DREAMS OF BEASTS Part 2

"The man-made labyrinth Knossos—a ridiculous piece Daedalus left for all his

descendants to work on."

"Knossos?"

Hermes repeated what he had just heard.

Ikelos responded with a grin and a quick "Yeah." He was answering the other god's

questions as part of his "prize." "That's what's written in the notebook, anyway."

"Notebook? You can't mean…"

"That's right, Daedalus's Notebook."

The breeze atop the tower rustled the deity's cheap black clothing and carried his

voice to Hermes.

"Daedalus… Dix's forefather went a bit off the deep end after seeing the Dungeon. He

just had to create with his own hands a piece that outdid the labyrinth in every way…

How stupid is that? Hee-hee! There used to be so many crazy children back in those

days. Now they're all just stuck-up brats."

The god sneered as if nothing were more entertaining than the notebook of a man's

regrets and burning desires.

"Of course, one man could never finish something like that. I doubt it could ever be

done at all. But at any rate, Daedalus died when the project was still in the beginning

stages, and he willed it and the notebook to his offspring."

"..."

"Along with a nice blueprint to go with it. And those descendants have been following

it ever since."

Hermes let a few moments pass before responding.

"Ikelos, if what you're saying is true, then… those descendants have…"

"That's right, Hermes. Those descendants have been working on Knossos for nearly—

"

"—One thousand years," Dix said as he pulled his goggles back down over his eyes.

"That's how long the ancestors were building this thing without the Guild finding out."

Bell, Fels, and even the Xenos had difficulty believing the man's incredible claim.

"Impossible! All those years and not a soul caught on…?!"

"Okay then, mage, how would you explain how the labyrinth you're standing in got

here? Do you think this piece of 'artwork' running along the Dungeon's edges was

seriously built overnight?"

The Dungeon layout was circular.

It expanded outward with each floor wider than the last.

And—Knossos was concave around it.

Bell used his knowledge and Dix's claim to arrive at that conclusion.

Daedalus's blueprints called for a structure that sat in the negative space around the

Dungeon's circular edges, transforming it into a pillar of sorts beneath the city. This

man-made labyrinth wrapped around the Dungeon's circular floors.

The underground network of sewer systems that Fels had mentioned, the secret

tunnel that Bell had found, all of it was built as part of the plan to create this one grand

piece.

Bell's face turned pale as he struggled to comprehend Knossos's full scale.

"My old man, granddad, and other ancestors expanded Knossos all the way down to

the middle levels, and I don't even know their faces."

A thousand years had passed since Mad Daedalus's death.

Knossos was the result of one thousand years of insane, blood-driven obsession.

Bell could almost see Daedalus's flawed vision taking shape, as hands crawling out

from beneath his feet.

"But on the other hand… one thousand years and still only the middle levels."

Only 30 percent of the blueprint had been completed, he told them in a spray of spit.

"…I never would've believed this was the truth behind the suspected link between

Ikelos Familia and the Evils…" Fels whispered to himself, certain he was on to

something.

Dix sneered at him.

"I ain't got a clue when the ancestors first started working with the ones you call Evils.

But by the time I was born in this shady labyrinth, they were practically joined at the

hip."

"—And all to finish that project of theirs."

Ikelos went on.

"Daedalus's piece cost time, labor, and way too much money."

Orichalcum and adamantite.

Not to mention an abundance of rocks and other building materials.

Knossos didn't have the Dungeon's regenerative ability—it was imperative that this

piece be nearly impossible to break in order to realize Daedalus's vision. That was

because the madman's intention was to create something that surpassed the Dungeon

itself.

And of course, the materials required to build Knossos were extremely difficult to

acquire.

"So that's why Daedalus's descendants got involved with the Evils and other shady

groups…"

Consequently, those descendants from Daedalus had connections with a wide array of

underground and black-market organizations. They sought out organizations that had

an abundant supply of orichalcum, building materials, or gold on hand. They didn't

care if it took unlawful business dealings or downright theft.

As a second entrance into the Dungeon, one far away from the watchful eyes of the

Guild, Knossos became their bargaining chip.

The man-made dungeon expanded deeper over time. Some organizations doubted its

usefulness in the beginning, but they eventually discovered Knossos's value and made

contributions of their own. The evil groups worked together to conceal its existence

from the Guild.

Everything fell into place in Hermes's mind as he ran his fingers along the brim of his

hat.

Knossos itself became a hotbed for evil—the darkness had threatened to consume the

city for centuries.

"Word has it these descendants did whatever it took to complete their dungeon.

Becoming obsessed with acquiring Enigma, kidnapping women to make sure there

would always be someone working on their piece…"

Ikelos went on to say that Dix was born from one such abductee.

Half siblings and incest were common.

"While it might be Daedalus's legacy, I find it hard to believe that these descendants

would devote their lives to such an absurd work…"

"What can I say? Must be something in their blood."

Ikelos shrugged off Hermes's comment. "Cursed blood… as Dix puts it."

A smile spread on the deity's lips as he gazed down over the Labyrinth City.

"Daedalus's descendants were all dancing to the tune of a single notebook, building

this thing."

His red eyes were just barely visible behind the translucent lenses of the goggles.

With those words, Dix lifted his spear, the same shade of red as his eyes, into position

and drove his point home.

"…In other words, selling captured Xenos is a way for you to acquire funds."

As to when Dix and the hunters had become aware of the Xenos, that was yet unclear.

However, Dix needed a great deal of money to contribute to Knossos's completion.

After joining a familia to gain a Blessing, he gradually took control of the group,

guiding them toward Orario's black markets.

Dix snorted at Fels's hypothesis.

"Yeah, at first."

Those words sent an uneasy chill down Bell's spine, and then—BANG!

"Enough talk!!"

He looked over in time to see Gros's claws tear through a nearby cage, destroying it.

The gargoyle's eyes flashed, and the ash-colored wings on his back spread wide.

"Your cruelty to our kind and your murder of Ranieh remains unchanged!—You will

feel our wrath!!"

The gargoyle took flight, launching himself toward Dix in one swift motion.

The man in goggles quickly grabbed a nearby subordinate by the collar, throwing him

directly into the gargoyle's path. "Huh?" The man's confusion quickly turned into a

blood-chilling scream the moment Gros's stone claws made contact.

That first splash of blood ignited the battle.

"Gros and I will lead the charge! Dole, have your team protect the injured!"

"Wha—GYAH!"

The lizardman shouted orders to his allies while inflicting a deep gash into the nearest

animal person. Other Xenos moved to protect their newly liberated comrades,

crossing blades with the attacking hunters.

"Damn it all!"

"Keh… Firebolt!!"

Overwhelmed by the fierce sounds of combat at first, Bell was forced into battle when

a group of hunters charged him.

However, they thought better of it when the red-cap goblin held the battle-ax aloft at

his side and Fels moved to protect the injured harpy, and the enemies backed off

entirely once Bell's Swift-Strike Magic was triggered.

"Oh come on… Kinda strong, ain't they? We underestimated 'em."

Meanwhile, shocked members of Ikelos Familia were feeling the same way.

