We’d done our best under the circumstances, but it was a shame we hadn’t gotten to take the Clay Giant down with the rest of our party; we could have all gotten more experience points that way. The Four Seasons members might have also leveled up—theirs was certainly a desperate battle, but they’d come out of it in one piece.

♦Current Party♦

1: Arihito		Level 7
2: Theresia	Rogue	Level 7
3: Kyouka	Valkyrie	Level 6
4: Elitia	Cursed Blade	Level 10
5: Cion	Silver Hound	Level 6
6: Melissa	Dissector	Level 6

As I’d expected, the members who hadn’t grown in level had also accumulated a large amount of experience points from the battle. My license showed five of the bubbles measuring Elitia’s EXP had been filled, and she was much more advanced than the rest of us. I gathered you needed to fill all ten EXP bubbles to level up. Melissa had also filled quite a few of her own bubbles in one go and was probably on the verge of leveling up soon.

“This is a first. We normally check in with our levels back at the Guild after reporting back on our latest expedition,” I noted.

“Let’s just keep in mind we have more skill points now if we need them. Thanks for pointing that out, Elitia.”

“…I know we’re in a tight spot, but it’s still exciting to see you level up,” added Melissa. It seemed she’d started to expand her interests beyond rare monsters and into people—okay, maybe that was a little harsh. She had such a wide range of skills available to her, so I was honestly excited to see her advance as well. The same applied for the others, too, of course.

“Wow, this place really does go on forever…,” I said.

“Atobe, should we just keep going straight in?” asked Igarashi.

“Yes. I can’t really explain it, but I can kind of sense the direction Shirone went… Maybe it’s from that move she used on me earlier.”

Shirone’s Magic Marking skill had allowed her to make her Return Scroll apply only to me. Maybe that skill was why I could sort of tell which way she’d headed, although I wasn’t sure how long the effect would last.

I really hope it wears off when she leaves the labyrinth or after some kind of time limit… I suppose I could also ask her to remove the mark when I catch up to her. Of course, she might not be in any condition to talk at that point. Just one more reason we can’t abandon her now.

♦Monsters Encountered♦

They measured about six-and-a-half feet from their noses to the tips of their long tails, and horns thick as branches sprouted from their heads. I wondered if they might use those to attack us somehow—but the one waking monster just sat poking its head out of the puddle and watched us with a curiously charming expression.

“This might not be the time to say this, but that monster is so laid-back…,” said Melissa. “Its face looks like a stuffed animal…”

“They may look cute, but they go crazy and will attack if something agitates them or if it starts raining.”

“That ‘slow’ in its name might mean it’s got attacks to decrease its enemies’ speed. Or maybe it can send us flying to slow us down that way,” I said.

“…!”

Theresia, seated atop my knees, bristled. She’d seen angry-looking Slow Salamanders coming up ahead of us, waiting right in the middle of a path we had no way of avoiding that was surrounded by ponds.

“There’s…something in its mouth…,” said Melissa.

“…I think it’s Shirone’s short swords,” replied Elitia. She was exactly right: As cute as these monsters were, we couldn’t let our guard down around them.

The damage Elitia had inflicted on the Clay Giant when we defeated it had also hit Shirone in what my license called backfiring. Shirone had managed to manipulate the monster, but doing so had also evidently put her at risk; any damage sustained by the monsters she controlled could come back to bite her, as well.

“Shirone was pretty badly injured… I don’t care how strong she is, there’s no way she could’ve taken these monsters down in that state,” I said.

“She lost all her weapons but still headed deeper in the labyrinth…” A troubled expression came over Elitia’s face. Anyone could see Shirone was basically throwing her life away.

The monsters were still some distance away, but at the speed Alphecca was racing along, we’d close that gap any moment. I considered asking if she could ram into them with Aura Spike or something, but then I looked over and thought I saw hesitation cloud her ghostly, half-translucent visage.

“Alphecca, what’s wrong? Is that type of monster hard to handle?”

“We all have our limitations. We are resistant to most types of magic, but we are not entirely immune to all its variations,” Murakumo explained in Alphecca’s place. In other words, that must mean Alphecca was particularly vulnerable to the Slow Salamanders’ attacks.

“I am ill-equipped to face attacks that would reduce my speed…and I cannot overutilize my skills that might dispel status inflictions as they require blood of the purest maidens to activate.”

She still should have been able to use long-range attacks such as Rose Javelin, but I figured she probably chose not to try them on opponents she was ill-matched to face. I had no intention of forcing our armaments to follow my commands; their feelings were no different than a person’s, and to me, they were equally important members of our party. We all had our weaknesses and needed to back one another up.

“Igarashi, let’s hit them with a long-range attack!”

“You got it!”

“Awooo!”

♦Monsters Encountered♦

The Salamanders wrapped their tails around each of Shirone’s short swords—it looked like they might be able to swipe at us with them.

“Attacks of this ilk…are an insufferable pestilence!” bemoaned Alphecca.

The Salamanders turned their horns toward us and from a distance did something before we could even get our attack together.

♦Current Status♦

Their attack was invisible—well, almost invisible. I could just barely make it out with Hawk Eyes, but it was incredibly difficult to see at all, much less determine how far it extended. With no idea what was coming, I had only one move: aim my slingshot at the Salamander that Igarashi didn’t already have in her sights.

♦Current Status♦

“Whoaaa!”

“……?!”

What’s with this skill…? I can hardly see anything, and it’s so overwhelmingly powerful…!

It had gotten to Igarashi’s Thunderbolt, however, which crackled and fizzled out before it got to race through the air. Their attack clearly affected skills as well, but it hadn’t canceled mine. The frost stone–powered magic bullet hit one of the Salamanders squarely in the head.

“…GYEEE…EEE …”

♦Current Status♦

The Salamander’s horns completely froze over. I was sure the shot had inflicted quite a bit of damage, but it was hard to deal a decisive blow without adding any support damage to the attack after all.

These guys are bad news… That move can’t immobilize us, but if it hits me, it’ll take a huge bite out of my speed…!

“What’s…going on…? I’m…so slow…,” Igarashi struggled to say.

“Im…possible…,” Elitia added. “Not…on this…floor…”

“…GYEEE…”

“…KRAAAH…”

The Salamander I hit stood frozen in place, but the other opened its mouth wide to let out a menacing call and took off scurrying across the ground toward me. It would lose a footrace against a Komodo dragon, but its speed still took me by surprise.

“We must…escape the enemy’s range or else…,” Alphecca warned.

I would’ve done more to try and avoid them if I’d known they had the power to inflict such devastating status ailments, but since Alphecca had expended all her magic in the fight against the Clay Giant, she didn’t have enough power to activate Float and carry us this far through the air. Even if we’d run here on our own two feet, we would’ve almost certainly collided with these two Salamanders either way.

But since it had come to this, all we could do was fight for our lives. If it worked out, we might also recover Shirone’s weapons.

“Theresia, I need a favor… Try to stay as close as you can in front of me, okay? Or else that speed reduction might hit me, too.”

“……”

Part II: Water Spirit

The Salamander slithered along the ground as it scurried over to us and opened its mouth to unleash another attack—not the speed-eating strike, but one that summoned spheres of water out of the pools around us and left them bobbing in the air.

“Don’t even think about it!” I yelled.

“…KAAAH!”

♦Current Status♦

“……!”

“KWAAAH!!”

Theresia raised her shield and turned to look back at me. That one glance was enough to tell me exactly what she was planning to do.

“Go for it, Theresia!”

“—!!”

Theresia charged at the Elemental Aqua. The water bubbles pulsed violently and spewed jets of water toward her at a furious clip, when:

♦Current Status♦

She dashed and darted through the air so quickly that for a second it looked like she’d produced several clones of herself. Elemental Aqua shot jet stream after jet stream at her; they all seemed to meet their mark but managed only to pierce through the fleeting images she left in her wake.

