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

He leaned forward, focused only on the road ahead, and pushed off the ground with his feet.

He sped forward, leaving the arrows that were shot out from the left and right sides of his head behind.

"He got away!?"

"What are you guys doing!"

Using his explosive acceleration, nicknamed "Rabbit," he darted across the straight road, successfully dodging the arrows. Ignoring the roars from behind, Bell braked abruptly as if cutting through stone with his feet, and after barely making it around the corner, continued his escape.

—Completely surrounded!

Having escaped unharmed, Bell saw several hunters running parallel to him on the roof of the building.

The sheer number of enemies deployed to this area is staggering—the overwhelming mobilization force makes it hard for Bell to believe that the opposing faction (the Apollo Familia) could be so large.

Despite knowing the area around headquarters very well, he couldn't shake off the enemy's gaze. Even when he pushed his feet to the limit, new pursuers kept emerging. This situation made Bell bite his lip as he ran through the complex alleyways.

"Bell, there's no road ahead!"

Hestia screamed as she clung tightly to herself to avoid being thrown off.

Deep inside the road, a huge residential wall blocked the way.

Cornered in a dead end, Bell accelerated even further.

"Please hurry!!"

"Huh?" Just as Hestia opened her eyes wide, Bell took long strides and sped away like lightning.

As the wall drew near, Bell took a long run-up and jumped.

"Wa ...

The Big Jump.

Using his greatly enhanced physical abilities through upgrades, he jumped over a house wall that was eight meters high.

Just as Hestia's screams echoed all around, she leaped in a parabolic arc, deftly vaulting over the high wall and landing on the rooftop. A resounding thud followed, and the little goddess in Bell's arms was panting heavily.

Freed from the confinement of the narrow back alley, he was embraced by the cool breeze and blue sky. Looking around from the rooftop of his apartment building, with its expansive view, Bell's eyes were fixed on the great temple, which he could make out with the naked eye to the north.

(In that case, I have no choice but to escape to the guild...!)

No matter how domineering the enemy may be, they will likely be unable to breach the absolutely neutral urban management agency.

Bell made his escape plan to seek refuge in the Pantheon, the guild headquarters.

I advise you to give up.

"!"

The voice thrown at him from behind made him turn around.

Standing on the roof of the same house was Daphne, leading several members of her team. Cassandra, wearing a long-skirted battle cloth, was also in the squad.

Daphne's short hair danced in the wind as it blew horizontally, and she looked at Belle with pity in her phoenix eyes.

"If Apollo falls in love with a child, he will chase him to the ends of the earth. He will not stop until he gets the child."

"...!"

"Cassandra and I were also targeted by Apollo and chased for a long time. From city to city, from country to country... he kept chasing us until we gave up. No matter how much we ran, it was only a matter of time."

Daphne cast a sympathetic glance at the two, while Hestia's expression twisted in disgust.

"I underestimated Apollo's persistence...!"

After hearing what Daphne said, she realized that Apollo was willing to do anything to steal Bell's divine will. While feeling regret, she also revealed her disgust and fear of the male god.

— To pester relentlessly.

Hermes' words at the "banquet" flashed through Bell's mind.

"Why don't you surrender? You're destined to become one of us. If I could, I wouldn't want to use force against you."

"...I can't do it."

Bell shook his head at Daphne, who patted the hilt of the sword at her waist.

Seeing that Bell and Hestia refused to surrender and retreated step by step, she sighed.

"I thought so too, then—everyone, let's go!"

Daphne drew her sword and pointed the tip at the two men. At her command, the squad members jumped up simultaneously.

Bell turned his back to them and ran towards the guild.

"The enemy is very fast; have Lissos's team circle around and encircle them!"

As she gave the order, Daphne fired her dagger.

Sensing the attack, Bell turned around and, in surprise, used his shoulder armor to block the accurately thrown blade. With a sharp sound, a powerful shock surged through his body, and he lost his balance.

The team members charged toward the staggering Bell.

"...Gods, I want to fight!"

“I-I understand!”

Bell was forced to accept the challenge. He wrapped his left arm around Hestia's waist, which he had been holding horizontally, and instead pulled her under his arm. The awkward position made Hestia blush with embarrassment.

Bell drew Hestia's Blade with his newly freed right hand to fight the enemy.

“Wu!?”

He drew his dagger and fought off the approaching sword strike. He then deflected the spear that was about to come at him, and narrowly avoided the subsequent attacks.

The enemy adventurers who kept launching attacks were all highly skilled in martial arts, and the team's combined strength was also quite outstanding.

Despite Bell dodging the attacks while moving, Bell and Hestia were indeed slowly forced away from the guild headquarters.