Every hunter other than Dix raced into battle, but just as he said, the hunters were

losing ground. Aiming for the weakened monsters only served to enrage the Xenos

even further, and the monsters' sheer might quickly dismantled the humans'

formations.

This was especially true around Lido and Gros. Dix's smile twisted with irritation as

his allies fell to the ground one by one.

"No time to hold back… Guess it's time to use it," Dix said. He held his spear in his left

hand and thrust out his right arm.

" ."

The only reason Fels was able to react to this horrid sight in time—

—was due to a wealth of experience that far exceeded the other's.

—But it was already too late.

As Gran and the other hunters took cover as though their lives depended on it, a chill

ran through the body of bones that bordered on absolute zero.

The mage's black robes swirled behind the main battle.

"—Get behind me, Bell Cranell! NOW!!"

Bell, eyes wide, was shocked at the disappearance of Fels's usual calm demeanor and

obeyed without question.

Holding Lett and Fia close to his chest, Bell dove behind Fels just as the mage extended

both arms wide.

A moment later…

"Become lost in an endless nightmare."

The vibrations rose from the man's throat to form a spell.

"Phobetor Daedalus."

A wave of crimson light burst forth from his fingers.

" ."

A red glow swept over the battlefield.

The ominous light devoured the darkness. There was no explosion, however—not

even a shock or vibration. It engulfed everything in range before continuing on, but all

it left behind was a hair-raising, malice-filled tone ringing in their ears.

Bell and the two Xenos hiding behind Fels cupped their hands over their ears as they

cautiously looked out from behind the robe to investigate. Just then…

"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Every single monster was thrashing about, completely out of control.

"Wha—?!"

"Lido, Gros!"

"Everyone?! Why…?!"

Bell, the red-cap goblin, and the harpy all looked on in disbelief as the Xenos tried to

destroy everything in sight.

The lizardman's eyes were bloodshot, the gargoyle howling like a lunatic. Gobs of

drool sprayed from their mouths as they hacked and slashed with swords and claws.

Like actual monsters.

All the Xenos had one thing in common: their eyes had taken on the same crimson hue

as Dix's.

Metallic echoes surged as cages flipped and stone crumbled underfoot in a deafening

frenzy that threatened to rend their eardrums.

It wasn't long before their wild thrashes connected with their own kind. The battle

became a free-for-all where ally fought against ally.

"Wh-what could have possibly…?"

The fully armored and healthy Xenos weren't the only ones affected. Even the newly

liberated and badly injured monsters joined the fray with just as much vigor. Bell

watched it happen, terror written all over his face. Blood poured from their open

wounds, but they continued to attack anything in their vicinity. A chorus of screams

and howls filled the air.

His hair stood on end at this growing monster massacre.

"A curse…!!" Fels rasped with horror next to Bell and the others, who were still in

shock.

Curses.

Like magic that summoned fire or lightning and enchantments that increased physical

attributes, they required a trigger spell to be cast. However, their effects were still

worthy of being called "curses."

Confusion, restriction of movement, physical pain—there were many types.

The most troubling thing about curses was that they were difficult to block and cure.

Only specialized items would do the trick. Even the Advanced Ability Immunity

provided no protection.

It went without saying that the monsters were completely defenseless.

Like magic, this technique was unique to humans. There was nothing the Xenos could

do except take a direct hit.

"Aww~, everything's as good as over once I cast it… or at least it should be."

Dix watched the monsters' frenzy with glee in his eyes—that is, until he spotted Bell

and Fels standing on the other side of the battle.

"Didn't work on some of them—is that robe of yours a magic item, mage?"

"…Well spotted. It protects against curses and anti-Status magic."

Dix shouted across the battlefield, but Fels's response was so quiet that it was unlikely

to be heard.

It was the mage's black robe that had protected Bell and the two Xenos behind him

from the curse. "Though I'm not sure a curse would do much to this bony body of

mine," the mage known as the Fool whispered, glaring back at the smiling goggled

man.

"That curse must be the reason their hunts remained undiscovered, and why they

withdrew upon discovering Hermes Familia…!"

The curse provided the last piece of the puzzle for Fels, connecting all the loose ends.

If anyone who happened to witness their activities got caught up in the curse, they

became a monster's next meal even if the hunters didn't get their hands dirty. If, by

some miracle, said witness managed to survive long enough to regain their senses,

memories from before the curse took effect would be vague at best.

It was also the real reason why they retreated from Asfi's team of adventurers from

Hermes Familia. Dix was concerned about Perseus's magic items—there was a

possibility that she carried something like Fels's black robe or another item that could

nullify the curse's effects. He sacrificed that hunt in order to prevent her from learning

anything about them.

Bell understood as well.

Dix's curse had the most impact on first sight.

"Phobetor Daedalus."

A curse that mystified targets, confusing them.

Its extremely short trigger spell and wide range made it a powerful, deadly technique.

Anyone exposed to it without protection was instantly drawn into a wild frenzy—and

wouldn't live to encounter it again.

Bell couldn't hide the horror in his eyes at a curse that forced its victims to rampage

until their bodies gave out.

This was why Dix always seemed so confident.

The reason he had captured so many Xenos. His trump card.

"We're gonna incur some losses, since I had to bust this out, but…"

There were some hunters on the battlefield who were unable to escape from the

unannounced curse in time and others who didn't have the magic item necessary to

block it. They, too, howled like monsters, slashing at other humans and monsters alike

with broken swords in an erratic fit.

Dix gazed out over the afflicted people and monsters and said:

"Eh, oh well—bon appe tit, monsters!"

Suddenly, two monsters landed directly in front of Bell.

"?!"

They were Xenos trying to tear each other apart. Another monster's attack had

knocked them all the way up to his feet.

The confused creatures scrambled to their feet and jumped at Bell's group.

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAaaaAAAaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!"

"Not good!"

The curse now had them in its clutches.

All four dove away from the reckless, unrestrained swipes of claw and fang. One attack

slammed into the stone floor with a bang and a spray of debris, and the monsters' wild

eyes bored into Bell, Fels, Lett, and Fia. The red-cap goblin and the harpy froze in fear

at the sight of their terrifying comrades.

As the crazed hunters continued their onslaught despite their serious injuries,the four

quickly found themselves at the center of an all-out brawl.

" ?!"

"?!"

Bell couldn't raise a blade to the Xenos, who should be on his side. With blocking and

dodging as his only options, the boy was unable to escape a griffin that caught him

between jumps. Just before its sharp beak could tear into his flesh, a troll's massive

club slammed into them. The pair was launched high into the air.

"Signor Bell?!"

His vision blurred as he careened toward the main battle.

The griffin had taken the brunt of the club and was now writhing in pain and losing its

grip. Although Bell managed to escape, he had been separated from Fels and the

others. The red-cap goblin's call disappeared into the swirling pandemonium of

screams and roars; Bell was completely isolated.

Pushing the griffin off his body to escape, Bell raised his head, and out of nowhere…

" ."

A lizardman stood in front of him, his weapons held high.

—Lido.

Bloodthirsty, terrifying eyes. Scimitar pointed toward the ceiling. The boy recoiled at

the terrifying visage.

Bell's mind went blank as he watched the lizardman prepare to slice him in half.

