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

She stopped looking at the suspicious Frini and gazed out the window.

"Although he doesn't have a masculine face, his eyes are different. That's..."

Looking down at the red-light district stretching out below, Aisha murmured:

"The eyes of an adventurer who never gives up."

Seeing Aisha's squinting profile, Chunji stood alone, her expression shifting with a mix of emotions.

She turned her gaze to the window, looking down at the brightly lit Fengyue Street—the boy and girl should be on that street.

At the same moment, the thoughts of the boy and girl flew to the magnificent palace that displayed power.

Just two people, emerging from a deserted back alley, confront the goddess's palace that stretches to the sky.

The sky was a vast expanse of dark night.

The full, golden moon began to reveal its clear form.

To rescue a prostitute, a boy and a girl are about to storm the palace.

Volume 7, Chapter 6: A Hero's Yearning

"Bell and the others should be here. Let me come over!"

As the sun set and darkness gradually enveloped the city sky, Hestia called out from a corner of the red-light district.

The location is in front of the third district, on the boundary of the Ishtar Familia's territory.

Hestia, who came to rescue Bell from her death, along with Welf, Lily, and Takemikazuchi, glared at the two female warriors (Amazons) who were blocking the entrance to the red-light district.

"Goddess, do you have any proof?!"

"If you're going to make baseless accusations, we'll have to take some appropriate measures:"

Facing the brown-skinned female warriors (Amazons) wielding battle axes and twin swords, the little goddess groaned, "Gurgle, gurgle!"

Lily and her companions were indeed attacked by Amazons in the labyrinth (dungeon), but there is no clear evidence to prove which faction they belong to.

Seeing the enemy team members grinning and looking down at her, Hestia raised her hands in fury, "Ugh—!?"

"What a pretentious charlatan, so shameless..."

"Well, the current situation is as expected."

The group attracted the attention of a few male customers and prostitutes on the Southeast Avenue. They saw the goddess (Hestia) arguing with the female warrior (Amazon). Lily sighed, while Welf crossed his arms and watched quietly.

A step away from them, Takemikazuchi, his black hair tied in a bun by his ears, greeted his retinue returning from all sides.

"How are the cherry blossoms?"

"The entire sphere of influence of the Ishtar faction has been thoroughly ensnared; not even a rat can escape."

"The Amazonians and prostitutes have blocked the roads... impossible to invade."

After listening to the reports from Sakura, Chigusa, and the other three members of the family who had conducted reconnaissance from multiple angles, Takemikazuchi said, "I see." He twisted his eyebrows.

He speculated that it was likely like a cage, used to confine Bell and Mikoto, who knew about the existence of the "Killing Stone," and also a fence to prevent anyone from entering the ritual of the "Killing Stone."

Although their reasons for kidnapping Bell and his life are still unclear, this speculation is probably correct.

"life……"

Worried about the girl's safety, Takemikazuchi looked up at the floating clouds and moonlit night.

"Lord Bell, please take this elixir with you as well."

"I'm sorry, I'll accept it."

When Takemikazuchi and his men were stopped in front of the third district.

Looking down from the night sky, Bell and his crew inspect their equipment on a deserted path.

They are making careful preparations to storm the palace and rescue Chun-hee with just the two of them.

There was no time to escape the red-light district with help; in fact, the two of them were currently in Ishtar and the others' arms, their first and last golden opportunity, a fact both Bell and Ming understood. They hid in a gap between buildings that hadn't yet been discovered by the prostitutes, and Ming handed Bell the potent elixirs and other items he had retrieved from the treasure vault.

Mikoto sat on the ground, tightening the belt that resembled a ninja's outfit. Sometimes he would talk to Bell, while recalling his conversation with Takemikazuchi a few years ago.

"Of all the members of Sakura, you have the highest aptitude for ninjutsu. However, this technique doesn't suit your personality."

Mikoto has been taught various martial arts by Takemikazuchi, but when it comes to teaching her ninjutsu, the god of war (Takemikazuchi) tells her this.

"Listen carefully, fate. Ninjas—are despicable."

"Despicable, base?"

"That's right, ninjas will stop at nothing to accomplish their missions."

Faced with the fate of kneeling and sweating profusely, the male god nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Surprise attacks, ambushes, traps... using various techniques to achieve one's goals—that's what ninjas are for. So let's be clear, this kind of skill probably isn't for you."

Despite saying that, the warrior god (Takemikazuchi) still taught him life-saving ninjutsu. However, after arriving in Orario, he once said with a smile, "I think you're more suited to be an adventurer."

Thinking of her crush, she let out a long breath to shake off the tension.

She equipped herself with Bell's spare weapon, the Ushiwakamaru, in place of the Japanese sword that had been broken in the dungeon, and then borrowed his pouch to put all her items except for the elixirs inside.

She looked down at her ninja-like outfit, which emphasized agility and movement, and nodded. "Okay."

"Lord Bell, this is the final confirmation."

She knelt on one knee and discussed the palace strategy with Bell one last time, after he responded with "yes".

"According to the information I've read, the ceremony will take place around 8 PM tonight, around the time of the full moon. The location is the palace's annex, the rooftop garden... However, please disregard this latter piece of information for now."

Including the time limit, she explained the general outline of the "Killing Stone" ritual in sequence. She looked up at the moon covered by clouds, indicating that time was running out, and told Bell, "Don't try anything funny."

"First, Lord Bell, who is being targeted by the enemy, will infiltrate the palace to draw their attention..."

