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

Grace roared as he fought off the assassins with his great axe.

Some wept, their hands covering their bloodied faces; some had been stabbed in the abdomen; some bled profusely. The severely wounded Amazons were carried away one by one by the Loki Familia, who shouted to each other.

"They've launched a special attack on adventurers...!"

The spirited Amazons are also highly skilled adventurers, not opponents that can be easily defeated.

Many warriors also reacted to the surprise attacks, turning the tables and defeating their opponents. However, the assassins risked their lives, willing to inflict even the slightest injury upon them.

The assassins' weapons were all "cursed tools".

The wounds inflicted on their bodies could become a deadly "poison" that could take the lives of the Amazonians.

"We don't have enough manpower to protect everyone...!"

The enemy assassinated all the combat prostitutes who had scattered to their respective clans. This massacre erupted in every corner of the vast city, and no matter how powerful Grace and her companions were, they couldn't control everything. In a corner of the city, screams still echoed, drowned out by the torrential rain.

Grace squinted one eye from beneath his lowered helmet.

"!"

Facing multiple assassins rushing towards her, Ais swung her sword to its limit.

It was unclear how many assassins had fallen to the stone floor, their shattered cursed weapons flying into the air.

"Ais, don't get hurt!"

Rivera swung her long staff from a distance, sending the assassin flying with a single sweep.

Her emerald hair, plastered to her face, had lost its composure. She defeated the last enemy and then rushed to the Amazons.

Are you alright?

"Stop making so much noise! ​​Don't come to my aid! Stop being such a busybody!"

The shrew Aisha Belleka planted her broadsword in the ground for support, berating Riveria and Ais. Lying all around her were the assassins she had single-handedly fought off.

The heroine narrowly escaped the attack, ignoring her panting breath, and glared at Ais and the others as a female warrior.

"Aisha!"

"Is that Samira?"

Besides Ais and the others, a gray-haired battle prostitute also arrived.

Tiona had inquired about the situation from this Amazonian.

Like Aisha, she had also suffered some minor injuries. She recounted the events, the extent of the damage, and what she knew so far in a straightforward and rapid-fire manner. Riveria also joined in with a brief explanation. After listening, Aisha pinched her forehead hard with one hand.

"You mean assassinate us...!? Damn it, that goddess is already gone, and she's dumping all this trouble on us...!"

"What should we do, Aisha!? I heard that among those killed were some high-class prostitutes (girls) who used to frequent the palace... Oh, right, what about Haru, Haruhime!?"

"Calm down! That girl isn't registered in the [Family] register! Even the goddess Ishtar has kept her existence a secret from the [Guild]! Nobody can find her!"

"Uh, well... ah, what about the Frog Girl (Frinni)...?"

"That toad is unlikely to die!! Ignore her!"

Also in a fit of anger, Aisha yelled at the flustered Samira. Riveria asked the two women involved in the altercation after being knocked down:

"Our response has been reactive; we rush to the scene only after hearing the commotion, which is often too late. If you know of anyone who might be a target, please let us know."

"Wait, hold on! There are other combat prostitutes who might be targeted...!"

Aisha still pressed her hand to her forehead, her face contorted as she tried to recall her memories.

But it only takes the blink of an eye.

The next instant, she looked up abruptly as if struck by lightning:

"Lina..."

"what?"

"It's Lina..."

She stared intently at the direction of the "secret residence" in the southwest of the city—the red-light district—and charged straight out with murderous intent.

"Lina is in danger!"

★

The dart, which pierced the girl's shoulder, finally knocked her to the ground.

“Ugh!?”

"Damn it!"

Bert swiftly kicked away the dark figure that tried to pounce on her, then used his arm guard to deflect the blade that was about to strike him. Several more dark swords then attacked the girl; Bert blocked them, finally sustaining a wound on his cheek.

On the rain-soaked, ruined battlefield, the battle, fought with no one to help, shows no sign of ending.

"Berbert Roca..."

"It's just a scratch! Don't whine like that!"

Seeing Bert bleeding, Lina's eyes welled up with tears.

The werewolf cursed repeatedly, using his rain-soaked body as a shield to prevent the assassins from getting close to the fallen girl. The battle was now in complete chaos, with not only assassins on the enemy side, but also remnants of the dark faction—the members of the [Sanatos Familia]—intervening to cause trouble.

"It seems they want to kill me, right...?"

"Why don't you just look and see!"

"Was it me who implicated Bert Roca...?"

"...That's irrelevant! So what?! These guys are our enemies anyway!"

That's right, it wasn't Lina who was implicated.

The one who was truly implicated was Bert.

The assassins' true target was the Amazonian girl who had unfortunately learned Ishtar's secret. Bert was only caught in the crossfire because he happened to be traveling with her.

Although Lina didn't understand the details, she had already guessed a bit; hearing her trembling voice, Bert roared in denial.

He claimed that he had caused the trouble.

It is completely wrong to say that Lina is blaming herself; she should not be so self-righteous.

"...Kill! Kill ...

It is self-evident who the assassins are targeting.

They didn't target Bert, but instead focused their attack on Lina. Surrounded by attacks from all sides, Bert was forced into a defensive posture, his movements restricted, and the enemy gave him no chance to retaliate. With their numerical advantage and ample "cursed tools," the enemy intended to sacrifice Bert along with their target.