Looking up at the savage expression—murderous intent as plain as day—Bell brought

up a knife but could move no farther.

The lizardman brought down the scimitar without waiting another beat.

Time slowed to a crawl. As if in a trance, Bell watched the blade descend, tracing an

arc directly at his body. In that moment—

"GEHH!"

A colorless shock wave slammed into the lizardman from the side, sending the

monster flying.

" ?!"

Time returned to normal, and Bell spun around to see a mage's right arm and gloved

hand extended in his direction.

"Forgive me, Lido…!"

Fels's long-range burst of energy had saved Bell's life. The mage then shouted:

"Stop Hazer, Bell Cranell!!"

"Huh?"

"This type of curse lifts once the caster is defeated! The Xenos will return to normal!!"

Bell turned away from Fels with a start and immediately spotted the man with goggles

and a red spear.

Very little distance separated them. Now in the center of battle, Bell was the closest to

him. Within striking distance.

Bell glared into the red eyes behind the man's goggles. His whole body burning from

within, he jumped to his feet.

For the first time today, the boy who had only been swept along by the course of events

showed signs of a fierce fighting spirit.

"Coming at me, Little Rookie? I'm Level Five, you know!"

"…!!"

"That ain't no bluff. Some of those talking monsters were real strong. Doing this as

long as I have means surviving more adventures than I can count."

Dix's words were no lie as he watched the boy get to his feet with interest.

Bell's eyes trembled at the intimidating Level, but…

"Curses may be strong, but they come with a price! That man should be dealing with

it at this very moment!"

"Aww, damn. Keep your mouth shut."

An aggravated smirk appeared on Dix's face when Fels's voice echoed past them once

again.

The main difference between curses and magic was the price the caster had to pay.

Curses required compensation; they inflicted some kind of penalty while they were in

effect.

Bell's eyes flashed with determination.

With his black knife in his right hand and his short crimson blade in his left, he

charged.

He made a beeline straight through the battlefield.

Weaving past the claws swiping at him, he left the monsters in the dust to engage the

man at point-blank range.

"Dix."

"It's fine. You lot finish off that mage."

He jerked his chin at the nearby subordinates, lips curling into a sneer.

They left him, most feared of all the hunters, alone to face the boy closing in at full

speed. The man lifted his spear.

"Take him down, Bell Cranell!!"

As the mage's voice echoed across the background, knife and spear collided.

Sparks flew with a high-pitched metallic ring. Bell and Dix crossed blades.

"Hey! I found a survivor!"

"You all right? Answer me!"

The town of Rivira was showered in crystal light.

The small party that had split from Ganesha Familia's main force made their way

through what was once the Dungeon's outpost, looking for signs of life. Members of

the group called out to each other, rushing in to heal the dwarf they had found buried

beneath a pile of debris and an elf lying on the side of the street.

"H-how horrid…"

Modaka discovered several brutally mutilated corpses among the wreckage.

They were nothing more than piles of flesh lying in pools of blood, shredded to the

point that their faces were unrecognizable. It was almost as if this massacre was to

satisfy a personal grudge.

They had no way of knowing that all these bodies were once adventurers belonging to

Ikelos Familia.

Modaka's face paled, his hands over his mouth as he surveyed the damage from within

the town's smoldering ruins.

"...?"

Focused on the cruel fate that had befallen his fellow adventurers, Modaka happened

to catch a glimpse of something far beyond the edge of the cliff from the corner of his

eye.

What he saw on the other side of the plains, in the middle of the floor, were monsters

emerging from the tunnel connecting to the nineteenth floor at the roots of the Central

Tree.

A white ball of fur was sitting astride a four-legged black monster. He was too far away

to know for sure, but his instincts told him that they were a hellhound and an al-miraj.

Shaking his head at the bizarre pairing, he saw them make a mad dash for the eastern

forest.

"Huh? What was that?" Modaka whispered to himself in confusion—when a new

shadow appeared from the tree roots, freezing time for a moment.

"…Oh crap."

That was all he could say.

"Oh crap, oh crap…! Craaaaaaaaap!"

"Oi, what's wrong with you?"

"Run away!! We need to find the commander and get out of here!"

"What are you talking about?"

"This is no time for taming!!"

Other members of Ganesha Familia gathered around Modaka, who was on the verge

of panic.

Sweat gushing from every pore, he screamed with all his might.

"An Irregular!—A subspecies from hell is here!"

"Great work! Now take control!"

"Only four left!"

Several members of Ganesha Familia worked together to corner and restrain a

thrashing lamia.

Deep in the eastern forest…

The subjugation team had gained the upper hand against the armed monsters, mainly

because most of the creatures had disappeared deeper into the forest, leaving only a

few behind. The hooded adventurer's support helped turn the tide, allowing them to

suppress the monsters still fighting back.

Taming methods had almost no effect on the armed monsters. Although the sounds of

combat still echoed through the leaves, the battle had been reduced to isolated

pockets. Only a few of the monsters were still unrestrained. Forest-monster corpses

and piles of ash were scattered about the woodland floor. The battlefield had shrunk

to one small area.

"Yeesh, all that banging and clashing… gave me one hell of a headache."

"That golden siren intrigues me… It seemed to avoid inflicting fatal wounds."

Aisha lowered her large wooden blade next to Lyu, who was doing the same.

Meanwhile, Ilta and the rest of Ganesha Familia had the golden siren trapped on a tree

branch just overhead.

It was one of the last of the monsters that had fought fang and claw to the end. While

the siren's powerful sound waves had kept the adventurers at bay, Lyu's sudden return

after parting ways with Bell and subsequent sneak attack had knocked it out of the

sky, allowing the adventurers to engage the monsters in hand-to-hand combat.

Strength equivalent to a first-tier adventurer made no difference when outnumbered

to this degree. Without the siren's deadly sound waves for support, the other monsters

didn't last long and fell almost simultaneously soon afterward.

"...!"

The siren sat perched on the branch, chest heaving up and down as it glared at the

adventurers below through one eye.

She was the only monster left that wasn't tied down. Her injured wings were folded

against her body. Her face was contorted, dyed red by what appeared to be the blood

of her enemies running down her cheeks.

"Finally, the last one…"

Their commander, Shakti, took a deep breath and surveyed the battlefield during a lull

in the action.

I doubt we would have struggled to this extent were it not for orders to tame… but that

is not for me to say.

It was Ganesha's will, she reminded herself with a nod.

Shakti knew they had to pursue the second group of monsters that had fled into the

forest and was about to give the order…

"...?"

She turned around.

She had heard something pushing its way through the underbrush, and her eyes found

the source of the sound.

—A hellhound and al-miraj?

Rather than attack, the two monsters rushed by her. In that moment…

" ."

She saw it.

And then…

WHAM!

"…Sister?"

A loud thud drew the Amazon Ilta's attention away from the monster overhead and

back over her shoulder.

She could see the woman she revered as a sister leaning against a thick tree trunk

farther back.

All her weight was on the tree as her head and back rested against it.

No, she wasn't leaning.

She had collided with it.

Slip! Suddenly, she shifted.

Coughing up blood, Shakti scraped against the bark as she slid down to the forest floor

and landed in a heap.