♦Current Status♦

Theresia adjusted her position to steer the enemy’s attacks, ensuring all the jet streams missed me right behind her. I stood in the midst of a ferocious onslaught but didn’t feel the slightest hint of danger. This was one chance I couldn’t let slip by. I set up a combined attack with Theresia, determined to end this battle once and for all.

“Freeze!”

“……!”

♦Current Status♦

“KWAAAH!”

One of the Slow Salamanders broke free from its frozen status and charged at us. Theresia wouldn’t be able to cover me from her position if it activated that Breath of Stagnant Water at me now; it’d kill my speed and take me out of the battle.

Maybe this’ll work… It does live in the water… Here goes nothing…!

“Theresia, hit it with the back of your sword!”

“……!!”

♦Current Status♦

Vines shot out of Theresia’s sword the instant it touched the Salamander and trapped the monster in a tangled web. She rushed behind the remaining monster before it could start attacking once more—and cinched the win.

“……!!”

♦Current Status♦

““…KWAAAH…!””

Theresia attacked the enemy from its blind spot, giving her strike twice the power. She must have known her next blow might be fatal, so she intentionally held back and only lightly tapped the hilt of her sword against the enemy, activating the vines to sprout once more and successfully capture the Salamander without killing it.

The six-foot-long salamander-type monsters flailed about in the thorny binds that held them suspended above the ground. These vines rendered even monsters with the most vicious attacks completely powerless.

♦Current Status♦

“…Phew, finally back to normal… Atobe, Theresia, thank you.”

“…Now that I can move all of a sudden, it feels like I’m going super fast,” said Melissa.

“You’ve got that right…,” agreed Elitia. “That’s the last type of monster I want to fight. My job is all about speed!”

Melissa and Elitia came riding over on Alphecca, and Igarashi caught up to us on Cion.

“I was planning to do just that, but I think their skills might come in handy at some point. Plus, we don’t have to finish them off to find whatever loot they have on them.”

“Y-yeah. I don’t know if I could dissect something that looks so much like a stuffed animal…”

“Their tails are delicious. You can sometimes find them for sale in District Seven,” Elitia mentioned. “Any equipment you make out of their skin will have waterproof properties, and you can use the things on their heads as hand-to-hand combat weapons.”

Humans could be truly frightening—although that’s more than a little hypocritical of me to say after reaping the benefits from so many items made of monster parts.

“…Hm? Atobe, look at the monsters… They seem really wary of Theresia.”

“What…?”

Upon closer inspection, the captured Slow Salamanders appeared to be trembling slightly in their vines. Both sets of beady eyes were glued to Theresia.

“Theresia is a Lizardman…and these are Salamanders. Maybe they don’t trust lizards…?”

““…KWAH!”” the two monsters cried in unison, as if to confirm Elitia’s guess. But Theresia was just silently watching them—or actually, she was licking her lips. Maybe they looked tasty to her. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I thought that might be enough leverage to try and negotiate with them.

““……””

♦Current Status♦

Though they said nothing in response, they did apparently agree to my terms. I lifted the Vine Bullets’ bind on them, but they didn’t run away and simply watched me silently.

Hm? What’s this…?

A small, light blue crystal had fallen to the ground when Theresia destroyed the Elemental Aqua. I picked it up; it was smaller than a magic stone but probably useful for something.

“Oh… Atobe, there’s something stuck to their tails. Do you think they’re magic stones?”

“They’ve also got Shirone’s swords,” said Elitia. “They’re covered in something sticky, but they don’t look damaged.”

“Yeah, looks like the Salamanders’ skin is coated with some kind of phlegmy substance… Melissa, do you think it’s poisonous?”

“No. You can add salt to thin it out when you cook with it.”

Theresia’s stomach let out a low growl at the word cook. Melissa fished some meat jerky out of a pocket in her overalls and handed it to Theresia, who crammed it in her mouth.

“……”

Theresia nodded. I wasn’t sure if it was because we’d managed to get these two on our team, but the other hostile Salamander that had poked its head out of the water was nowhere to be found. It looked like choosing not to defeat these monsters was already paying off.

♦Current Status♦

Part III: The Blue Butterflies

We hopped on Alphecca and started off once more down the path cutting through the pools of water. Suddenly, our surroundings began changing.

“This feeling… We must be teleporting.”

The fog began to thin after a little while to reveal that, though the sun had been high on the second floor, night’s dark curtain had already fallen here on the third floor. This took us all by surprise; we’d never before experienced such a drastic time change moving from one floor to another within the same labyrinth.

Huge, curiously shaped stone formations and sparse vegetation dotted the vast wilderness that stretched out across this floor of the Plateau of Primary Colors. It reminded me of a similar landscape: the Guiana Shield of South America. I’d only seen photos of it taken in daylight, but maybe it would look something like this at night.

The stone columns almost seemed to form a path, and farther past them on either side, tall, stony cliffs demarcated the boundaries of what appeared to be a canyon.

“I wonder what kind of monsters live in a place like this…,” Elitia said as she leaned forward from behind me on the chariot, perhaps in an effort to see better in the dark. Her hair tickled me as it grazed my cheeks; she didn’t seem to notice, so I kept quiet.

“I don’t have any trouble seeing at night. The dark doesn’t bother me,” said Melissa.

“……”

“Looks like Cion can see pretty well, too,” said Igarashi. “I think she might be tracking a scent… Mind hanging back a bit, everyone?”

“Woof!”

Cion kept her nose pressed to the ground and seemed to be sniffing out a trail invisible to everyone but her, just as Igarashi said. Maybe she knew how to trace footprints?

We proceeded cautiously down the path, keeping an eye on our surroundings. Just as I wondered if there was any way I could see a bit better…

♦Current Status♦

…Huh, I guess hawks have pretty good night vision, too.

I’d always thought most birds, apart from owls and other nocturnal species, were pretty much blind in the dark, but I guess I was wrong. My field of vision expanded all at once, though I still couldn’t see as far as I might during the day. From what I could tell, only a few small creatures scampered through the rough terrain. I didn’t sense any monsters, or any trace of Shirone, either.

“What’s wrong, Cion? Are you trying to say Shirone’s trail ends here?” Igarashi asked.

“Hnnn,” whimpered Cion, looking troubled. She licked Igarashi’s outstretched hand and lay down on the spot. The rest of us soon caught up with them, hopped off Alphecca, and began trying to piece together what had happened, wary of any potential danger around us. Melissa got down on all fours and started crawling around looking for clues. After a few minutes, she got to her feet and lightly shook her head.

“Her trail’s faint; it stops right here. She must’ve jumped or something, but I can’t find any trace of that, either.”

We couldn’t find any signs of Shirone among the oddly shaped rocks shooting out almost perfectly perpendicular to the ground, nor amid the trees scattered in the area. But we knew for a fact Cion had tracked Shirone’s movements to this point.

What happened here…? Did a monster attack her? Seems like she vanished a bit too suddenly for that. Maybe…

“…It’s almost like she was spirited away. Do you think some kind of flying monster got her…?” Igarashi wondered aloud. She looked up at the black-and-white skies, where a thin fog draped over the hazy moon. The monochromatic heavens felt out of place for the Plateau of Primary Colors; it made everything feel much more surreal than even your average labyrinth, like something straight out of a fairy tale.

“…Should we take them out, just to be safe? If they’re the monsters Shirone ran into, they might have some clue about where she is.”

“No, we can’t attack them. Our karma will go up if we strike a neutral monster,” Elitia explained.

“Really? I’d thought your karma only went up if you broke the Guild laws…,” said Igarashi.

