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

It was a thrusting stance meant to pierce a young girl's heart; bathed in the perfect light of the full moon, the stone altar emitted a dazzling crimson glow.

Haruhime, her entire body stained red, stared blankly at the "Sessho-seki" radiating its greatest light, and at the boy's body that had fallen in front of the altar.

He landed shakily on his first step, then took his second step and leaped into the air.

"Aa ...

Bell shot through the air like an arrow and flew into the altar.

The girl kneels before him, watching the longsword about to be thrust out, and the pebbles gleaming with blood.

Bell stared at the last red stone he saw and drew the Blade of Hestia.

Just as the ceremonial sword pulled behind her was about to pierce the girl's chest.

Bell charged in with almost his entire body, swinging his knife with all his might.

"screw you--------------------------------!!"

The blue-purple blade flashed across the "Sessho-seki" (killing stone) mounted on the hilt of the sword—shattering it.

The divine blade, roaring along with its master, shattered the red pebble into pieces with its sheer impact.

Chun Ji's eyes widened, the Amazon was blasted away, and Bell maintained his flight momentum to fly over the altar.

The emerald green eyes and deep red pupils met each other's gazes. The boy who flew over the altar not only crashed into the altar's stone pillars, but also fell headfirst to the ground, rolling into the depths of the garden.

Finally, the altar was littered with red stone fragments.

The eerie red light that had overflowed dissipated and vanished completely.

■

"Ugh, gurgle...!?"

Belle, having carved her way through the stone slabs to the depths of the sky garden, used her abrasion-covered hands to push herself up.

The stone slabs throughout the garden still emitted a faint red glow, but the altar whose pillars were damaged by Bell no longer emitted particles of light, and the somewhat eerie red glow slowly faded away.

Bell, panting, sheathed his dagger, and then the sound of dozens of footsteps approached him.

He slowly raised his head and saw that more than fifty angry, shrewish women had surrounded him.

They formed a semi-circular encirclement, preventing Bell from escaping from the corner of the garden.

"Look what you've done...!?"

The giantess stomped her feet, causing the ground to tremble, as she stepped out of the circle formed by the Amazons.

Her swollen, log-like arms grabbed Chun-hime, whose chains had been torn apart.

Bell stared in disbelief as the fox-girl was grabbed by the hair. He was about to step forward when the angry glares of the battle prostitutes, led by Freni, stopped him.

"You brat, how dare you...!"

"ah……!?"

Freni grabbed Haruhime by the hair and threw her to the ground, her eyes bloodshot.

Seeing the girl fall to the ground, Bell called out, "Miss Haruhime!" but what followed was the Titaness's thunderous roar.

"Let's see how you take responsibility! You've destroyed the 'Sessho-seki' and everything!"

The loud voice, which made his skin tingle, almost made Bell's upper body lean backward.

The destruction of the "Killing Stone" enraged most Amazons, including Phryne, to the point of rage.

The ceremony, which had been prepared for years, was completely ruined by Bell and his team.

The "magic explosion" that had destroyed a corner of the Hanging Gardens was still shrouded in smoke, and the stone altar was partially damaged by Bell's attack. Around fifty battle prostitutes around the gardens were on the verge of death and unable to fight any longer.

Bell saw Aisha, whose face was devoid of emotion, among the Amazons surrounding him, before turning his gaze back to Freni, who was facing him.

"Hasn't this brought us back to square one...!?"

"...!"

Despite being subjected to Frinny's fierce gaze, Bell's expression tightened even though he had broken the "Sesshoseki".

That's right, it's just going back to where we started.

The reason Bell couldn't be happy about breaking the stone was because the "Killing Stone" could be prepared again.

Just like Aisha back then, when Bell and the others broke the stones, it was only a temporary measure.

It's not over yet.

...in order to protect Chun Ji.

To save the girl who was lying at Flini's feet, looking up at her.

There is no other way but to sever all ties and remove her from the Ishtar Familia.

"...Please, release Miss Haruhime."

Suppressing his fear, Bell made his demands clearly to the fifty soldiers surrounding him.

The fighting prostitute was even more furious, and Haruhime's eyes swayed as she stared at the boy.

Aisha narrowed her eyes, but only Frini laughed.

"Hehehehehehehe!? You're quite the joker, [newcomer]!"

After a pause, those huge eyes glared fiercely at Bell, almost piercing him.

