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

He raised his longsword-shaped "Demon Sword" high and aimed it at the monsters and "enhanced species" surrounding Aisha, firing them all at once.

"Red Fang!"

'~ ...

The fourth major fire of the day broke out on the main road.

Aisha leaped away, and in her line of sight, the monstrous figures danced wildly amidst the crimson flames. As the overlapping screams of impending doom reached the sky... a giant figure stood serenely among the incinerated monsters, arms crossed over his chest.

"Varied……!?"

"They actually survived Lord Welf's 'Demon Sword'!?"

After Welf was shocked, Lily then screamed.

The "enhanced species" allowed the moss, burned by the fire, to peel away piece by piece before slowly raising its head.

Then, from the inside of the eroded and peeled moss, a shimmering, pale blue fabric was revealed.

"That's... a 'water crystal cloth'!?"

"Was it peeled off an adventurer's corpse?!"

Fate and cherry blossoms, as well as Daphne and Cassandra, all began to doubt their own eyes.

The piece of cloth torn into strips and bound tightly to the body was indeed the "Fairy Essence Protective Cloth." Just as Sakura had guessed, it was something it had stolen from the adventurer's corpse, targeting its only weakness: resistance to "fire."

"The aptitude is extremely poor...!"

Upon seeing the equipment the monster was wearing, Welf frowned.

"Krozo's Demon Sword" was forged using techniques inherited from the family's "Blood of the Immortals." In other words, it is the "Immortal Demon Sword." The power associated with the "Protective Cloth" also originates from the "Immortals." Therefore, the power between the Immortals triggered an excessive reaction.

To make matters worse, the "Red Fang" magic sword's attribute is fire, which means it is powered by the fire element (salamander).

It is extremely incompatible with the undine, which possesses the power of water, causing the two to cancel each other out.

"Damn it...!"

Although the damage was offset, the "enhanced" creature's body was still burned. Welf was about to deliver another blow when—crack!—cracks appeared on the sword.

The crimson sword shattered and scattered with a sharp sound.

The "Demon Sword" had reached its limit. In order to fight off the monster horde, it fired continuously, creating a recoil. Seeing the fragments of the blade scattered all over the ground, not only Welf, but also Lily and the others were stunned and speechless.

'Ah!'

As if things weren't bad enough, the last remaining batch of troops arrived at the main passage.

Ming and the others' faces were red and dirty from the splashed blood and other things, and they were burning with anxiety.

"Roar!"

"Tsk!?"

The roaring "Enhanced Species" ignored Welf and the others, stubbornly targeting Aisha. The "Enhanced Species" had seen through her strength, judging that kneeling down would be a fatal blow to the adventurers. The appearance of a ferocious warrior seemed to revive the monsters' momentum, and the other monsters began to rampage wildly. They joined the main group, unleashing their fury, trying to crush Ming and the others into a pulp.

"Hey, things aren't looking good!?"

"I can't hold on any longer...!"

As the monsters menacingly tightened their encirclement, Daphne and Sakura, wielding their shields, both screamed.

Wielding her greatsword and blade, Cassandra fought back against Welf, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Cassandra threw down her weapons, trying to use healing magic to maintain the battle line, but new wounds appeared as soon as her wounds healed.

The countless particles of light attached to his body seemed to sway as if groaning.

"Ugh, ah...!?"

Seeing that Welf and the others were slowly being suppressed while protecting her, Lily's face lost all color.

With trembling hands, she wielded the lightning "magic sword" for cover, but the monsters refused to disappear, their numbers nearly overwhelming the entire passage. Aisha vanished behind the monster wall, far from the team, making it impossible to ask her for help. In fact, having been infected with the "parasitic tree," she herself was nearly being ravaged and trampled by the "enhanced species" they were currently fighting.

The wrong judgment was made.

I made the wrong judgment.

They misjudged the anomalous nature of the "enhanced species" (Irregular), the threat from the "lower levels," and the unfathomable depths of the dungeons.

As the commander, he made the wrong judgment.

Experience and achievements.

Lily lacked these qualities and made a mistake in the very end.

Lily failed to become a "Hero".

"Lend me your axe...!"

"Eh... Lord Do-Dorumur!?"

"Even if I've lost my arms, I can at least stand up and act as a shield..."

"Even Lord Ruvis is like this... No, this is unacceptable!?"

Dorumur stood up beside the stunned Lily, and Luvis followed suit.

The dwarves, too, borrowed weapons and intended to fight alongside Welf and the others. No one heeded Lily's warnings. They had no chance of winning; they only wanted to struggle to the very end, upholding their spirit as adventurers.