"Eh…?"

Crick, crick! Ominous cracking sounds came from the tree before it toppled to the

ground with a thunderous bang.

Lyu, Aisha, the adventurers, and every monster turned to look.

The forest shook around Shakti's helpless body as she lay motionless and facedown

on the ground.

"Sister!" Ilta screamed. Lyu's eyes went wide, along with everyone else's.

Feeling no need to hide, the presence uprooted trees and plants as it shook the forest,

cracking the ground with each step.

Unbeknownst to the adventurers, the siren had taken flight with a sigh of relief the

moment it appeared from among the trees.

"Wha—?"

It had fists the size of boulders.

It had a gigantic, towering frame.

It was equipped with thick armor.

It brandished a double-sided ax, a Labrys.

The dark shadow with pitch-black skin glared at the adventurers.

"Damn you!"

Ilta roared with rage as the rest of Ganesha Familia readied their weapons and charged

forward.

The black shadow that appeared before them—howled.

"Lett, Fia, can you escape from here?"

They were cut off from the Dungeon.

A frenzied brawl unfolded within an immense chamber deep in Knossos, the manmade labyrinth constructed over a baffling number of decades by countless people.

"To rescue Signor Bell?! Given this situation…!"

"No, to the entrance behind us!"

"!"

"Return to the eighteenth floor, reunite with Rei and those who stayed with her. I want

you to explain what has happened and bring them all here. You can even bring Ganesha

Familia at this point!"

Fels knew this was no time to be picky as he shouted out orders left and right.

If adventurers learned of the Xenos's existence, it would turn society on its head, but

that was preferable to being wiped out by Ikelos Familia here and now.

The two Xenos nodded, understanding his intention.

"Do you remember the route here?"

"Yes!"

"Take this key. It will open all doors."

Fels quickly held out the spherical magic item to the red-cap goblin. The short monster

tossed away his enormous ax and turned to face the harpy seated at his side.

"Fia!"

"I can fly… I will fly!"

With the oversize fetters still binding her legs together, the harpy opened her wings

and forced her body to take flight.

Airborne but unsteady, the red-cap took hold of one of her legs. The two Xenos climbed

high, passing over their crazed brethren before disappearing down the stone stairwell.

"Mage, what have you done?!"

"!"

A voice as rough as a stray dog's growl reached Fels's ears before the mage could see

them off.

Ikelos Familia hunters had arrived. Eight men and women who had been spared from

Dix's Phobetor Daedalus curse charged in with weapons held high.

"There's something I'd like to know. Why do you follow that man's orders? From what

I've seen, he's but a human who leads with an iron fist."

If they all fought as one, their numbers would be too much to overcome. One wellorchestrated attack would be all they needed.

Fels instantly decided to fall back into the chaotic brawl between the Xenos.

"'Cause it's fun as hell, why else? Do what Dix says, and all the money and women we

could ever want come to us! Monsters are nothing but toys!"

"…Why did I even ask?"

Fels chose not to respond to that answer with words but with a counterattack instead.

Now the monsters' full-powered swings became obstacles for the enemy to deal with.

Whenever one of the hunters somehow managed to make it past the raging monsters

or climb over the remaining cages to get in range, Fels blasted them with a shock wave

before they got too close.

"Gah!"

"Son of a—!… What is that thing?! Some kind of magic item?!"

"I don't see what's so hard to understand about magic energy being used as a

projectile."

"A few monsters do something similar with a Howl," the mage explained.

The utter chaos of the battlefield was Fels's best friend. Although the thrashing

monsters did pose a threat, the fact that the enemy couldn't use magic was far more

important.

Completing a trigger spell was next to impossible. Even enemies capable of

Concurrent Casting would have difficulty finishing a chant. Anyone who left the chaos

to stand and cast unaware would be an easy target for Fels's shock wave, which

required no time to unleash.

The gloves were magic items designed for attacking: Magic Eaters.

A projectile weapon designed by Fels for the mage's personal use.

"While its inefficiency is a minus… I'm quite jealous of Bell Cranell's Swift-Strike

Magic."

Using the Xenos's free-for-all to its fullest potential, the mage felled another marauder.

"If it weren't for those dirty tricks of yours…!" an animal person spat as he closed in

on Fels, cursing the mage's black robe among the other magic items that put his

opponent on par with or even above Perseus.

"But at this range—!!"

A longsword came slicing in.

Fels snatched it out of the air like a hawk.

"?!"

"These 'dirty tricks' you hunters keep complaining about required several Advanced

Abilities to create," Fels replied, easily stopping the blade with a gloved palm despite

the hunter's full strength behind it.

The black-robed mage coolly explained to the dumbstruck hunter.

"I happen to be Level Four. Though I've been unable to update since the flesh rotted

off my back."

Expressing hatred for a past deity, Fels reached forward and pressed a flat palm

against the opponent's stomach.

"Wai—!"

Then—bang!

The colorless shock wave exploded directly into his gut and blasted him backward like

a cannon.

"Oh, and I was once known as the 'Sage.' I'm quite confident with my ability to use

magic energy and Mind," the black-robed mage said with a hint of sarcasm. The

intricate designs on Fels's gloves glowed.

Four hunters down. Once the rest were taken care of, Bell would need help. And just

when that thought crossed Fels's mind…

The mage barely managed to dodge an attacker from behind.

"That's odd. I happen to be Level Four, too."

"…!"

It was a hulking bald man with a black tattoo on his face—Gran—who sliced off a piece

of Fels's black robe with a greatsword. An Amazon, an animal person, and a dwarf had

made it through the chaotic battle and were closing in on the mage along with him.

They were the ones who killed Ranieh. Ikelos Familia's main force.

Fully aware of the disadvantage, Fels waved both arms, releasing another shock wave.

A series of shrill explosions and shock waves erupted on the other side of the

battlefield.

Bell launched strike after strike at the man in front of him as the heavy vibrations

pounded his eardrums.

"Are you really Level Three, boy? Got some quick feet there."

"…!"

The man in goggles spun the two-meder red spear, knocking each hit away with ease.

Simply stated, Bell's attacks hadn't inflicted so much as a scratch anywhere on Dix's

body. The man had avoided every single slash of the boy's mad rush.

With the bloody roars of the Xenos behind him, the man in goggles forced the boy back

with a series of devastating blows from his spear.

The two separated for a brief moment.

"What that mage said is true. My curse makes my Status drop like a rock."

"...!"

"Can't help that everything feels slow and heavy."

It was as though the man could see doubt in Bell's eyes, wondering if he was really

debilitated in any way. So, Dix revealed Phobetor Daedalus's cost outright.

Bell's opponent normally had strength to go head-to-head with first-tier adventurers.

Even if his Status had dropped by a full Level—he was still Level 4.

The boy's face tensed, but he knew the difference in their Statuses already and gripped

his knives without fear. Then he launched his attack anew.

"I was just gonna mess around a bit, but it looks like I got no choice. The rumored

Rookie lives up to the hype."

But he was getting bored.

The man in goggles smiled.

"Ready for my turn?" he asked lightly.

He was done playing around, and the spearhead suddenly struck down with

murderous intent.