The butterflies kept their distance from us. Elitia’s warning made sense; there was something obviously wrong about going after a monster that showed no signs of aggression. Soon enough, however, the butterflies started growing in number one by one and then gathered around the very person who had told us to hold our fire: Elitia.

“Ellie, we should probably get away from them. They’re monsters, after all. Even if they look harmless, they might still be dangerous,” advised Igarashi. Almost as soon as the words had left her lips, Elitia began acting oddly.

“…Elitia?” I asked.

“…I…”

“Heed my warning, dear devotee. The monsters that appear before you are—”

“…No… I’m…I’m not a murderer!”

“Elitia!”

♦Current Status♦

The supposedly neutral monster had done something to Elitia; there was no other plausible explanation for what she did next. Though Elitia herself had warned us against engaging them in battle, she unsheathed her Scarlet Emperor and slashed through the air at the butterflies. It looked like she’d landed a hit, but her blade sliced through nothing but air.

“Elitia, snap out of it! These guys mean trouble. We need to get out of here!” I called.

“…I can’t… It’s too late…for me…”

What was happening to her? She cradled her head painfully in her hands while the butterflies gathered and flew around her in larger numbers, as if bombarding her with some unseen attack.

“Atobe, there’s some kind of fog rolling in that way!”

“……!”

Alphecca tried to warn us, but the blue butterflies had already swarmed around Elitia, who seemed not to hear a word we said; she simply stood there, falling further and further into a self-destructive state.

“Elitia! We’ve gotta run for it! Elitia!”

“Atobe… We can’t just leave her behind. Right…?!”

Igarashi went to attack the blue butterflies but stopped herself halfway. Maybe she’d also realized Elitia’s karma had gone up. We’d also incur karma if we fought the butterflies, yet this theoretically neutral enemy was free to attack us—and I was still naive enough to think something so unfair would never happen that easily. The labyrinth could reveal its true colors and devour Seekers whole the instant they let their guard down. Elitia’s friend had probably fallen victim to that cruel reality as well. In that case…

That monster must’ve tricked Elitia into attacking it, even though it’s supposed to be neutral… But there has to be a way to make up for that one misguided strike. We’re all going to find a way out of here, no matter what…!

“That fog must’ve taken Shirone!” I shouted. “If we want to get her back, we’re gonna have to go in after her!”

“Everyone, take cover in my shadow. What you seek almost certainly lies within the folds of this blasted fog, exactly as you suspect.”

“Yeah… I really hope so. Doesn’t change the fact we’re still stuck playing defense… We’re gonna have to shake things up.”

“As you wish,” we heard Alphecca say.

We took shelter beneath her chariot. Igarashi scooped Elitia up in her arms and dove for cover in the last possible second before the fog rolled directly over us. This thicker layer brought huge swarms of butterflies with it—many times more than the number we’d just seen—but they got no closer to Elitia. After the fog blanketed everything in sight, the butterflies flew up and away toward the heavens.

From within Alphecca’s shelter I saw the monsters blocking out the skies cast a great shadow on the earth. The innumerable sets of wings began to coalesce into one enormous monster, almost as if they had been a single living organism the entire time.

♦Monster Encountered♦

“Hfff, Hfff…”

I ran and ran until I finally made it to the third floor of the labyrinth. Day immediately turned to night, and all signs of the salamander-type monsters coming after me disappeared. I found myself in a sort of valley surrounded by tall, rocky cliffs to either side. Stone pillars in all kinds of weird shapes stuck out of the ground; I walked over to one and leaned my back against it.

“…How the hell did a monster from this stupid labyrinth get me so bad…? There’s nothing I can do here all by myself…”

Seeking as a party had become second nature to me ever since I joined the Brigade. But now I was only going back to the life I’d known before. I’d already seen one of my previous parties get wiped out; I’d been kicked out of another and got thrown under the bus after yet another party tricked me. That’s just what you had to do to survive in the Labyrinth Country. You used your friends to get ahead, even if it meant cutting them out of your life once you were done with them. Otherwise, you’d be forced to compromise your dreams and have to settle for a safety district, where you could keep seeking without any real adventure. There had been a point where I’d thought about finding companions I could spend my days seeking with in peace and not have to worry about going on to the higher districts or climbing up the ranks—but I’d abandoned those pipe dreams long ago.

“I have no use for you here.”

That was his final warning. The last opportunity he entrusted to me was to leave the Brigade and retrieve Elitia’s sword. That sword would answer to no one but Elitia. And yet, our leader commanded me to recover it, sans Elitia if I had to. He’d decided he didn’t need Elitia as long as someone else could learn how to use it.

Elitia had refused to abandon her goal of rescuing Rury from the Simian Lord’s clutches, but the captain forbade all the other members in the Brigade from helping with her quest. Now that she was all on her own, I’d thought maybe Elitia was out in the cold, just like me. When I first heard rumors that she’d picked up the nickname Death Sword and that other Seekers steered clear of her, I assumed she’d be all alone—until I found her in District Seven. The wave of emotions that washed over me after I heard she’d found a party to join was too much to handle.

The vice captain of the Brigade had always been especially kind to me. But even she could not defy explicit orders from our leader. The rest of the Brigade members saw the writing on the wall and spoke with me only as much as they absolutely had to. They knew I’d soon be forced out unless by some miracle we found another colored weapon fit for a Dual Fencer.

The Brigade’s plan to try to gain an advantage over other parties, resorting to cursed weapons if we had to, had repulsed Elitia. But she still hadn’t been able to turn away the sword the captain assigned her—she had been chosen. And just like that, she got a new job I’d never heard of before and powers far beyond her level.

It was just so unfair. Elitia had stolen from right under my nose the one thing I wanted so badly but could never have, and not only was she trying to get rid of it, but she walked around with the saddest look plastered on her face as if she were the sole victim in this tragic circus.

“…It’s not fair… You’re so cruel, Ellie… And here I… I…!”

It was perfect. And yet.

And yet, Arihito had come back. He came flying in at an unbelievable speed as if it were the most natural thing in the world and saved these parties just as they were on the brink of destruction. Not a single person got hurt—and I could wrap my head around less than half of what he’d done in that battle. I did know some things for sure: He was the backbone of his party, did some kind of support job, and had nerves of steel to analyze any situation with terrifying clarity, along with the courage to rally his party members.

“We will under no circumstances let Elitia die.”

That’s what he’d told me without missing a beat. Any leader—I don’t care how great—should know better than to promise something like that once they’ve seen how merciless the labyrinths can be. And yet.

“Plus, we all share the same goals.”

How could he say that? To Arihito, Elitia’s goal should be an impossibly high hurdle even he couldn’t possibly hope to overcome. And yet…

I didn’t get it. These rookies had been in this country for only a few days! Elitia had put all her trust in Arihito, and he had made the impossible possible. I knew without a doubt nothing could stop their inevitable progress.

I felt the strength wane from my body and lost any sense of where I was standing.

I couldn’t take the jealousy I felt toward Elitia.

“…What makes her any different from me? Why can’t that be me…?”

I knew what was coming to me. I’d chosen to deceive those girls and would now have to face punishment under the law. There was no way I could sneak out of this unnoticed. Setting the monster on that party had spiked my karma so high, I was a wanted criminal in basically every district. The Guild was going to imprison me until it fell back down to zero. I’d lose a few levels and forfeit so many contribution points—and I could forget about going back to District Five if this meant I got kicked out of the Brigade.

“…Well, there goes everything. This sucks… After I promised myself I’d never let this happen again…”

That’s when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something blue flutter into view.

“…A butterfly… Is this tiny thing a monster…?”

