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

"【Red Flower】!!"

In an instant, the disc emitted dazzling light and exploded.

"—Huh!?"

As Bell made a dodging maneuver, the West Wind Fire Wheel (Ipha Zeferos) exploded in response to the spellcaster's (Yacintos) incantation.

The high-powered explosive grenade blew the boy's body away.

"Lord Bell!?"

Lily, clinging tightly to Cassandra, screamed in agony.

The goddess (Hestia), who was observing the battle through the "mirror," also stopped breathing, and everyone who was cheering for the boy froze.

The body, billowing black smoke from the explosion, bounced and collided several times on the rubble, rolling along, spraying blood droplets. At the same time, a clang rang out, and the red knife (dagger) fell from the right hand.

Bell managed to stop the impact and stand up, but his right shoulder, now without armor, remained motionless.

His right arm, badly burned as if a joint had been dislocated, hung limply.

"Got it!!"

Re-equipping himself with his short sword sheathed, Hyacinthus launched an attack.

Witnessing the enemy approaching at an alarming speed, Bell, whose right shoulder had been crippled, was unable to move.

Facing him, who stood there blankly, the sword reflected the sunlight, flashing a sharp and fierce light.

(————)

Just as Bell's motion-sensing time reached its limit, in the distant Orario...

Hestia's eyes were filled with fear.

Apollo's smile was distorted with joy.

Eina's face turned ashen, Seele stood frozen in place, Hermes didn't look away, and Bert clicked his tongue in amazement.

Then, just as Tiona held her breath, beside her—Ais's golden eyes.

Like the boy's deep red eyes, his eyes reflected the scene of that day.

(————)

The shadows of the two overlapped on the city wall, which was dyed the color of the setting sun.

She (I) spoke. The boy (I) listened.

—When a weakness is found, a person's movements become monotonous.

Her explanations were suggestions for educating young people.

—It is easiest to be careless when delivering a fatal blow.

Two hearts surfaced, seemingly by chance, yet inevitably, sharing the same memories.

—When you're pushed to the brink, the biggest turning point will surely come.

She (I) taught him. The boy (I) remember it forever.

Don't forget.

So, it's not over yet.

(—Now we're just getting started.)

Hyacinthus, rapidly advancing, drew his short sword behind his back to gather strength.

A sudden thrust launched in the right direction. A perfectly prepared, deadly strike, ready to pierce Bell.

As the young man raised the corners of his mouth as if licking his lips at prey, Bell pulled his body back.

Hyacinthus thought it was a mockery out of fear of him, as if telling the other party to "waste his energy" by gripping the short sword and then thrusting the tip of the sword out.

The next instant, Bell fell to the ground with his back to the ground.

He tilted his entire weight backward and flipped in mid-air.

When the enemy and he were less than three meters apart, he landed heavily on his back, avoiding the thrust of the short sword.

Not only that, he also used the reaction force to kick upwards with both feet.

The opponent's thrust was dodged, and his arm was fully extended; Bell's right toe struck the hilt of the sword held by the opponent.

And then just like that, I kicked it straight into the air.

"————"

"Clang!" The short sword made a crisp sound as it spun in the air, and Hyacinthus, who had lost his weapon, froze on the spot.

Turn the enemy's confidence in victory and their carelessness into an opportunity for your own victory.

Bell rose to his feet, using the momentum from his somersault, and buried his heels in the ground—and sped off.

"--call!!"

They drove straight in.

"--Wait, wait a minute!?!"

He abandoned his dysfunctional right shoulder and gripped his left hand tightly.

Facing the boy charging at full speed from the front, Hyacinthus, who was leaning forward in a thrusting stance, had no way to defuse the attack.

Vorpal Fang – The young man seemed to be hallucinating, seeing a killer rabbit lurking deep in the labyrinth (underground city), his expression twisted with fear and screams.

Finally, as if sharp teeth were biting through flesh, Bell raised his left hand and unleashed a powerful punch.

"Ughh ...

crush.

“Gah!?”

The left fist swung out and struck Yacintos in the cheek, sinking deep and sending him flying.

An explosive punch resounded. The young man, sent flying, bounced heavily on the ground once before soaring into the air, then rolled away with the force of a burst dam, his cloak billowing.

When it had rolled about thirty meters, Hyacinthus lay on its back in a starfish shape, facing the sky and the sun.

His cheeks bore bruises from the beating, and his body, with its eyes rolled back, could no longer rise.

The wind stopped blowing, and the battlefield became silent.