"?!"

The incredible impact knocked Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki from Bell's grasp.

As the short crimson blade spun through the air, the wickedly curved crimson

spearhead was already back on the offensive.

"Kah!!"

He dodged by a hair.

Bell kept twisting his upper body as strands of his white hair fell away, using his

momentum to spin toward Dix with a backhanded Hestia Knife.

"Shifty, aren't you, boy?"

"Gahh!"

However, Dix whirled by him, driving the butt end of his spear into Bell's face on the

way.

The boy's strike hit nothing but empty air, and his face burned in pain. The world

shook for a second for Bell, but he was quick to regain his bearings. Planting his feet,

he turned to face Dix, who was already behind him.

" ?!"

The first thing he saw was the crimson spearhead coming right for his eyes.

Catching a glimpse of the man's evil sneer, Bell used every bit of Strength he possessed

to force the Hestia Knife upward and knock the weapon to the side.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"

The spearhead had been deflected, but it rotated at the last moment and sliced into

the boy. Dix's laughter accompanied the attack. He had warned Bell; it was indeed his

turn on the offensive.

The long spear appeared to curve through the air, striking like a snake with bared

fangs. He ramped up his onslaught on the boy, who was forced to defend with only the

Hestia Knife and quick, shifty movements. There was no pattern—Bell had no idea

where the next attack would come from. What's more, the man combined a few violent

kicks with his relentless assault, knocking the boy off balance and making the next

attack even harder to predict.

Bell was driven farther back by the man's spear and its unrefined, wild aggression.

"Nice knowing you!!"

The man thrust the spear forward to finish off the stumbling boy.

Bell saw the spearhead coming—and his eyes flashed.

—It worked!

His free left hand swung behind his back, and an instant later, a crimson arc burst forth

from a sheath.

It slammed into Dix's spear with incredible force.

"!!"

The red eyes beneath the smoky-quartz goggle lenses opened wide.

It was the spare Ushiwakamaru, accompanied by a technique he had learned from

watching the Sword Princess: bait and switch.

Bell remembered the vigorous training sessions alongside an Amazonian girl on top

of the city wall just before the War Game and showed an opening when he was at a

clear disadvantage.

"Their guard is lowest when the final blow is near."

As his idol's words replayed in his mind, Bell's body became a blur. The first crimson

knife allowed him to dodge the spearhead by the slimmest of margins, and he closed

in on his floundering opponent.

A spear's weakness was his knife's strength—close range. Bell moved to take full

advantage of his weapon.

However…

" ."

Dix, who should have been wide-eyed in surprise, was sneering with confidence.

The man held a battle knife, large enough to be mistaken for a shortsword, behind his

back, hidden from Bell's sight.

A gleaming arc flashed from the side opposite the spear, burning an image into the

boy's frozen rubellite eyes.

It was as though the man had copied Bell's technique, pulling a blade out from around

the waist and swinging toward his shocked opponent's exposed stomach.

It was a perfect counterattack. The battle knife's tip scooped upward.

"!!"

Falling into his own trap, Bell immediately pulled himself into a crouch with all the

strength he could muster.

"Oh?"

His line of sight fell just as the strike intended for the boy's stomach was deflected to

the chest.

The battle knife's tip came to a halt against his breastplate. The silver armor blocked

Dix's weapon with a loud metallic clang.

"Ha-ha-ha! Got some good armor there!!"

"Uwh!"

Still recovering from the impact to his chest, Bell was launched back by a front kick.

As rivers of sweat covered his skin, Bell adjusted the breastplate with his right hand,

still holding the Hestia Knife in a reverse grip.

Welf…!

The smith had boasted about the dual adamantite mixed into the fifth incarnation of

Pyonkichi.

"I poured a lot of money into that ingot metal. You better not break it," the red-haired

man had said with a laugh. Bell silently thanked him for the armor from the bottom of

his heart.

That armor had protected him from an enemy's killing blow, saving his life.

"Well done, boy. Here comes the next one."

Dix struck again, his lips curled into a grin.

Bell had no choice but to defend against his spear-wielding foe, who had returned his

knife to its sheath.

—He's strong.

Dix's skill and tactics would never disappear, no matter how far his Status fell.

Of course not. They had been developed in actual combat, from real experience.

No matter how close Bell came in Status, even if his greatest weapon, his Agility, was

comparable, the amount of experience separating the two was insurmountable. In

short, hunter Dix Perdix was strong, even without his powerful curse.

Bell became painfully aware of that fact as the spear shaft knocked him to the ground.

The unstoppable approach of burning despair began at his toes and fingertips, much

as it had when he was facing Phryne.

"Gah!"

Although Bell managed to roll out of the weapon's trajectory, the crimson spearhead

still carved a slice out of his cheek.

A moment later, Bell was back on his feet and trying to gain some distance when…

"Hot…!"

The intense, searing pain in his cheek made his whole body flinch.

"Careful now. One bad hit from this spear… and you'll be dead on the spot," Dix said

with a grin, lifting the wickedly twisted, ominous spear up to eye level.

"Custom ordered it from a mage. It's got a curse built in. Whatever it cuts won't heal,

not even with potions or magic. As long as the curses are intact, anyway."

"!"

Shock was written all over Bell's face. Another wave of cold sweat ran down his neck

at the same time.

No matter how many times Bell wiped the blood away, it wouldn't clot. Dix's claim was

true. The blood dripped from his cheek, staining his skin and armor red.

There was no way to recover from even one hit; it truly was a cursed weapon.

Bell gritted his teeth at the crimson magic that exacerbated his wounds.

—Haven't I seen that before?

He glanced down at the gash's reflection in the knife blade.

He was perplexed at the twinge of a memory in the back of his mind.

"No matter how many times you put monsters in their place, they heal up sooner or

later. It's way easier if you cut them up so bad they can't move and the wounds never

heal."

Bell's eyes flashed as he listened to Dix casually explain his horrifying method.

"Could it be… That barbarian on Daedalus Street…?"

Behind the orphanage. He and Syr had entered an underground tunnel after the

children asked them to do a quest.

Bell remembered the large-category monster he fought in the darkness.

"Hey, seriously, boy? You ran into that?!"

Bell watched, dumbfounded, as Dix nearly burst into laughter.

"You bet, we caughtthat big one. I sliced it up real good with this spear, but… it escaped

from my idiotic underlings before we could get it out."

"…!"

"The damn tunnel caved in during the chase and it got away. We kept looking, too.

Couldn't exactly let it be."

That large, bloodstained body had had countless bleeding wounds, and yet none

showed signs of closing.

Its howls were filled with anger, pain, and suffering.

Bell had been taken aback by the monster's "lament."

Had that barbarian been a Xenos, too…?

"That thing caused us a lot of trouble, so we've been killing all the big ones right away

since then, but… So you cleaned it up for us. Thanks for the assist, Little Rookie."

A chill ran through Bell's veins at the grinning, laughing man in front of him, who was

far more terrifying than any monster or even the Dungeon itself.

The "evil" Lyu mentioned had to be something like this.

An indescribable sense of cold wrapped around Bell's body.

"Why…"

"Hn?"

"Why do you hurt these monsters…?"