♦Monster Encountered♦

Not all monsters found in the labyrinths necessarily turned hostile against Seekers. Some were neutral; others could actually communicate with us. The Guild hadn’t yet identified this kind of butterfly. Blue Butterfly had to be a working name, which meant nobody had either figured out exactly what it was or taken one down and brought resources back with them yet. I might’ve been more curious back when I was a lower level. But this level-3 monster was practically useless to me or the Brigade now—unless it was a Named Monster.

“…I’m such an idiot.”

“The weapons passed her up. I hate to say it, but that means I’ve got no choice but to leave her here in this district.”

“…Captain…?!”

I could hear his voice coming from somewhere. There was no way he was actually near me, but it was definitely his voice—soft, but cold as ice, and so captivating, a single sentence drew you in completely. The captain couldn’t be here. This had to be some kind of illusion, but that familiar voice pulled at my heartstrings.

“No, I wouldn’t call her loyal. She’s just an abandoned puppy who’s grown dependent on me. I’m nobody special to her. I’m sure she feels the same.”

“That’s not true! I did it all for the Brigade…!”

Staying calm was out of the question. I knew the voice was either an illusion or a monster attack, but I couldn’t just ignore it. It spelled out exactly what I’d feared for the longest time the captain actually felt about me.

“She’s given her all for the Brigade and, not for nothing, went so far as to change jobs. Are you really going to abandon her?” asked a different voice. This one belonged to a woman who’d joined the Brigade after me but had since become indispensable to both the Brigade and the captain: Vice Captain Agnes.

“I know she can’t use a cursed weapon, but she’s still got a lot to contribute as a seeke—”

“…Stop.”

There were more butterflies now. Where there had been just one, now there were two; I realized what that meant, but my mind had gotten too muddled to think.

♦Current Status♦

“Everyone knows they could be subbed out at any time. I’m sure Shirone didn’t expect she’d be here forever—”

“……!!”

♦Current Status♦

It was like they were asking me to attack them.

“…You really want to get under my skin, don’t you? You don’t know anything. How can you say this is all my fault?!”

I lost my cool. The butterflies I could’ve sworn I’d already taken down flew at me again and again until, a second later, great swarms of them completely covered everything else in sight. The voices in my head started to blend and bleed together. I heard the captain, then our vice captain—she’d always watched out for me, but the version I heard now didn’t even try to speak up against the captain’s wishes. She must’ve thought there was no point fighting to keep a grunt like me around.

I knew in my heart it wasn’t true. Agnes really did care about me. I wanted to believe that, and yet.

“…If that’s your final decision, I’ll endeavor to get the other party members on board.”

I could just see her saying that and forgetting about me soon after. After all, she hadn’t once suggested taking the second party out on a rescue mission back when we lost Rury, either.

“…I’m the biggest dummy here.”

Poor Shirone. She’s trying so hard to pretend she doesn’t realize how pitiful she is.

♦Current Status♦

The next thing I knew, a thick fog had rolled over my surroundings. I had been so overwhelmed by the butterflies before my eyes that I hadn’t noticed it silently creeping in. I looked up—and saw an enormous butterfly beating its wings as it hovered in the air.

♦Current Status♦

“Aaaaah!! …Agh… Aaaurghh—!!”

♦Current Status♦

I’d once heard a rumor about this. There was supposed to be some kind of monster that would appear before Seekers who’d committed a crime. None of the Seekers it attacked ever made it out of the labyrinth. They said the monster would judge the guilty in its homemade court—but everyone in the Brigade had dismissed it right off the bat as something that could never happen.

Yet this skill had robbed from me as much vitality as the karma I’d gained. I couldn’t lift a finger as the monster spewed white thread from its mouth and wound it around my body, binding me tightly. If that was what I had coming to me, I had no choice but to face the music. I’d failed to trust the captain or the vice captain. I knew the Blue Butterflies were showing me nothing but lies, and still I lost my cool and turned my talismans against them in anger. I could’ve avoided all this pain if only I hadn’t done that.

Hopelessly tangled in the string, my vision went dark. The fog around me began to thin; I was being taken off somewhere.

The last image to flash before my eyes was Arihito. He must have looked absolutely brilliant to his party members as he rode in to save them on that chariot. To me, however, he looked so very far away. I’d longed to meet someone like him forever.

♦Current Status♦

“…I know… But the truth is…,” she said without looking in my direction. She had her back to me and Igarashi’s arms still wrapped tightly around her.

“Maybe taking my word for it isn’t so easy, but I hope you believe me when I say I’d never be afraid of you. And if I’m lying, then—”

“Say nothing further. Master, I urge you to carefully consider the sequence of events which led you to this moment,” warned Alphecca’s ghostly apparition after she materialized once more upon the seat of her chariot.

The sequence of events… Those butterflies did something to Elitia, and she attacked them. That made her karma go up because they’re theoretically neutral opponents…

“Those butterflies provoke Seekers into attacking…,” I said. “I’ll bet they have some kind of skill that deals with karma.”

“But then why are they only going after Ellie…?” asked Igarashi.

The butterflies hadn’t messed with anyone else. Why would they use Guilt Trip on Elitia and not us? Was it just a coincidence, or did they have some kind of reason?

“…It’s because I’ve committed a crime. And I haven’t atoned for it… I offset the karma but that’s all. I still haven’t—”

“…We need to figure out exactly what they’re doing before they come at us again. Elitia…it looks like those Blue Butterflies used a skill called Guilt Trip on you. What did that do?” I asked.

“You don’t have to tell us if it’s too painful…,” Igarashi added gently. “But if you do, we’ll be that much more ready to help with all we’ve got. Although I realize that might not be the most reassuring coming from me.”

At that, Elitia finally loosened her grip on her sword. Then, her back still turned to me, she began speaking very quietly.

“…I heard everyone… I heard Arihito, and Suzuna, too… Everyone said I scared them and that’s why you can’t get rid of me… It sounded just like you…”

Who wouldn’t lose their cool after being forced to hear something so horrible?

The Blue Butterflies didn’t see their karma go up from using such a terrible skill on Elitia. This was different from Gray, who could hide his Trickster skills from detection.

“…So basically, they provoke you with a feeling of unbearable guilt. And this messed-up system just lets them get away with that scot-free?”

“Atobe…”

“Bring it on… We’ll play by these twisted rules and win.”

Karma served to represent the laws Seekers in the Labyrinth Country were supposed to follow. Amass karma and the Guild would arrest and punish you in some way. Shirone’s karma had already been elevated by the time she met those butterflies, and then she disappeared. In other words, we’d be running a huge risk if Elitia fought them now that her karma had risen, too. The first thing we needed to do was find a way to retreat for the time being—however.

“Escape will be futile until you somehow lift this fog. Until then, I will be unable to move… I might hit those butterflies should I attempt it.”

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out. That huge butterfly isn’t listed as neutral, so we should be okay to go after it…”

“Ellie?!”

Elitia jumped out from under Alphecca and raised her sword up high to slice through the Blue Butterflies—but we couldn’t let her incur any more karma.

“Elitia! Don’t fall for it!” I yelled.

♦Current Status♦

♦Current Status♦

I activated Recovery Support with the hope it might help Elitia clear her head a bit and comfort her in some small way. Luckily, she burned through some morale and snapped out of her confusion.

“We will never hurt you; not me, not anyone else here. You’ve got to believe us…!” I pleaded.

“…I…I’ll never doubt you again…! But…”

“Atobe, we’ve got to do something about that butterfly… Or else forget about getting Shirone back; we may not make it out of here alive…!”

Merciful Winged Mirage Morpho was not listed as neutral. Still, given all that had happened, I couldn’t shake the feeling it might find a way around that and make our karma go up regardless.

What happens when our karma rises…? We can’t take any chances if it could mean something fatal. But if we don’t make sure it’s safe to attack it, then… Or is there another option? There’s got to be some way we can go after it without messing up our karma…!

“Atobe, the giant butterfly’s up to something…!”