Witnessing the outcome of the match, Cassandra, who had originally wanted to shake off Lily, collapsed to the ground.

"————————————————————————————————————!!"

At Orario, cheers reach the sky.

Accompanied by the fierce sound of gongs ringing in the ancient city ruins, the sound of the bell announcing the winner echoed throughout the city.

Many of the demi-human viewers shouted excitedly at the boy standing in the "mirror".

"Eina, he won!"

"Bell...!"

In the lobby of the guild headquarters, Aina was hugged by Misia from the side.

Her emerald eyes welled with tears as she temporarily forgot her own position and shared her joy with her friends. The guild members around her were also deeply moved and cheered, and Eina smiled brightly among them.

"Battle over～～～～～～～～～～!! Seriously, they really stole the show from the floor master (giant) nemesis, the [Loki Familia], a huge upset!! The victor of the war game is the [Hestia Familia] ————!"

On stage, the chief god (Ganesha) struck a majestic and imposing pose for some reason, while the live broadcaster Ibrahim leaned forward, his face flushed, shouting and yelling into the megaphone.

His words were amplified like a raging wave, engulfing the audience and the buildings.

"Yay!!"

Inside the tavern, the gods who had bet on Hestia and her companions to win suddenly rose to their feet and cheered in victory.

"Damn it! Aa ...

As for the adventurers who bet on Apollo and his companions to win, they tore up countless betting tickets and threw them over their heads.

"Oh! Miss, you won the bet too!"

While everyone in the tavern was complaining, Modo, who thought he was the only one who had won, noticed a girl in the corner of the tavern looking smug.

He asked with delight, and the dog-person, whose tail was wagging incessantly—Nazha—gave a big thumbs-up with a smile.

"""OK!"""

At the "Hostes of Abundance" on West Boulevard, the three store employees, Anya, Chloe, and Lunova, high-fived each other. The other employees and the cat people in the kitchen also held hands and laughed together.

"...Mr. Bell."

Xier also narrowed her light gray eyes, and a happy smile appeared on her lips.

As she gazed up at the "mirror" with two rosy blushes on her cheeks, adventurers throughout the shop began to escape reality by drinking, sighing, "Damn it—I lost the bet—! Seele, get me some more wine—!"

"Okay—!" the tavern girl replied happily, her footsteps clattering as she bustled around the shop.

"...I actually won."

Hearing the cheers coming from outside headquarters, Boss Bert cursed unhappily.

He turned his back to the reception room and walked out.

"Bert, where are you going?"

"It doesn't matter where I go."

Without properly answering Finn's question, the werewolf youth disappeared.

Everyone remaining in the meeting room looked at each other, each displaying a different expression.

"A dungeon?" "A dungeon, huh?" "A dungeon, I guess."

"That should be it..."

Finn and Grace gave wry smiles, while Riveria closed her eyes, and Tione also looked helpless.

Aside from them, the other members of the group couldn't help but show indescribable expressions as they watched the boy who had visited the headquarters about ten days ago now win in front of everyone.

then……

"...It worked!"

"Um……"

In front of the "mirror," Tiona, who had been making a ruckus just moments before, slowly turned her head and giggled.

Ais nodded to her, and smiled as she looked at Bell, who was surrounded by her companions who had rushed over.

"Congratulations……"

The image of a boy, whose hair was being ruffled by his older brother-like companion and who was sharing his joy, was reflected in the giant "mirror" on the main street, and the city was instantly engulfed in a festival-like frenzy.

The Tower of Babel, where all the gods gathered, was in an uproar that showed no sign of abating. They each expressed their praise and criticism of the children and began to give their own general assessments of the war games.

"Wh...this, ah...?"

Of all of them, only Apollo stood there, pale-faced and frozen in place.

The sight of his own child kneeling helplessly in the mirror did not allow him to escape reality.

He took two, three steps back, and the laurel crown on his head fell off.

"—Apollo—"

Then, like a ghost.

Hestia, who had remained silent throughout, stood up from her seat at the round table with a chilling movement.

From beneath his slightly lowered bangs, his eyes shone like an evil god as he approached the distraught Apollo.

"Eek, ee-hoo!?"

"You're prepared... aren't you...?"

Apollo was so frightened by the bass sound that sounded like from the depths of hell that he fell to the ground.

Bell was abused by him, his headquarters was destroyed by him, the two of them were chased all over the streets, and he looked down on them repeatedly.

Faced with a goddess who had accumulated endless resentment and was about to explode at any moment, the male god was so frightened that he trembled and tears streamed down his face.