The words came out of Bell's mouth before he knew it.

"Told you I needed money, didn't I?"

"Is that… is that really all…?"

How was he able to continue inflicting so much pain on the Xenos after hearing the

lament that Bell had?

Monster howls filling his ears, Bell leaned forward and demanded an answer.

"..."

Dix shut his mouth for a moment as the boy's words hung in the air.

He placed a hand over his goggles… and grinned.

This smile was different from any before it.

"Little Rookie. You have any idea why Daedalus's descendants listen to our crazed

ancestor from beyond the grave…? Do you understand why it's gone on for a thousand

years? Do you?"

Bell flinched, surprised by the sudden question.

Dix didn't wait for an answer.

"'Cause our blood makes us."

"What…?"

"Our blood tells us to," he said, pushing the goggles down onto those wide red eyes

with all his might.

The man's voice reached a fever pitch.

"It won't shut up! 'Complete this frickin' huge labyrinth,' it says!!"

" !"

"It won't even let me stop for a breather!! Daedalus's blood forces me back up!!"

It was the first time his voice had any emotion.

Dix ignored Bell's reflexive step back and continued his tirade.

"It's been the same way ever since I was born in this dark, grimy trash heap! The

blueprints for Knossos in that notebook work us to death!! No one can escape, not

from this cursed bloodline!!"

Dix laughed a laugh brimming over with anger and indignation.

Bell shuddered in fear at the torrent of hatred on display.

—Cursed bloodline.

Mad Daedalus's tenacity had continued uninterrupted for nearly one thousand years.

The unyielding obsession the man had possessed, the drive to create a piece that

outdid the Dungeon, surpassed the gods themselves.

Was it as Dix said? Had the man's brilliance and insanity been passed down to his

offspring through his blood?

"It's bullshit, yeah?! The only one allowed to order me around—is me!"

Bell was caught between what was possible and his own guesses, but there was one

thing he knew for sure.

This man in front of him, Dix Perdix…

…possessed a fierce sense of individuality, one strong enough to fight against his

cursed blood.

"…I'd love it if this whole thing just disappeared. I ain't joking," Dix remarked coldly,

his grin unchanged as if all his built-up anger had been vented successfully."I hate this

labyrinth more than anyone else in the world."

But he couldn't break it.

The blood wouldn't let him. Daedalus's curse was too strong.

It insisted the opposite, to finish the piece.

Dix finally removed his hand from his goggles.

"I used to take it all out on the Dungeon. I hated the labyrinth that drove Daedalus and

all my ancestors crazy. I killed monsters, just kill, kill, killed them one after another."

"...!"

"But of course, it wasn't enough."

Then, Dix looked past Bell toward the Xenos still brawling behind the boy.

"How was I ever going to feel satisfied…? That was all I could think about, building this

labyrinth. But we found the talking monsters around that time, and the hunts began.

Let's see… ah, yeah. Would've been right after those stuck-up bastards Zeus and Hera

disappeared."

Dix looked down, chuckling to himself as soon as the words left his mouth.

Chills ran through Bell once again as the man's ominous, guttural laughter sounded in

his ears.

"They were no ordinary monsters. They cried and begged for their lives. Imagine that.

Monsters born from the same Dungeon that turned Daedalus into a madman, begging

for mercy… Ha-ha, still gets me."

" ."

The smile plastered on the man's face when he looked up was so horrid that Bell was

lost for words.

"—I found it at last! A desire that could quiet the damn curse!!"

Dix swung the crimson spear forward with his right hand, slicing through the air.

"My first taste of satisfaction came from making those monsters suffer and cry out in

despair, treating them like trash! I could slake my thirst and quiet my blood!!"

"Wha—?"

"Just as my ancestors once said, I purely pursue what I desire!"

The man didn't stop talking.

"Oh, the rush—pure joy! Finally silencing the blood! Going up against yourself and

winning!! No amount of ale or drugs could measure up—it was pure euphoria!!"

Bell saw the man's insanity before him and understood.

In other words, there was no greater meaning to what Dix did to the Xenos, no grand

scheme.

Its only purpose was to satisfy his desires and tremendous sadism.

And those fierce desires were strong enough to overcome the curse of his blood.

What the man was after… was to satisfy his insatiable sadistic will, and everything he

did was to that end.

This was completely different from Welf's battle with the Crozzo blood in his veins. It

was presumptuous to compare the two.

Dix had stopped fighting against his blood altogether—replacing it with a more

powerful desire, thus becoming more monstrous than monsters themselves.

"That's why…!!"

He had done what he did to Wiene and the Xenos…

Bell's shoulders trembled as he watched the man drowning in his own pleasure.

"You did all this?"

Dix's expression vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Get over yourself, boy."

" ?!"

"You'll never understand what it's like, having blood-driven impulses run your life."

He charged forward, one-handedly stabbing with his spear over and over as Bell

frantically dodged to avoid being run through.

"You'll never understand a guy who can't do anything about a curse burning his eyeball

from the inside out!!"

The man funneled all his rage into one arcing sweep. Unable to absorb the blow, Bell

was thrown from his feet.

"It was all for the money at first," said Ikelos, surrounded by the blue sky. "Like I told

you before, completing Knossos requires money—lots and lots of money. So much

money that no amount of treasure brought up from the Dungeon's deep levels can ever

hope to cover it."

"..."

"Plus, the risk of losing allies got too high. If you found a way to safely line your

pockets, you'd dive at the chance, yeah?"

Ikelos reminisced about when the Xenos were discovered by accident and the black

market first got under way.

Hermes's face remained neutral as he listened.

"That's what got Dix started, but… Hee-hee-hee! The guy changed."

"Changed…?"

"Yeah. While he was teaching the monsters to fear pain before bringing them outside…

at some point, his eyes started lighting up when he heard them scream and saw them

cry."

Ikelos continued by saying that "something" inside him must have woken up.

He then explained that the goal and method of capturing Xenos had switched places.

"I loved it. He looked like a guy going after what he wanted. Those savage eyes,

trembling, practically screaming in pleasure…!"

"…That's worse than horrible, Ikelos."

"Hee-hee-hee-hee…!! We gods wouldn't have it any other way, would we? Those brats

are a real pain, but I love them all in my own way."

Ikelos's voice faded into the breeze, as though he were cheering for his child to turn

the tide against his cursed bloodline.

"Looks like Daedalus's last wish might die with Dix's generation."

"..."

"He's lost all interest in finishing Knossos; that idea's gone to bed."

Ikelos narrowed his eyes.

"Now, he's got what I love—a monster's dream."

Impossible…!

Asfi was overwhelmed at the sight.

Arms and legs lying limp on the ground, red blades of grass dripping tears of blood,

glimmering shards of broken weapons scattered about.

Bodies of fallen, barely breathing adventurers were sprawled out below her vantage

point in the trees.

They'd been wiped out.

Ganesha Familia's elites, Orario's first-tier adventurers, were all defeated by a single

monster.

Much like Shakti, Ilta had been felled by a single blow. It was over for the rest before

they knew what hit them.