Mirage Morpho’s wings shimmered faintly as it hovered in the air, bathed in moonlight. In that moment, a chill so intense I couldn’t begin to describe it ran through me, and I shouted with all my might.

“Elitia! Run!”

“……?!”

Elitia jumped back as soon as she heard me, but it was too late. The swarm of Blue Butterflies left Elitia’s side as a vicious, invisible attack headed straight for her.

“Awooooo!!”

“…Cion…!”

♦Current Status♦

“Bow…!!” Cion yelped.

“Cion…!” cried Igarashi.

“Grrrr…!”

“Cion, fall back! Listen up, everyone, I need you to stay on your toes!” I called out. “That butterfly can come at you from a distance, and it’s almost completely invisible…!”

“You’re telling me it’s allowed to attack us, but we can’t do anything…? That’s cheating…!” Igarashi yelled, furious. I couldn’t agree more. If Mirage Morpho really was free to attack without incurring any karma and we got hit with a penalty anytime we went after it, we’d all end up with overwhelming karma to answer for, assuming we managed to take it down at all.

But then I ran my eyes over my license, and everything clicked into place.

♦Current Status♦

“…What’s going on?” asked Melissa.

“The monster’s karma rose when it attacked Cion. It’s trying to bring that back down,” I explained.

“Does that mean karma is somehow bad for it, too…?” If Melissa was right, maybe that meant we could contain it by forcing its karma to rise even further.

Maybe the area effect will bring Elitia’s karma down, too, so the Blue Butterflies can’t use Guilt Trip anymore—or not.

“…No! Arihito’s not afraid of me… You’re wrong…!”

♦Current Status♦

Either Elitia’s karma hadn’t decreased enough, or Guilt Trip had nothing to do with karma.

…Forget about that now. I’ve got other things I need to do…!

I had only one trick up my sleeve that would reach Mirage Morpho floating high above us. It came with a huge risk, but we needed to help Elitia as soon as possible.

“Sorry, everybody… I’m gonna do something a little crazy. Make sure you aim right at that butterfly once it falls!”

“Atobe!”

“……!!”

I lost consciousness for the briefest second, then suddenly my surroundings changed. Gravity abandoned its grip on me, and I found myself behind Mirage Morpho.

Should I use Murakumo…? No, I can’t get her out…!

“Master, heed my warning. Inflict a heavy attack on this monster, and you shall put yourself in great peril.”

I could unsheathe Murakumo only if the conditions were right—and they were clearly not, if she herself advised me against calling on her powers. That left me with just one option: Go in and try inflicting the most damage possible. I needed to drag Mirage Morpho down, if only by a few feet.

“Down with you!”

♦Current Status♦

“Urgh…!”

That skill diverted my attack… Will it stop at nothing to mess with our karma…?!

I’d made it up this high, but it wasn’t going to be easy getting down; Rear Stance burned more magic than most of my skills. I couldn’t overuse it.

I know I just got it, but should I try loading my gun with one of the stagnation stones…? No, the monster will just divert my target again… Crap, I’m out of moves…!

♦Current Status♦

I leaped through the air to put some distance between myself and my foe. I figured I could make it down safely this way if I jumped every time I started to fall. But then, just as I abandoned my body to the gravitational pull and felt the blood rush to my head, I saw Mirage Morpho cloak itself in a shimmering blue light.

♦Current Status♦

“Aaaaah…!!”

Pain so intense I felt it would tear me to pieces ripped through my body. It wasn’t just me—I heard Elitia scream out in anguish from the ground.

Damn, I’m gonna black out… And the landing’s gonna crush me…!

“Woof!!”

I’d lost track of how many times Cion had saved me like this. She jumped up to catch me and just barely managed to break my fall before I hit the ground.

♦Current Status♦

I felt a slight warmth coming from the Scholar’s Ankh hanging around my neck. Cion had evidently saved me right before what could’ve been my final fall. I took a sip of a potion as soon as I could, but it didn’t heal me fully right away. I felt disoriented, dizzy.

I can’t afford to take another hit… This Ankh only works some of the time, so there’s almost no way it’ll work twice in a row.

“Atobe, say something! Atobe…!”

“…I-I’m okay…! I’m alive, Igarashi…!”

“Arihito, you should take a breather,” said Elitia. “Don’t get any closer to the monster…!”

Elitia had sustained less damage; that probably had something to do with her maximum vitality being higher than mine. Regardless, while she looked more or less fine, I was basically on death’s door. More than likely, that was because I’d inadvertently taken down three of those Blue Butterflies; Elitia, meanwhile, had only swung at them. Plus, the area effects might have started working on her a bit already, too.

So your karma goes down when you’re hit with that Painful Penance… But if my hunch is right, that means…

“Arihito, the butterflies… Get away from the butterflies! Hurry!”

The Blue Butterflies swarmed around me, ready to torture me for hurting their brethren.

“Grrrr…!”

“Cion, wait! Don’t attack them!” I commanded.

Cion did as she was told and deactivated the Fire Garnet on her anklet. We’d be in an even bigger mess if her karma rose on top of everything else. The Blue Butterflies were clearly off-limits, and now that my karma had spiked, I was their next target.

♦Current Status♦

Part II: Bewitched

“I wonder why none of his relatives took him in.”

“It’s no real surprise. Apparently, his mother came from a wealthy family and ran off with his father.”

“And now this little thing has no one… What a terrible pity.”

I’d lost my parents as an infant and had been left all alone in the world. At least that’s how I thought of myself, but I knew it wasn’t true. I had relatives, but none of them had agreed to take care of me. I like to think I’d probably avoided a life of being shuffled around from house to house, so maybe I’d dodged a bullet there. Still, sometimes I’d picked up on things the caretakers at the orphanage couldn’t completely conceal, in spite of all the kindness they’d showed me. Their true feelings would come to the surface and catch my eye. At times, I’d imagine the things they really wanted to say but would never dare to voice, such as:

“The driver in the other car had only a few scratches, and little Arihito came out basically unscathed. They say he’ll probably have some psychological trauma, though. I wonder how he’ll feel when he realizes what happened, poor thing.”

I didn’t want to hear it; I pretended not to whenever such talk did happen to reach my ears. Eventually I grew up, took my place as a cog in the great social machine, and got so absorbed in my work that I managed to forget all about those feelings. I’d finally stopped replaying those haunting memories, but the Blue Butterflies gouged my old wounds open without a shred of mercy.

“What a pitiful little creature.”

“If only he’d never been born, his parents would surely still be alive…”

The truth is, I knew. I knew the teachers at the orphanage had never once said anything like that to me. But in my own personal weakness, I let the butterflies’ illusions get under my skin. I was the reason my parents had died. I might never have lost them if only I hadn’t gotten sick and forced them to rush out of the house that day.

But I’ll never forget the last thing I saw from the back seat of that crumpled car.

Something white came floating down from the sky: the thread Mirage Morpho spun out of its body. I jumped away from Cion so it wouldn’t fall on her and got tangled up in the string. I could hear Igarashi screaming, heard Cion barking, too—but all I could do was yell and warn them to stay away. I couldn’t bring them down with me. Plus…

Nothing about Mirage Morpho’s way of doing things sat right with me. It tormented people with guilt and still got to call itself neutral? I’d never accept such twisted logic.

Is this how it got Shirone, too? …It’s gotta be.

This monster, Mirage Morpho, unquestionably had nothing but hostility in its heart as it tried to bring Seekers to their knees. It would come as no shock if its skill that dealt out damage corresponding to a Seeker’s karma had claimed some of their lives. If this was the way Shirone had gone, I thought perhaps I’d be able to see something once in the clutches of the white thread—and in fact, that’s exactly what I saw. A small slit into another dimension appeared the moment the cocoon opened up to capture me. There on the other side, bound and trapped by the thread enveloping her body, lay Shirone.

