kaguya squinted her eyes and smiled.

"Don't come here again, you idiot."

It seemed as if there was nothing left to worry about.

Kaguya waved her hand vigorously.

Don't run away!

"come on!"

"Leon is fine now!"

Leila smiled mischievously as encouragement from Maru and the others, her irreplaceable companions, poured in.

Liu did not cry.

To reassure everyone, Ryu smiled and finally turned around.

Even though she couldn't see it, Ryu knew that Alyssa, who was on the other side of the river, had a smile on her face.

"Leon! Don't let him get away!"

—Okay, Alexie.

Liu faced forward, raised only one hand in greeting, and then returned to the dark depths where cruelty awaited.

"—!!"

Liu lost consciousness for only a moment.

Before him lay Bell lying on the ground. His left hand clutched Bell's right. Scattered around him were the remains and entrails of a monster.

The location is a narrow path about two meters wide.

Having left the Azure Stream located directly beneath the arena, Ryu and his companions returned to the 37th floor of the labyrinth, finally reaching the "Beast Chamber." Then they were attacked. The "Zagnot" were lying in ambush there.

Under the onslaught of the Calamity, which had devoured other monsters and truly transformed into a 'synthetic beast,' Ryu and his companions nearly perished. Desperately escaping the slingshots wielding 'bone sheep' and the Destroyer resembling the floor master 'Udeos's' reverse slingshot, they collapsed on the path.

"Bell...!"

The boy remained unconscious.

He was pierced by several reverse stakes while protecting Liu.

Having achieved enlightenment in that clear stream, Ryu, having abandoned her fear, bravely faced the onslaught of Zagnot without flinching.

Not only Bell, but even Zagnot was shocked by this.

Tormented by past heartache, Ryu posed little threat in the battle on the 27th floor. At least in Zagnot's eyes, Bell was the truly dangerous being, thus being recognized as a 'powerful enemy'. However, the fairy flew out with the aura of protecting the boy, showing no fear in her 'synthetic beast' form, and swung her sword.

Therefore, Zagnot had to change the 'priority order'.

What was originally intended to be a concentrated barrage of fire aimed at Bell's reverse post.

The bundle of stakes, which should have been tilted toward the white prey that had taken its right arm, instead aimed at Ryu.

This first-ever deadly attack left Ryu, who was almost in the other's arms, speechless. The injury to her right foot held her back and nearly cost her her life. However, Bell wouldn't allow it.

He risked his life to knock Ryu away, but he himself was pierced through.

Ryu tried everything to rescue him, and in order to get treatment, she crawled into this alley.

Using her remaining mental energy, Ryu activated a recovery spell to plug the boy's hole. In that instant, she was on the verge of mental exhaustion, and her consciousness drifted away until now.

"Bell...I'm sorry..."

As if trying to dispel the phantom pain of having half her body severed, Ryu offered this single apology.

There was no hug at that moment.

There are no gentle 'lies' either.

Even the happy "dream" that the two of them could share did not exist.

Like gently combing a comb, Ryu stroked Bell's white hair, whose eyes were closed and whose face was pale.

The next moment, her eyes gleamed with fighting spirit as she peeled her battered body off the ground.

"Gurgle, Aa ...

That was the demon's roar.

Gathering the fragments of life together, vibrating the tattered wings, and taking flight once more.

Ryu grabbed the bone knife of the "earth-born man" scattered among the monsters' corpses and ran out.