The enemy had specifically targeted the subjugation team's strongest members,

taking them out one by one before moving to overwhelm the ones left standing. The

floor shattered with every single-handed swing of its double-bladed Labrys. It felled

large trees and stomped out the adventurers' formations with its massive feet.

Its black skin bore no damage whatsoever.

Huff, huff! Intermittent breaths from its powerful snout echoed throughout the quiet

forest.

It stood at the center of the battlefield strewn with adventurer bodies laid out like

corpses, like a king of calamity.

A black minotaur…?!

She didn't know. She'd never heard of anything like this.

A monster of this magnitude didn't exist anywhere in Asfi's wealth of knowledge.

Her pounding heartbeats shook her whole body from within. She struggled to catch

her breath against the powerful rhythm. Desperate not to make any noise, she had to

hold her arms and legs to keep from shaking the magic item that kept her invisible.

Pangs of regret tormented her.

She hadn't prioritized information gathering and leaving the battlefield.

Allowing Lyu and Aisha to influence her and letting her sense of justice convince her

to provide assistance from the shadows—it was all a mistake.

She should have escaped, and quickly.

Seeing what lay before her, fighting against her uncooperative body, Asfi regretted

everything.

"This has gotta be some kind of joke…"

"..."

In addition to the black monster, two people still remained upright in the forest

battlefield.

Aisha and Lyu.

They weren't able to join the battle before the one-sided onslaught came to an end. A

sense of urgency had overtaken their faces. The two stood, overwhelmed and unable

to budge in its presence.

All the other monsters were gone. Almost as if they had known this was going to

happen, they had all left the battlefield and disappeared into the east.

...?!

Run away, Asfi silently pleaded.

Get as far away from here as possible! her heart screamed at the other women.

However, the elf and the Amazonian warrior quietly raised their weapons,

symbolically rejecting Asfi's plea.

The women were surrounded by the bodies of Ganesha Familia members.

However, they were all still breathing.

Unable to abandon these adventurers on the brink of death to their fate, Lyu and Aisha

pointed their blades at the black monster.

Asfi gnashed her teeth, feeling powerless.

"...…"

Tension filled the forest air.

Lyu sank low, Aisha's wooden blade whistled, and Asfi reached for a holster at her

waist amid the stinging unease.

Three hearts beat as one.

" Ooo."

Then…

The black monster's first step was the signal.

"!!"

Lyu and Aisha took off at a sprint at the same moment an invisible Asfi jumped from

her spot in the tree, throwing sharp needles and Burst Oil at the beast.

The monster easily blocked the three needles that appeared from thin air with the

gauntlet strapped to its arm. The Burst Oil detonated after an intentional delay a

moment later. It wasn't intended to inflict damage. However, the smoke and flames

would interfere with their adversary's vision. Lyu and Aisha circled around in

different directions, charging in from the left and right.

Caught in a speedy pincer attack, the enemy—aimed for Aisha.

"""?!"""

A black shadow broke through the smoke.

The distance between them was reduced to zero with one kick of its mighty leg and a

cloud of dirt. The trio shuddered in fear—Lyu, the beast gone from her line of sight,

Asfi with her aerial view, and Aisha, the target.

Aisha raised her large wooden sword to defend herself from the Labrys on a collision

course with her face

" ."

Her weapon was utterly destroyed a moment later.

The bones of her fingers cracked on impact. The thick blade shattered in one blow

right in front of her face, and a rain of silver shards filled Aisha's vision. While the

Amazon had successfully sacrificed the weapon for an opening of her own to attack,

she had no way to block the monster's follow-up.

The enemy wildly swung its right hand, smashing into Aisha less than a heartbeat

later.

" Gahh!"

The enemy's palm connected just above Aisha's left arm, pushing her off her feet and

launching her backward with a sickening crack.

The woman collided with a massive tree trunk, slid down to the ground, and didn't get

up.

"Antianeira!"

As if drawn by Lyu's scream, the black shadow wasted no time turning to face her.

"!"

Lyu needed every ounce of her high-speed reflexes to drop to the ground in time to

avoid an oncoming sweeping blow that defied the laws of inertia.

The Labrys passed just over her head as the elf practically hugged the forest floor. The

wind whipping by in the weapon's wake was powerful enough to shred her cape,

tearing off the hood along with it. Lyu's delicate facial features were now exposed.

The elvish warrior wasn't about to let this go unpunished, slashing her wooden sword

forward as the enemy passed by—but it was able to dodge her attack with only a

single-legged jump.

"...!!"

Its massive frame hit the ground, sending a tremor through the battlefield. Lyu rolled

away, shaking off her surprise.

The black monster that appeared directly before her was already locked on to her with

the Labrys held high, despite the distance between them.

—Is it going to throw it?!

It did not.

Going against Lyu's expectation, the enemy drove the double-bladed ax directly into

the ground at its feet.

The crystals, stone, and vegetation exploded into a wave of projectiles hurtling right

for her.

"?!"

Although Lyu managed to get clear of them in time—

"—Geh, agh!"

—she heard several crystals shatter on impact behind her, as well as a pained scream.

"Wha—?"

Lyu glanced over her shoulder and gawked in surprise.

Asfi was sprawled out on the ground behind her.

Lyu understood in an instant.

The enemy's true target hadn't been her, but Perseus and her magic item.

Whether it was by smell or a gut feeling, the monster had detected Asfi's general

location and sent a spray of projectiles over a wide area.

Lyu had no way of knowing that she was blocking Asfi's view, delaying her reaction.

"Andromeda…"

The Hades Head had broken under the hail of crystal shards.

No longer invisible, the beautiful young woman had landed on her back. The white

cape she always wore was now riddled with holes and stained bloodred. Her silverrimmed glasses had been knocked from her face and now lay on the ground some

distance away.

"..."

Lyu stared at Aisha and Asfi in disbelief. Seeing that neither would be able to rejoin

the battle, the elf turned to face forward.

The monster stood before her, a nightmare come to life.

Step, step! The Labrys, splattered with the blood of many adventurers, or perhaps

countless monsters, swayed as the beast's advancing footsteps sent tremors through

the floor.

Lyu remained silent, lowering her stance and raising her weapon.

She faced down the enemy, gripping her wooden sword with both hands.

The black monster took notice and came to a halt.

Gazing inquisitively into Lyu's stoic, emotionless eyes for a moment, it quietly raised

the Labrys into position.

Lyu confronted the monster alone.

"..."

Having lost her hood in the enemy's attack, her elfish beauty was exposed to the forest.

Her will to fight was as strong as ever.

Her eyebrows arching high, she stared down the enemy with the commanding

presence and expression of a warrior.

However, the rivers of sweat pouring down her face betrayed her true state of mind.

It has been quite a while…

The feeling of being at death's door.

Lyu hadn't experienced it since she quit being an adventurer and washed her hands of

the Dungeon.

There was an absolute line between life and death, one that she had always managed

to avoid crossing by the skin of her teeth.

It was before her again, except it was thicker and more distinct than she'd ever felt

before.

The brief silence stabbed at her ears.

As her racing heart pounded a warning in her ears, she relaxed her hands around the

wooden sword to adjust her grip, then squeezed it tight.

The next moment…

" OOOOO!!"

"!!"

Lyu and the monster made their moves.