“If your last birth was a mistake, the answer is simple: Become born again. Allow the labyrinth to swallow you whole and bring you to life once more, as a child of the labyrinth.”

“Don’t you dare…use her…to tell me things she’d never say…!”

Neither the white thread endeavoring to entangle me nor the Blue Butterflies’ mania showed any signs of abating, but their words could no longer reach deep into my heart.

“Nobody gets to decide what I’m guilty of or what I want to atone for—nobody but me…!”

♦Current Status♦

“Atobe…!”

“Arihito…!”

No one should ever be able to incapacitate us with guilt. We were a party; if one of us froze, it affected us all just the same.

It tried to push me into a corner, but that’s exactly what I needed to get out of here… I’m taking Shirone back. Right now, I’ve got the power to use that…!

“Complete Mutual Support!”

♦Current Status♦

Alphecca’s Brazen Coronation, the skill that allowed her to shut down enemy attacks, strained and fought against the white thread—and finally won.

“Whoaaaaa!!”

♦Current Status♦

I shot my vines out to wrap around Shirone over the white thread binding her and pulled hard, just barely extracting her from the other dimension before the slit shut.

“I know… Alphecca, please watch over Shirone for me. I’ve gotta take that butterfly down. Everyone, lend me your strength!”

I walked over to Elitia clinging to the hilt of her sword piercing the ground. Tears flowed out of her eyes. Even if for argument’s sake we accepted that butterfly did pity our sins, nothing could lead me to believe we’d find peace in reincarnation. I held my hand out to her.

“…After—after I left the Brigade, I did something to earn the name Death Sword. The truth is…I don’t have any right to be looking for friends to help me…”

“Oh, yes you do!”

♦Current Status♦

Suzuna’s voice rang out clear and commanding, as if cleaving straight through the fog. The moonlight once concealed under the hazy cover shone down on Mirage Morpho—and unveiled innumerable scales shedding from its wings that without a doubt held some power over the fog.

We were in the cage long before we saw the Blue Butterflies… Elitia’s attack hit nothing but air, yet her karma still increased. That alone should’ve told us this was all a setup…!

♦Details of Revealed Skill♦

Our licenses are what judge our actions and adjust our karma…but monsters can tamper with that system. It seems unbelievable, but that’s what actually happened… This Mirage Morpho is distorting the laws to its own ends.

“Suzu! Arihito’s really in there, right…?!”

“Yeah… There’s really only one thing we can do from outside… Arihito! Elitia! Don’t give up! We’re right here!”

It was Misaki and Suzuna—and a few others. Looked like whoever it was had brought the two here.

“My dear devotee, shall I clear your path? Do you require my assistance?” Ariadne asked.

“No…I’m fine. I can see the way out… This monster isn’t working entirely outside the rules. It’s just twisting them.”

“Atobe, what does that mean…?”

“Y-yeah… There’s a level-two skill called Frosted Armor. I’d need Decoy, which I’ve already got, and another one called Ether Ice to acquire it.”

♦New Available Skills – KYOUKA♦

Igarashi kept picking up electric and ice-type skills. I wanted to use all the tools in our arsenal; there was no telling how many chances we’d get for obtaining skills.

“Igarashi, I know this’ll use up all your skill points in one go, but could you acquire Frosted Armor? I have a hunch we should be able to avoid any karmic penalties if we hang back and get the butterfly to strike first.”

“I’ll deal with whatever karmic penalties come my way. It wouldn’t be fair for me to avoid them when you and Ellie have already been through so much.”

“…Arihito, what should I do?” asked Melissa.

“I want you to go for the monster’s limbs if we can lift this Criminal’s Cage. Otherwise, don’t go crazy. Any counterattack after that could be fatal.”

“…Okay.”

“Igarashi, please make a Decoy and use Force Target on it, then activate your new skill. Theresia, I’d like you to back her up.”

“All right, I’m on it.”

“……!”

Igarashi and Theresia took their places on the vanguard; before they made any moves, I grabbed the pendant hanging around my neck next to the Ankh.

“Snow, Penta, Rupee! Come!”

“““CHEEEEP!!”””

♦Current Status♦

“I see… Butterflies suffer in the cold. However, an area effect won’t register as an attack, so if they lose the ability to move, it won’t reflect badly on you.”

Penta and Rupee jumped around Snow’s outstretched white wings. Ice sprouted beneath their feet and immediately spread over the battlefield; the temperature plummeted and made our breaths come out in white puffs.

♦Current Status♦

The Cage still hasn’t lifted… But those butterflies are shedding much less than before. Now if only we can get Mirage Morpho’s scales to stop falling…!

♦Current Status♦

Igarashi’s Snow Country Skin buffed Theresia with its supplementary effects in the last few seconds before the Complete Mutual Support time limit ran out—and just like that, the two were free to move in the freezing cold without it slowing them down.

“Let’s go…!”

“……!!”

Igarashi and Theresia darted back and forth to dodge the tentacles’ vicious attacks. They’d have to first evade anything coming at them before they could provoke the monster to attack their decoys.

Looks like Forbidden Tentacles is a multistep attack built on Translucent Tentacles… We can’t be sure it won’t come after us, too…!

“Ariadne!”

“I grant thee, my devotee, my protection. May my Mechanical Arm serve as your shield!”

♦Current Status♦

“Ariadne, I owe you one…!”

“Amazing… I never knew she could stop so many attacks…!”

“I have strength yet left to intercept attacks on your behalf so long as they are not electrified. However, I have already consumed half of my stamina.”

I could only imagine how brave Cion must have been to take one of those horrific attacks for Elitia—and realized I ought to add another defensive trump card to my deck in addition to Defense Support 1. But first, I needed to figure out how to defeat this Mirage Morpho in front of me. Ice crystals glistened in the subarctic biosphere Snow had created. Just then:

♦Current Status♦

Our two vanguards dodged every one of the tentacles’ tenacious attacks. Igarashi took advantage of a break in the onslaught to conjure up the medium she’d use to make her decoys.

“Brave spirit of the warrior, draw the enemy’s wrath… Decoy!”

All she had left to do was apply her Frosted Armor to the Decoy. But she’d used up almost all her magic; Evasion Step kept burning it off for as long as she had it activated.

“…I have to…hold on a little longer…!”

“Igarashi, I’ve got you!”

♦Current Status♦

Freezing air enveloped Igarashi’s Decoy, but we could not be sure our enemy would take the bait.

“Theresia…!”

“—!”

That’s when Theresia went in for the final push. Her goal: Lure the invisible tentacles out as far as possible and evade their powerful attacks. A split-second delay and they would be on her. She needed to use all the evasive skills in her arsenal and get her decoy to do the actual attacking. Faced with all this, Theresia chose to…

♦Current Status♦

“Theresia!”

“Amazing… How did she do that at the last second?!”

The translucent tentacles appeared out of nowhere, wrapped around Theresia, and started crushing her—except that it wasn’t Theresia, but a sandy illusion she’d crafted.

The wild terrain on this floor does have a pretty thin layer of sand covering it… Theresia saw that as her chance to use her Desert Rose…!

The real Theresia reappeared far away from the attack; she’d snuck around the sandy areas that hadn’t yet frozen over, just as I’d suspected. Her camouflage blending in perfectly with the sand, she was as stealthy in all her covert movements as a bona fide ninja. We looked at the sky and saw Mirage Morpho had begun to succumb to the extreme elements and lose some of its height; the ice creeping over its wings had hardened them so much, we could now hear them struggling to beat all the way from where we stood.

♦Current Status♦

“Melissa, Elitia! I’ll support you!”

We couldn’t let this chance slip through our fingers. Melissa leaped onto Cion’s back and charged into the fray; Elitia followed right after, powered by her own speedy skills.

