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

Someone shouted to them from the front of the street.

Looking over there, they saw two male adventurers: a human and an orc. They wore armbands and yellow scarves, indicating they were appointed by the guild—the very same ward patrol personnel Lina had just mentioned as rarely seen.

Two adventurers patrolling the reconstruction area approached Bert and his companions, picking up sirens that were draped around their necks with ropes.

"—! You're not allowed to come any closer!"

Bert's fur stood on end, and in his panic, he shouted to stop them, but the two adventurers only showed surprised expressions. This was to be expected; the adventurers ignored the intruder's words and, intending to report the intruder's presence, were about to put on their sirens—

"—Gah!"

—This became his last action before he died.

The man holding the siren suddenly vomited blood from his neck.

The black-clad man silently approached him from behind and slashed his carotid artery with a short sword.

"Huh! How could this be?"

As Lina stared in disbelief, another figure leaped down from the rooftop and swung his rapier at the orc whose companion had been killed. Without even knowing how they died, the two adventurers fell to the cracked stone floor.

"No, no way...those people killed them...?"

"...!"

Lina, standing beside him, was speechless at the horrific scene before her; Bert clenched his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound.

Before his sharp gaze, two hooded men swayed as they faced him—assassins dressed in black, thrusting their blood-stained swords straight at him.

At the same time, numerous figures appeared on the roof of the brothel above Bert and his companions.

"W-What's going on...!?"

"Quick, grab your weapons!"

"what?"

"I told you to grab any usable weapons!! Do you want to obediently die!?"

Bert's roar startled Lina, who then lunged at the Amazonian scimitar lying unattended on the ground after the fight and picked it up.

Bert looked around and saw that the enemy's numbers had gathered all at once with perfect coordination, and his expression twisted in disbelief.

(Are these guys... from the dark faction?! Assassins who clashed with Tione!)

Bert, from the depths of his contemplation, managed to dredge up information from his companions about the enemy they had fought in the man-made labyrinth (Knossos).

Why, and how could they be attacked at this time and in this place?

Not only Bert, but even Finn and others thought that the remnants of the Dark Faction wouldn't cause trouble on Earth.

However, the enemy did not appear as expected, and suspicion flashed in Bert's mind.

at this time.

"What's going on? I only came here to investigate the red-light district!"

"Who are you……!"

Upon seeing the woman leap onto the roof, Bert let out a low growl.

The woman wore a long coat trimmed with fur, a tunic that only covered her chest, and leather trousers. Bert remembered this woman wielding an ominous greatsword.

Valette Greta

She was the remnant of the dark faction who led Finn, Bert, and others into a trap within the man-made labyrinth (Knossos).

"Just you alone, [Wolf]? And you've got an Amazonian brat with you. Planning to have some fun?"

"Stop talking nonsense, you slut! What the hell are you doing here!"

"That's what I wanted to say. I never expected to run into a Level 1 adventurer like you."

According to official guild information, this human woman is nearly forty years old, but due to the effects of her Blessing (ability value), she maintains the appearance of someone under thirty.

Valette looked down at Bert and his companions with a sharp, disdainful beauty, then licked her lips lewdly.

"...But this is just right."

The pupils of his eyes, which had come into view of Bert and Lina, narrowed like snakes.

"The city center must be in complete chaos right now."

Just as Bert was trying to understand the meaning of those words, the woman's large sword, held in one hand, revealed her murderous intent. Conflict was now inevitable; it was an open secret.

(That damn bastard, he dragged her into this...!)

Bert glanced sideways at Lina, who was struggling to keep up, and was too late to catch up.

It was too late; there was no way to let the girl escape.

As if echoing the self-reproachful thoughts, the clouds overhead trembled, and raindrops began to fall, one after another.

In an instant, the raindrops turned into a torrential downpour.

Bert, soaked to the bone, cursed himself for dragging Lina, an outsider, into this mess, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Don't leave me!"

"Uh, um!"

The next instant, Valette, with a voice no less powerful than Bert's, issued commands:

"Guys, take them down!"