She dropped to all fours to avoid the ax slice that accompanied the battle cry and

thrust the wooden blade forward from below.

That strike missed, but she didn't care. Lyu kept her legs moving and picked up speed.

Aisha's battle had taught her that trying to block the enemy's overwhelming strength

was not an option. Even the slightest contact had to be avoided at all costs. She ran like

the wind, dodging attacks like a blustery storm. And, with the power of a gale, she

launched her offensive. Lyu poured her entire being into evasion and

counterattacking, utilizing every opportunity to strike the black monster.

Her opponent's ferocious potential always robbed her of the first move, forcing Lyu to

read and react at all times.

The monster had skill, and it was adapting to and predicting her attack patterns. It had

been the same with a fraction of the armed monsters as well. For Lyu, that was the

most intimidating factor of all. Dread threatened to overwhelm her with each enemy

strike, but she refused to be afraid. Fear led to defeat and, ultimately, death.

Maintaining low posture in the face of her towering adversary, she tenaciously

bombarded its legs.

"—Uoo."

The monster's eyes widened when it realized Lyu's attacks were hitting harder, and

each blow's precision and speed was steadily increasing. She could see joy in its

expression. This beast was unlike any other she'd ever encountered.

This monster wasn't interested in massacring people but fighting against them.

That thought crossed her mind. And Lyu was certain she knew what that meant to

their battle. The difference between a mass murderer and a warrior lay in the latter's

insatiable aspiration to reach new heights and desire to taste victory. Lyu's unhidden,

elegant features contorted.

And so the battle between an elf, moving fast enough to leave afterimages in her wake,

and a monster's seemingly limitless strength was about to come to an end in less than

a minute.

Lyu had fought at full strength from the start, with no intention of drawing out the

encounter.

Knowing that she was near her limit, the warrior attempted to finish the battle once

and for all.

"HYAAA!"

" !! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

She thrust from the side. Crouching like a wild beast, Lyu launched herself forward

into one of her tried-and-true techniques as the black monster swung the Labrys high

above its head.

The massive ax came crashing down far faster than its opponent's mad dash.

"?!"

As the ensuing cyclone carried the wooden blade into the air, the monster's shoulder

twitched.

It didn't feel right.

There should have been some slight resistance at the moment of triumph, but the

Labrys had cut through sheer air on its way to the ground. There was nothing.

Then, a shadow grew over the monster's body in the momentary lull.

—You're mine.

It was Lyu.

She'd leaped into the air from a sprint just before the double-bladed ax came down.

The first part of her strategy had been to keep her opponent focused down. She had

manipulated its thought process to set up her own sneak attack.

Lyu played her trump card, an aerial battle.

The moment her enemy was required to adjust from land-based combat to an attack

from above, it opened a fatal window.

Lyu's tactics exceeded the monster's strength and skill.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Aiming for her stunned adversary, she drew two shortswords from her waist.

"Twin short swords." She had received them both from a Far Eastern familia that no

longer existed.

Lyu sought to carve out the monster's life, blades flashing.

"—Wha…!"

However—it blocked her.

What stopped Lyu's twin-bladed strike in its tracks was a single horn.

The crimson horn grew from its forehead, like a bull's.

It took the twin-bladed attack head-on, staying strong as if it would never break.

From there, the monster used its neck muscles to fling Lyu's vulnerable body through

the air with incredible force after absorbing the impact.

"GhAH!"

Crash! Lyu's lean body slammed into a tree, and a boom reverberated through the

forest.

Gasping for breath as the air was knocked from her lungs, she saw a black shadow fall

over her in an instant as she struggled to stand.

" !"

The Labrys rose high in front of her eyes, and it was too late to evade.

Lyu gazed up at the massive black shadow, knowing that she would die.

" ..."

But just before the ax came down…

Her enemy stopped to look in a completely different direction. Wide-eyed, Lyu heard

it, too—a monstrous howl from the distance, far deeper in the forest. It was almost as

though it was conveying a message.

Falling silent, the black monster lowered its ax and began walking away from Lyu.

Leaving behind the gawking elf, it disappeared into the forest with footsteps that

shook the ground.

"…I have been… spared."

Lyu whispered weakly to herself as the creature disappeared from sight.

She stared at her trembling hand, unable to clench a fist, before giving in to her

exhaustion and leaning against the tree behind her.

She looked toward the floor's signature blue sky.

Many adventurers lay strewn across the battlefield illuminated by the crystal light

penetrating the forest canopy, but she was the only one who moved.

"Do I make you that angry, Little Rookie?"

Dix asked him a question amid the ceaseless frenzy.

"They can talk, that's all. Doesn't change the fact that they're monsters."

"Gh-ah…!"

Bell had taken considerable damage.

While Bell had managed to avoid the cursed spear itself,the man still had an advantage

in battle and inflicted a great deal of pain. Since the beginning of the skirmish, Bell had

received so many cuts and bruises that it was safe to say he was injured from head to

toe.

However, the boy's eyes were still clear, shining like the sun without a cloud in the sky.

"What's wrong with killing them in a pool of their own blood?"

"Ghah?!"

"You've been doing it, too, haven't you? Take out some monsters, get some cash. Ain't

that the same thing?"

"GAH…?!"

The boy could barely move, and Dix knocked him back with the shaft of his spear.

Though he could intercept the weapon with his Hestia Knife, Bell couldn't completely

protect himself from the long, diagonal slashes. His legs, arms, and face had taken

more hits than he could remember.

Dix was just toying with Bell, smacking him around for fun with a smile.

He wanted nothing more than to see the light leave the boy's eyes and watch his spirit

break. The words were there to twist the knife for good measure.

"…Even… if… even if that were true…!"

"?"

"Lido, all of those monsters can smile… and laugh…! They can shed tears, just like

us…!"

Bell glared at Dix with his rubellite eyes.

"They can… shake hands…!!"

Bell clenched his right fist, remembering the warmth that he once felt in that palm.

"…Boy, you're out of your mind," said Dix, his grin deepening.

With his red eyes sparkling behind his goggles, it was almost as though the man's

sadistic spirit had caught fire.

"Now, what to do…"

"UgHA…!"

A solid hit to the top of Bell's shoulder sent him down to one knee.

Dix looked at the boy, who was supporting himself with his left hand as he gasped for

breath.

"If I remember right… you had a thing for that vouivre, didn't you?"

Like a switch…

…time came to a screeching halt for Bell once he heard those words.

"—All right then, I'll show you what's what."

A cruel grin grew across the man's face.

"What are you…?"

"Time for a nap."

A powerful kick caught him right beneath the chin, and Bell tumbled across the stone

floor.

The chuckling man's presence drifted farther away. Trapped in a swirling, nauseating

fog for a moment, the boy bit his lip and fought his way back to his feet. Then he kicked

off the stone floor.

Stumbling, Bell ran deeper into the chamber, where Dix had disappeared into the

darkness.

What greeted his eyes when he got there were several tunnels fitted with orichalcum

doors, as well as a hole in the floor, with exposed metal beneath the stone, that

appeared to be an unfinished passage. As the crazed Xenos howls faded far behind

him, Bell tore through one of the dim hallways.