“…We’re a bit late to the party…!!”

“……!!”

At that same moment, Igarashi and Theresia reached full morale—meaning we now had one more combo move we could use.

“Let’s take it down!”

“““Yeaaaaah!!”””

♦Current Status♦

Electricity ran down the length of Igarashi’s cross spear and continued surging through the monster with an additional attack. Theresia slashed her flaming blue sword at it before darting away.

“Those feelers are mine…!”

“Awoooo!”

♦Current Status♦

Melissa and her Mirage Warrior swung their butcher’s knives down hard in one swift motion and lopped off Mirage Morpho’s feelers, disabling the last remaining area effect. Just then, Elitia and her Mirage Warrior charged in, brandishing their swords high over their heads, and rained down a barrage of razor-sharp petals on the monster as it struggled to make its final stand.

“…Scatter like flower petals… Blossom Blade!”

♦Current Status♦

“Hfff, Hfff…”

“Ellie! You guys…!” cried Suzuna.

“Whaaaaa?! Th-that’s a friggin’ ginormous butterfly… Don’t tell me this is another Named Monster?!” Misaki exclaimed.

Suzuna and Misaki came rushing toward us the moment the fog lifted. Suzuna threw her arms around Elitia while Misaki stared wide-eyed at the fallen Mirage Morpho. Snow and the two Coral Peigoes who’d transformed the terrain into Frozen Soil realized the fight was over and started cooling off from battle. Snow plopped down on its butt, and Penta and Rupee climbed up to perch on its head, letting just their tiny faces peek out from within Snow’s plumage.

“Your skills always surprise me, Arihito. I didn’t even see you get behind the enemy,” Melissa commented with her customary flat affect.

“Not the safest move for a rearguard maybe,” I admitted, “but some things you’ve gotta get behind your enemy to really see.”

“I have never heard tell of a rearguard such as you,” said Alphecca. “Nevertheless, I suppose ascertaining the enemy’s weakness is a rather fitting duty for such a role.”

“Alphecca, you maintain your physical form for such extended periods. I cannot help but find this unfair should the amount of magical energy required to sustain it be a function of the different roles we Armaments fulfill,” complained Murakumo from the sheath on my back. I hadn’t gotten the chance to call her to battle this time, and she seemed a bit disappointed to have missed out on the action.

“I’m sure I’ll need your help sooner than we might expect, Murakumo. But I really needed to go with my best bet for inflicting damage this time around.”

“You chose wisely, Master,” Murakumo conceded. “That monster possesses a skill to reduce damage inflicted by physical attacks. The ice-type attacks and blows buffed by your support contributed greatly to its downfall.”

“Um… A-Arihito, is that…?” Misaki asked, pointing to Shirone lying on the ground. She and Suzuna should’ve been waiting outside the labyrinth for us. If they’d made it here, it meant Seraphina must’ve met them along the way and brought them up to speed. But Seraphina had left the labyrinth with the ladies of Four Seasons. I did venture a guess as to the only other person who could have brought Misaki and Suzuna here—but I never expected my hunch would actually turn out to be correct.

That person, you see, should have been miles away at the Guild Saviors headquarters.

Part III: The Request

“…Kozelka, Khosrow.”

Before us stood the silver-haired woman in her black armor and her aide, the mysterious man with the eye patch. Why had they come all this way?

“…Apologies we could not assist you in battle. We found two of your party members attempting to follow you into the labyrinth and took the liberty of escorting them here,” said Kozelka.

“‘Hollow-starred’…?”

I hadn’t had time to really study my license in the heat of the battle. I pulled it out now to take a closer look and saw a identifying Merciful Winged Mirage Morpho as a Named Monster in place of the usual black star.

“It is said an exclusive privilege will be conferred to any Seeker who vanquishes a hollow-starred Named Monster,” said Kozelka. “You may not immediately discover what practical effect this will have, but it should not prove a detriment to you.”

“Oh…really? We only defeated it so we could bring Shirone, a Seeker it had captured, back with us. She had run off this far in the labyrinth all on her own,” I told them.

“We know… It’s part of our job to stay on top of the punks who’ve jacked up their karma. We’re gonna have to take this Shirone character into custody…”

Shirone had to atone for what she’d done to Four Seasons. My party members and I were all aligned on that front.

“Would you please give her these swords when she wakes up?” I asked. “She dropped them on the way here, and we picked them up for her.”

So you were legally allowed to keep items belonging to a Seeker with too much karma; I could see how some might exploit this rule in bad faith, but I figured it had been put in place to check the power those who’d committed some sort of karma-related infraction could wield.

“…Khosrow, we could make an exception if Mr. Atobe insists,” Kozelka cut in.

“No, that’s fine. We’ll hold on to them,” I told her. “A couple of monsters stole them first, so they’re pretty much unusable at the moment in any case.”

“Whoa, it’s dripping with slime… Courtesy of those two on the second floor? Weird, they hardly even blinked when we passed ’em,” said Khosrow, his face scrunched up in disgust at the state of the swords. I guessed the sticky Slow Salamander slime was too much to stomach, even for a battle-hardened, tough-as-nails Seeker like I imagined he must be.

“…She’s breathing. Maybe we should give her some medicine. She’s lost a lot of vitality,” said Melissa as she examined Shirone, careful not to touch any of the white thread wrapped around her body. Suzuna looked to me for permission; I nodded in return and she drizzled a few drops of potion onto Shirone’s lips. Nothing happened at first, but eventually Shirone’s lips quivered open, and she drank the liquid that dribbled into her mouth.

“…Yes. Shirone led a party we’re very close with into a dangerous trap. None of us are eager to forgive her for that, but we couldn’t look the other way after we saw her going deeper into the labyrinth all alone. I wouldn’t blame you for calling us foolish.”

Khosrow scratched his chin a little awkwardly. I worried about what he must think of what we’d done—but only for a second.

“Most people would just turn a blind eye and walk away, y’know? Nah, that’s not—I mean… Only crazies walkin’ around with a huge screw loose would spend their time worrying about people who’d openly attacked them.”

“It’s true… I can’t argue with you there. I know, as their leader, I probably should’ve prioritized my own party members’ safety more than anything.”

“But we choose to follow you exactly because of how you make those tough decisions,” Igarashi insisted. “It’s true we’ve all got unfinished business with Shirone, but the last thing we want is for her to pay with her life for what she’s done.”

The rest of the party nodded in agreement. Their smiling faces were my saving grace; I needed to be careful not to take their kindness for granted.

“…We can use this thread. Can I take it off?” Melissa asked Khosrow. “I can get a clean cut if I strengthen my steel knife with a blade edge stone.”

“Yikes, I dunno if an old man’s coat is the best thing for… Uhhh, never miiind!”

“Thought it’d stink like an old man? Hate to break it to you, but I’m all about hygiene,” replied Khosrow with a pained smile. He shrugged off Misaki’s teasing; he wasn’t quite in “old man” territory yet.

“Anywho… Third-Class Dragon Captain, perhaps we should proceed to the main topic at hand.”

“Right. Mr. Atobe, I do apologize for having to mention this immediately following such an intense battle; however, I came here because there is something I wish to personally discuss with you.”

“It’s too bad we couldn’t lend you a hand with that beast of a butterfly, but you’ve given us a great look at what y’all can do. You’re first-ranked in District Seven as it stands, and we all know you won’t hang around District Six long after you move on up.”

Was this it? I had a pretty good guess of what they were trying to say based on the context. We’d officially become one of the parties the Guild could ask for assistance now that we’d received the honorary title of Advanced Seekers. Helping with those requests could get us temporary access to the next two districts—including District Five, where Elitia had once resided.