"Miss, take this opportunity to rescue Miss Chunji."

Bell continued, describing the straightforward and efficient combat methods, at which point Ming's expression turned worried.

"Although this is the only way, are you sure it's alright, Lord Bell? This is like putting all the danger on your shoulders."

Thinking of the countless enemies he was about to face, Bell made a gurgling sound in his throat, but still firmly said, "I will."

"...Twenty minutes, no, please hold on for ten minutes. I will definitely find Lady Haruhime and bring her out."

While the boy's straightforward, deep red eyes revealed a resolute will, Ming's bluish-purple eyes also began to gleam with determination.

The girl mustered her courage and resolved to respond to the boy's efforts.

"...Finally, let me first explain the strategy in case this rescue operation fails."

Ming's expression tightened, as if to say, "Although I really don't want to talk about it, I still talked about the possible scenarios."

Bell listened silently with a similar expression.

"When I make contact with Lady Haruhime, regardless of success or failure, I will fire a flashbang. Green indicates success, and red indicates—"

"Failure...then..."

"...The only option is to break into the most heavily guarded ritual site and destroy the 'Killing Stone' directly."

Although the "Sessho-seki" can still be prepared and cannot solve the fundamental problem, it is at least a last resort to stop tonight's ceremony.

"We'll have to improvise when the time comes... In short, one person will act as bait, and the other will break the stones. That's probably all we can decide for now."

Bell had no objections and agreed to Fate's method of operation. Fate explained that the ritual required the light of the full moon and the necessary equipment, so they wouldn't leave the Hanging Gardens. Finally, the two gazed at each other.

"Then, Lord Bell... I wish you good fortune in battle."

"Miss Mikoto, I'm entrusting Miss Haruhime to you as well."

The two exchanged only a few words before breaking up immediately.

They slipped out of the dark path where they were hiding and moved to their designated spot.

Amazons and prostitutes, who were not combatants, searched for Bell and his life on the road. Bell carefully avoided them and came to the front gate of the palace, at the edge of the guards' line of sight.

"..."

He crouched down in the shadows of the building, knelt down, and looked down at his right hand.

Next, he will encounter the enemy's elite forces—Aisha and the fighting prostitutes, as well as Freni.

How should he deal with that Level 5 adventurer, in particular? The question swirled in his mind, and he couldn't imagine himself defeating his opponent or breaking through their defenses.

He glanced at the body, its armor completely destroyed and almost nothing but a bare shell, and his heart pounded wildly.

(Is only the [Hero's Wish] left...?)

Looking down at her right hand, which was ringing a bell and glowing, Bell bit her lip.

The light gathered in his hand, but could it really hit? The bigger question was, against that fierce and powerful woman, was it even possible for him to build up his power? Bell shook his head, suppressing the endless doubts and anxieties that welled up inside him.

He had no choice but to do it. He convinced himself of this as he clenched his fist, which was filled with the light particles.

The next instant, Bear burst out of his hiding place.

"Varied……!!"

"A rising star!?"

The Amazonian guards were taken aback when Bell suddenly leaped out and appeared in the palace courtyard in front of the headquarters.

They seemed surprised that Bell would appear in the enemy's base on his own, and hurriedly raised their weapons or shouted to warn the enemy of the attack.

Before the Amazons could react, Bell stretched out his right arm.

Ten seconds of charging up.

He rang the small bell that heralded the start of war and roared the cannons:

"【Flame Lightning】!!"

The Great Flame Thunder, its edges inlaid with white light, roared.

The shelling hit the main entrance of the palace, causing a massive explosion that killed several guards.

In the blink of an eye, screams, roars, and a cloud of dust filled the sky as Bear sped away in a straight line.

Bell reached into his leg pouch, immediately sacrificing himself to replenish his supplies of high-grade elixirs and high magic potions. He tossed the empty test tube to the ground, mingling with the blast wave and smoke, and stormed into the palace through the main entrance.

Thus began the battle to reclaim the girl.

■

"What was that explosion just now?!"

Welf, carrying a large sword, roared at the Amazons.

Blocked, they saw the explosion and flames blooming like flowers in the center of the third district ahead, and Hestia and the other citizens around them jumped up in fright.

Ignoring the sudden noise around them, Lily and her friends seized the opportunity to relentlessly pursue their opponents.

"There are no more excuses now!! That's Lord Bell's magic!"

"Let's go there!!"

It's impossible to determine the type of magic from such a distance. Lily and Welf were just making things up. The two Amazons turned around speechlessly, clicked their tongues, and raised their weapons at the same time.

"So what? Do you want to fight?!"

"We are the Ishtar Familia!"

Hearing their opponent's challenge, Lily and her companions hesitated for a moment—but then a giant stepped forward.

He grabbed the front of an enemy member's shirt with one hand and threw it out without saying a word.

The Amazonian who had fallen onto the stone slab behind him and his companion who had been thrown out were stunned. The giant human, Sakura, only gave him one sentence.

"Get out of here."

Seeing the man abandon his hesitation upon realizing that he and Haruhime were in danger, Chigusa and the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia also drew their weapons one after another. Seeing their leader, wielding a large axe, leading a group of humans from the Far East, the Amazons blushed and began to hack and slash.

"You guys!?"

"Hahaha! I'm going up here!!"

Welf laughed loudly and fought alongside Cherry Blossom against the enemy.

Lily also took out her crossbow, and a battle broke out at the entrance to the third district.

"Is this the only possible outcome...?"