"You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent, you brat! Who do you think you are!?"

"Ooh...!?"

She grabbed Chunji's hair again, forced her to stand up, and pulled her next to her round face.

"This is our tool!? It's the tool to crush Freya and her gang! Other factions, shut up!!"

The Amazonian warriors, thirsting for battle and vying for the throne of the labyrinth city, refuse to relinquish Haruhime's "power".

Seeing Haruhime's pained and contorted expression, Bell shouted to stop her, but the Titaness ignored him.

"To be honest, who do you think is supporting this ugly, lazy bum who can't even be a proper prostitute? ... This guy has an obligation to risk his life for us."

“!…”

"Right, Haruhime? You should explain things to him as well."

The frantic, failed attempt at coquettishness in the frog's hoarse croak made Chunji's shoulders tremble.

Hearing the command whispered in her ear, Haruhime's hair was loosened, and she was forced to turn towards Bell.

"Klonni, my lord..."

Chunji was still beside Florini, her eyes trembling with a mix of emotions, her hands resting on her chest.

"Please go back... Haruhime, it's alright..."

"..."

"Please, I beg you, stop interfering in my affairs."

Seeing that Haruhime seemed afraid of Ishtar and the others or something else, and lowered her head to refuse, the Frini and Amazons behind her laughed maliciously.

During this time, Bell simply gazed at the girl and spoke:

"Tales of Heroes".

“Eh…?”

"I remembered the stories of heroes you told me, and I've made up my mind."

The sudden words made Chunji raise her head. Bell's tone remained unwavering as he continued:

"I've decided I absolutely must save you."

"What are you saying...?"

"I've decided to save you, and to tell you... you're wrong."

—How could a hero possibly come to my rescue, given my lowly status?

—For heroes, prostitutes are a symbol of destruction.

He was standing here to refute what the girl had said in the pleasure quarters.

Bell told the flustered Haruhime this, calling out:

"I'm telling you, I'm not like those 'heroes' you admire!"

The suspicious Frini and the others, the wide-eyed Aisha, and the stunned Haruhime all heard it clearly.

"Even if she's a prostitute, even if destruction awaits her, the 'hero' won't stand idly by and watch her die!"

"You...you're talking nonsense, then..."

Even when facing a formidable foe, the 'hero' will rise to the challenge!

"No, because..."

"I admire that kind of hero... We will definitely protect you!!"

"!!"

Bell said it with absolute certainty.

He shook off his fear, timidity, anxiety, and everything else, and uttered these bold words.

He said he would hold her hand like a "hero" a girl idolizes.

Haruhime trembled as she saw Bell now extending a helping hand to her like a "hero".

"Hehehehehehehe!? You little brat, trying to be a hero!?"

Ignoring Florini's loud mockery, Bell expressed the will hidden in his heart with his eyes.

The boy's gaze seemed to make Chunji shrink back; she shook her head from side to side and hugged herself tightly.

"I...I'm a prostitute!?"

Then she vented the curses she had been subjected to.

"I don't want to be a burden to you!? I'm filthy, I have no value in that regard!?"

Bell glared angrily at the girl's sobs.

"Don't arbitrarily conclude that we can't do anything, or that we have no value!?"

“——!?”

The first time Haruhime was yelled at, she was speechless. Bell said:

"Even if I'm ridiculed, pointed at, or get my hands dirty, there's nothing to be ashamed of!"

He spoke of his grandfather's teachings.

Bell told Chun-hime directly the words that had been deeply rooted in his heart.

"The most embarrassing thing is being unable to make any decisions and being too afraid to move!!"

Chunji's eyes were wide open.

"I haven't asked you about any of your wishes yet!"

Bell said what he wanted to say—he stretched out his hand and called out to Haruhime:

Please tell me your true feelings!

The boy's voice echoed throughout the sky garden, which was shrouded in smoke and flames.

The red light hidden in the stone slabs underfoot, and the narrow gap in the sky between the vast moonlit night above, seemed to carry a sound that could shake something from afar.

The tone of her voice silenced the Amazons, while Haruhime stood before the boy.

Silently, tears streamed down her face.

"...Haruhime~"

at this time.

Frini called the girl's name from behind, as if to say: You should understand.

Chunji swayed her shoulders, looked at the boy in front of her, and lowered her head.