"Ah, ahh...!?"

No. Everyone's blood is boiling over, and they've lost their composure.

Everyone considered this place a death trap.

Unable to shake off the strong "scent of death".

Lily, who had been wearing the commander's mask and pretending to be strong, now had tears welling up in her eyes.

"Use us as bait! Run for your lives if possible!"

"Someone has to report that monster to the surface! We have to save as many as we can; they have to survive!"

With a tragic resolve, Luvis and Dorumur spoke these words aloud.

Chunji, who was slumped on the ground, gasped, while Lily's wide eyes darted around uncertainly.

"Abandon us... [Hestia Familia]."

—Lily's true nature, the dirty girl who crawled on the ground drinking muddy water to come back to life, slowly raised her head.

She used the commander's position as a blatant shield, a sinister smile on her face, ready to pounce on that choice. There was no other way; now, she could only try to save as many people as possible. "I (Lily) don't want to die—so I'll leave them behind."

My heart was racing, and I couldn't breathe.

In an instant, a dazzling array of thoughts and emotions intertwined.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

Don't hesitate, just say it and make a decision!

Lily, a realist, was shouting that there was absolutely nothing wrong with doing so.

The mud-covered girl was shouting, "This is how we survived. Why hesitate now?"

Her small lips trembled, and her tongue, tied in knots, tried to utter that sound.

At last……

In the blank plains of her heart, another Lily clutched her chest, crying out:

We must save everyone.

“──!!”

Lily's left hand flashed.

Passing through the gap between the elves and dwarves, the "Demon Sword" struck with lightning, burning away the monsters that were about to pounce on them.

Luvis and Dorumur stared at Lily in silence, her throat trembling under their gaze:

"If it were that lord, he would never have stood by and watched someone die!"

What resurfaced in my mind was a scene from a certain maze.

It was Lily, who had saved him from being surrounded by a swarm of terrifying giant ants, Yan Lei, who was so fiery and beautiful, and the boy who reached out to help him.

"That sir did not abandon me!"

Tears streamed down Lily's face as she screamed.

Lily failed to become the "Hero." In the very end, she kicked away the best choice.

She couldn't bring herself to be ruthless; she was too sentimental.

Finn's image flashed in the corner of his mind, and he sighed in disappointment.

But that's not right. Lily's goal isn't to become a "hero."

What Lily truly wanted to become, what she wanted to chase, was the figure that saved her.

It was that gentle hand that didn't abandon me, covered in mud.

"So, I want to too...! Lily has decided to change too!!"

The boy encountered all sorts of people and things, and began to look up at the distant peak, which brought about a change.

In that case, Lily should change too. Lily should run.

Otherwise, how could I be qualified to stand beside him?

"So, so! Lily won't stand by and watch you die! She absolutely won't give up!!"

Lily's hands and feet trembled, her emotions overflowing like a tidal wave. The cruel roar of the monster easily crushed her petite body, yet Lily still transformed her tearful plea into resignation; upon seeing this, the deathly expressions on the faces of Luvis, Dorumur, and the others vanished.

A tear streak rolled down her chestnut-colored, teary eyes.

"Because Lily is that person's supporter!!"

Her words also reached Welf and the others, bringing smiles to their sweaty faces.

Then, just then.

“──!!”

Exhausted and unable to move, Chun Ji suddenly perked up her ears!

She opened her emerald green eyes wide, bit her lip, and mustered the last of her strength to stretch out her arm.

"Lady Lily...!"

Lily's "water crystal cloth" hem was grabbed by Haruhime, causing her to turn around in surprise.

"It's coming...!"

"what?"

"He's coming...!"

In the midst of the chaotic battle, the orc girl heard that "voice," and a smile appeared on her face, filled with envy and encouragement.

"That lord is coming...!"

The next moment.

"Lily────────────────────────────!!"

Lily's ears also heard the boy's loud voice calling her.

"────"

Faster than anyone else, faster than anything else, it's getting closer to this side.

Far beyond her field of vision, on the other side of the main passage, she saw the boy's figure swinging his arms.

That appearance was exactly like the image of the person who rescued Lily from the vicious ant swarm that day.

Another girl (Lily), crawling on the muddy ground and covered in mud, pounded her hand on the ground.

She gritted her teeth, forcefully pulled her body off the ground, and stood up.

Her chest felt hot, and tears finally streamed down Lily's face, her tear ducts broken.

"!...Lady Haruhime, please excuse me!!"

At the same time, Lily understood the boy's true intention in calling her name.

He believed in himself and made his right hand glow; in response to his expectations, Lily took action.