Upon receiving their orders, the assassins brandished their weapons—black-colored "cursed tools"—and pounced on Bert and his companions.

★

It's raining...

Seeing the raindrops starting to fall outside the window, Finn muttered to himself in the office.

The rain intensified in an instant, and the city, shrouded in dark clouds, turned gray.

(...Why do I have such a bad feeling?)

Standing by the window, Finn looked at the rain-soaked street scene, a strange unease rising in his heart.

His right thumb suddenly felt a sharp pain.

Immediately afterwards——

"Commander!?"

Raul burst in and flung the door wide open.

He was soaked to the bone, panting heavily, and pale-faced.

"Raul? What's wrong?"

"Something terrible has happened..."

Raul, soaked to the bone, said with trembling lips:

"The city center...!"

"Aa ...

That lavish feast seemed to arrive under the guidance of a torrential downpour.

“What, what happened?”

"M-Murder!?!?!"

"Someone's dead?!"

The back alley, which had been deserted, was suddenly filled with screams and chaos.

Rainwater mingled with the blood that had spread across the stone pavement, and a small, crimson river flowed through it.

"Get out of the way, please get out of the way!?"

Lefia overheard the screams and pushed her way through the crowd.

She and her companion went out as usual today, but when they saw that scene, they were speechless.

"No way, how could this be..."

Rivera, who arrived at the [Deankaite Familia] clinic, also faced that chaotic and frenzied feast.

"Miss Amed—!? Please help me!"

"The wound...the wound just won't heal!"

Amidst the sound of rain outside the clinic, the roars of the therapists rose and fell. Covered in blood, they carried in countless severely wounded patients.

Amid was stunned and speechless. Beside her, Rivera heard the calls of the Loki Familia members and rushed out as if struck by lightning.

"An unhealable wound... Could it be?!"

Rivera picked up her cane and rushed out of the clinic.

"Ugh, ugh ...

"Adventurers are killing each other!?"

In the back alley where raindrops danced, the rhythm of battle mingled with the sounds of rain.

Clang! Clang! The metallic clang of blades clashing was incessant, mingled with the howls of wild beasts. Sparks flew, along with crimson blood.

In broad daylight, right on the street, hidden in the curtain of torrential rain, someone carried out this "attack".

"Quickly, find the guild... no, find the adventurers!?"

The inhabitants of the labyrinth city, well aware of the adventurers' terror, screamed and scrambled to escape the scene of factional fighting.

From the depths of the back alley they had turned away from, the voices of the Loki Familia members echoed.

"!"

Ais repeatedly brushed past residents who were wading through puddles, while simultaneously rushing across the street.

She abruptly drew the sword from her waist and ran into the spot where the figures were moving about.

The screams, muffled by the sound of rain, echoed throughout the city.

The wielding black blade, like the scythe of death, summoned new blood once more.

★

The metal boots, along with the "cursed tools," shatter the enemy's face with a kick.

"Ugh!?"

The assassin who pounced on him was violently slammed onto the stone floor.

However, as if he had swapped places with the fallen man, a new assassin attacked Bert.

"Tsk!?"

This is a human wave tactic of overwhelming the weak with sheer numbers.

Faced with a massive wave of enemies, Bert, with a gasp, delivered a powerful kick to his opponent.

"Ha! Ha! You guys kill them!"

Valette watched Humen from the rooftop, looking across the mountain.

The fight continued amidst her loud laughter.

A relentless downpour enveloped the entire reconstruction area. The misty, rain-shrouded region seemed isolated from the world, leaving Bert and Lina helpless and alone under the gray sky.

"Kill!"

"Ugh, sob sob!?"

"—Lie down!"

Lina used a half-broken scimitar she picked up from the roadside to fight back, and Bert caught up with her, turning his body in a flash.

As the girl bent down, a spinning kick flew past and struck one of the assassins who was trying to stab her with a blade.

"Gah!?"

“Thank you…”

"Don't just stand there! The enemy will come again!"