(no……)

Holding onto the goddess (Hestia), there was no way to escape.

At this point, Bell had no choice but to abandon his hesitation.

Bell tossed the dagger to Hestia as their eyes met for a fleeting moment. As she caught the hilt of the "Blade of Hestia," Bell extended his free right hand.

He roared a cannon shot at the three adventurers who were rushing down from above.

"[Flame Lightning]!"

Explosive flames bloom.

The three consecutive shots of "Rapid Fire Magic," released without any incantation, blasted away the enemy adventurers.

Screams erupted everywhere as the team members lay charred corpses in a corner of the roof.

Daphne opened her eyes wide, but remained calm.

"Cassandra!"

"yes!"

Daphne immediately gave the order, and Cassandra, who was playing as the sole defender, raised her staff.

She quickly chanted and then cast a healing spell.

「!?」

Enveloped in blue light, the adventurers, charred and huddled on the rooftop, gradually healed. Resurrected, they rose, their killing intent palpable.

Cassandra—the presence of the bealer sent chills down Bell's spine, and at the same time, he witnessed...

The actual combat strength of an organization or a squad. The proper appearance of a [Family].

He personally experienced that the enemy's coordinated actions were far superior to his own.

"Ugh—!?"

Outside of Daphne's squad, enemies were gathering from all directions, forcing Bell to flee downwards.

He used his dagger to deflect several arrows aimed at him and then jumped back into the alley.

"They're running fast enough... It's a waste of energy anyway, might as well just give up."

Daphne stood on the roof of the tall house, murmuring to herself as she looked down at Belle scattering everywhere. Her expression and eyes held a mixture of sympathy and optimism.

Daphne was forced into joining the guild, unlike the guild leader (Hyacinthus) and others who were devoted to the main god; she didn't revere Apollo as much. However, now that she was a member of the guild and had received the main god's nurturing grace, she would obey orders and felt obligated to serve him. Despite his personality, the god was still quite gentlemanly towards those who accepted his advances—actually, it should be said that the god preferred teenagers (men)—

Apollo currently wants Bell... She feels pity for the boy, but has no intention of going against God's will.

"Well, Daphne, I feel... it's better to just let it go."

Behind her, Cassandra, who had stayed behind, called out to her timidly.

She was playing with her waist-length hair. The girl, whose situation was similar to her own and whom she had known for a long time, had her triangular eyes lowered slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"It's about provoking that child... We can't push the 'rabbit' to the brink."

Hearing her cowardly warning, Daphne sighed.

"Are you talking about dreams again?"

Daphne asked, annoyed, and Cassandra nodded frantically.

This young girl (Cassandra) always claims to have "prophetic dreams," and no one pays attention to her. Of course, Daphne is one of them too.

Before Apollo took a liking to her, she seemed to come from a good family. Daphne herself believed that her boastful words were a result of being spoiled.

Cassandra's precognitive dreams possess a kind of "cursed power" often found in the words and actions of a young virgin, which makes people laugh it off.

"Stop talking nonsense, let's chase after them."

"Why, why don't you believe me?!"

Daphne ignored her completely, and looked impatiently at Cassandra, who had a long face.

"Okay, what did you dream about?"

"It's... a dream about an injured rabbit leaping over the moon and swallowing the sun..."

Daphne found it too troublesome to even scoff at it.

"Yeah, that's what dreams are supposed to be—unrealistic, right?"

"Daphne~~~"

"You're so annoying. I'm leaving."

With Cassandra still talking, Daphne chased after Bell.

●

The city where eight major streets converge, with Central Park as its central square.

Standing in front of the towering white-walled tower, the Tower of Babel, are Welf, carrying a large sword on his back, and Lily, who has transformed into a beastman.

"...Won't this be too slow?"

"That's right... No matter what, the rule-abiding Lord Bell shouldn't be this late, and without even saying a word."

Welf and Lily, armed with greatswords and backpacks, are waiting for Bell to begin exploring the maze again today.

In the vast central square, many adventurers were heading to various places.

"And I just heard a really loud noise... Am I the only one with this bad feeling?"

"..."

Holding Bell's new weapon (a dagger) wrapped in a white cloth in one hand, Welf expressed his concerns. Lily remained silent.

The two waited in front of the tower's west gate. From the main street extending westward, the sounds of explosions, like magic, had been echoing. The citizens who had come to the square for refuge were restless and noisy. An uneasy atmosphere began to rise in Lily's eyes as she gazed westward.

At that moment, an adventurer ran in from the west district, causing a commotion in the square.

"Hey! Apollo's gang has started fighting!"

"The opponent is the Hestia Familia—so many of them against a mere rookie!"

Welf and Lily turned around abruptly and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Let's go!"

"yes!"