If it were just Bert alone, he would have escaped long ago.

Bert can use his greatest weapon—his lightning speed—to maneuver nimbly around assassins, crushing them with ferocity. True to his nickname "The Wolf," his high-speed fighting style allows him to escape however he pleases.

But Lina is here.

Here lies a young girl, unable to completely shake off the enemy's pursuit and overwhelmed by their numerical superiority. This fragile fledgling, without protection, would be killed in no time.

Bert's brain was burning red.

The tattoo across his cheek and the "fangs" etched on his face evoked phantom pain.

Bert has long been tormented by the existence of the "weak" and the insults he has received.

However, his words could not shut the girl out.

"!--Ooo ...

In the fierce defensive battle, Bert seized a fleeting opening and struck the lightning "magic sword (dagger)" into Frosvelt, causing the silver-white metal boots to crackle with lightning. He traced arcs of lightning in the air, wiping out the stunned assassins, and with the deafening thunder and flashes, he etched a blank space in the hearing and sight of the enemies who followed.

The enemy's coordinated action caused the perfect encirclement to collapse in an instant. Now is the only chance.

"Let's run!"

"Uh, um!"

He grabbed Lina's hand and ran as fast as he could.

Bert weaved past the assassins and successfully escaped the enemy's assassination ring, but unexpectedly...

"Wait a minute, the real show is just beginning!"

“——!?”

The two were directly attacked by the approaching spinning blade.

Bert shielded Lina, and in a moment of desperation, unleashed a lightning-fast high kick, shattering the rapidly approaching greatsword; however, the blade, thrown with exaggerated force, still sent countless fragments flying. These fragments, like bullets, cut deep wounds into Bert's skin and combat attire.

"Hehehehehehe! How could I possibly let you go? The show's getting really good!!"

It turned out that Valetta, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, threw the "cursed artifact" greatsword from above her head.

The only enemy force boasting a LV·5 strength in throwing, its hidden destructive power and speed force even Bert must unleash his full power to counter it.

This action, however, reveals a major weakness.

"Dancing with Blood!"

"~~~~~~~~~~~!?"

Bert was finally struck by the curse and the spell of abnormal magic.

"Finally caught you, [Wolf]!"

Seeing that Bert's movements became sluggish, the assassins' eyes gleamed with malice, and they pounced on him like hungry tigers.

Below Valetta's cheering gaze, although the flashes of lightning had rendered several assassins incapable of fighting, the enemy, undeterred by the damage to their own, went further, casting curses that gradually bound Bert's limbs. Furthermore, even at this point, the assassins still didn't directly attack Bert, stubbornly targeting Lina instead.

Like prey caught in a spider web... no, like a giant wolf being bound step by step by inescapable chains, the werewolf's movements slowly lost their luster.

"Seriously, this monster, it has slaughtered so many of my people..."

Seeing that Bert was clearly at a disadvantage, yet still managed to repel the assassins one after another, even the members of the [Sanatos Familia] who had been called in as reinforcements were no exception, Valeta spat. Dozens of comrades from the dark faction around her lay on the ground, their faces or breastbones smashed, coughing up blood.

"However, now..."

Valette smiled.

"I was only planning to hunt Amazons, but... what a stroke of luck! I'll take the head of the [Wolf] right here!"

As if echoing the woman's excitement, the dark shadow unleashed its fierce power.

With a deep wound left on Bert's shoulder, Silver Boots (Frosvelt) also lost his lightning favor.

“Hmm…!?”

The "incurable curse" transformed into scalding heat that burned the shoulder.

Aside from his gouged right shoulder, the "cursed wounds," including his cheek, were merely abrasions; Bert could still fight. But what about ten minutes later, or a few hours later? It was hard to say. Facing the assassins whose offensive showed no signs of slowing down, Bert was burning with anxiety, but he roared defiantly.

Looking at his tragic figure...

The girl, who had been fighting back, now let her hands fall limply, her lips twitching.

"Bert Roca... I'm sorry."

The sound fragments mixed in with the sound of rain startled the beast's ears.

"It's just like Bert Roca said. I... am so weak, and I've been dragging Bert Roca down. I regret it so much now..."

It's so noisy, shut up.

No talking.

How dare they cry and complain on the battlefield (here)? It makes me want to vomit.

Once you're on the battlefield (standing here), there's no such thing as baseness or filth. Be prepared.

Bark! Bark at me! That's the only way to resist absurdity—

The girl's voice, for some reason tinged with tears, infuriated Bert, who cursed inwardly. In the compressed, visceral sense of time, he punched and kicked the assassins, deflecting their blades and splattering blood, while repeatedly flailing his limbs, propelled by the heat. The world abandoned him, slowing the passage of time, and Lina's voice, cutting through the patter of rain, rang exceptionally loudly in Bert's ears, utterly irritating him.

Bert was forced to hear the girl's whispers, causing the "fangs" on his cheeks to throb with pain.

"but……"

then.

"As long as I'm not around... Bert Roca is very strong, right?"

Bert's time seemed to stand still as he heard the girl's whispered words behind him.