“A certain species of monster has proliferated far beyond the Guild’s estimates in District Five and is currently causing the stampede threat level there to rise,” explained Kozelka.

We’d just about made it to District Six and were now getting a chance to go all the way to District Five, the biggest catch being that we’d have to face monsters exponentially stronger than what we’d seen so far. It was risky. But we couldn’t let this golden opportunity slip through our fingers; we had no time to waste in our quest to save Elitia’s friend.

“We depart for District Five first thing tomorrow morning. Should you decide to assist with our request, please come meet us at the Guild Saviors headquarters, where we last spoke,” Kozelka instructed.

“I understand. We’ll all talk this over and decide what to do.”

“You do that. Who knows? Do well enough on this mission in District Five, and you may get to skip invading the District Six labyrinths altogether… Still, having the strength to defeat higher-ranked monsters doesn’t necessarily mean this is gonna be a safe endeavor. Slowly working your way up against stronger monsters is always your best bet if you wanna make sure you live to fight another day.”

The fastest in the history of the country—it didn’t feel real, but looking back, I guess our days had been pretty full of nonstop action.

“…Just another reason it’s worth tryin’ to hold on to them. Course, no amount of training wheels will prepare you for the real fights out there. The Labyrinth Country is no picnic.”

“…I do try to keep that in mind,” I said. “I always strive to ensure we move forward together, above all else.”

Kozelka silently nodded in response. Melissa finished removing the thread around Shirone and covered her with Khosrow’s coat. Khosrow then scooped her up and hoisted her on his back.

“I’ll get a Carrier to come get the Mirage Morpho,” Melissa told me. “I think I can squeeze the feelers into the silo.”

“Yeah, please do… Thanks, Melissa.”

“I’ll take over for Madoka when she’s not here. She works really hard. I’ve gotta do my part, too.” Melissa always seemed so indifferent, but we were slowly getting to see more of her warmhearted nature and the passions she kept close to her chest.

Elitia had kept her eyes glued to the ground ever since Kozelka had first presented her proposal. Suzuna called out to her; after a moment, she looked up.

“Elitia, let’s think things over once we’re back at the apartment,” I said.

“…Sure. Sorry, I was only thinking about myself…”

We were so close, we could almost taste it. Still, we couldn’t hide from the fact that we really should go through the labyrinths in District Six and hone our skills if we wanted to stand any chance of saving Elitia’s friend from that monster—a District Five Named Monster. At the same time, the Guild had called upon us to help face the stampede in District Five, meaning they recognized we had what it took to go up against the monsters there. I needed to see what everyone wanted to do and then make the call. We could figure out the rest after that.

The arctic temperatures Snow had conjured up thawed, and the Blue Butterflies took off in flight once more. They didn’t even register as monsters anymore now that Mirage Morpho was gone. Theresia reached her hand out; one of the butterflies flew over and began flitting playfully around her.

Who was Merciful Winged Mirage Morpho trying to have mercy on? Why did it trap Seekers in white thread and shut them away in another dimension? If that was really its voice I heard, maybe it was trying to give Seekers who’d committed some sort of crime a new lease on life. What if that’s how Theresia became a demi-human, too?

“……”

“Hmm…? What’s this…?”

Theresia handed me a clear stone with a Blue Butterfly trapped within. It reminded me of a piece of amber with a fossilized creature inside.

“……”

Theresia nodded. We’d come out of this fight against Mirage Morpho with quite a bit of resources and dropped loot, but I had a feeling this stone Theresia found would prove just as valuable.

♦Current Status♦

“How about we get some takeout and eat in tonight?” I suggested. “There are some other restaurants I’d like to check out, but we might end up moving tomorrow.”

“Takeout—I haven’t heard that word in a long time,” said Igarashi. “Madoka, do you think you could get food delivered to our apartment?”

“Sure, I can arrange for a Carrier to bring it to us. I think I’ll try ordering from three different restaurants to get a little variety.”

“Ooh, then let’s get something from that Refreshing Heaven place that was so good last time! And something from A Taste of Leuven and some kind of pasta or pizza!” said Misaki, pulling out a notebook she must’ve picked up at some point. She started reading off a list she’d kept of all the restaurants we’d visited. There appeared to be no objections, but then Melissa raised her hand.

“…We shouldn’t eat only takeout. I’ll make the pasta and pizza. My dad taught me how.”

“I bet even I could help you out with a dish like that,” Igarashi said. “I’ll be your sous-chef again if you don’t mind. Everything goes so smoothly with you at the helm in the kitchen, Melissa.”

“Please let me help as well. I did nothing but wait outside the labyrinth today.”

“Suzu, you’re making me look extra bad! I didn’t do a single thing… Wait, how did your morale get so full, Suzu?”

“What’s up, Suzuna?”

“…N-nothing. I’m sorry, I know we only did it because you needed me to…”

“Oh-ho-hoh? Suzu, are you thinking maybe you’re all fired up now ’cause you’ve gotten closer to Arihi—”

“M-Misaki, let’s talk about this over there… Sorry, Arihito!”

Suzuna hastily slapped her hand over Misaki’s mouth and led her away from the group. Was there something special about the Trust Levels between Suzuna and me that affected her morale? I didn’t think anyone really stood out from the rest of the group in that respect.

“I get the feeling me and Theresia’s morale went up, too…,” said Igarashi.

“……”

“…It’s hard for mine to go up. Maybe I need to get more into it,” said Melissa.

“Y-you think it works like that…? Arihito, how about my morale? Does it increase pretty easily?” asked Madoka.

We’d seen Madoka use her Item Effects Morale Discharge before, but Melissa hadn’t yet activated hers even though she was maxed out. Morale gradually decreased once you left the labyrinth, and I was looking forward to seeing what her Morale Discharge did next time she had the chance to use it.

“Fiiine. I think my morale adds up slower than yours, Kyouka. The key to a man’s Trust Levels is through his stomach, though, so I guess I should help out with dinner, too!”

If that’s true, Labyrinth Country restauranteurs must be the most trusted people around.

In my case, Trust Levels between my party members rose every time I supported them; I felt lucky I’d gone with Rearguard, even though the job still held quite a bit of mystery. We had those bonds to thank for getting us out of some pretty close scrapes.

“…Ahem. Atobe, don’t read too much into those Trust Levels. You’ll put us all in an awkward position if you start thinking about it too deeply.”

“Hm…? Obviously I think they’re very important, but what do you mean about reading too much into them?” I asked casually in response, but Igarashi just gave me a vague smile and started heading home with the others. Theresia’s complexion had taken on a lobster red tint for the past few minutes, which made it kind of awkward to walk alongside her. I wound up falling behind everyone on our walk home, a hardcore rearguard till the end.

“Let me begin by saying how glad I am to see you all come out of this most recent expedition safely and soundly. Word has it you came to the rescue of several Seekers in the Plateau of Primary Colors.”

“It’s kind of a long story… Did you by any chance hear what happened?”

“I understand a member of Elitia’s former party, a Ms. Shirone Kuzunoha, interfered in your affairs. Her actions represent very serious infractions against the laws of our country. I imagine she will be required to undergo reeducation after she serves her sentence.”

Gray had also apparently been signed up for the reeducation program; I wondered if the rehabilitation course would have the desired effects. From what Khosrow had said about expecting Gray to become a “brand-spanking-new man,” I felt pretty certain Shirone had some rather demanding discipline waiting for her.

“Before we get to this latest expedition, I’d like to go over your results from the Islet of Illusion… It’s quite rare for anyone to accumulate contribution points in this labyrinth as it is an officially designated health resort. Nonetheless, your party proved as exceptional as always, so I would like to begin by tallying the points you earned there.”

♦Previous Expedition Results♦

It seemed like we wouldn’t get any contribution points for defeating the ice figures Jeweled Wings had summoned into the battle. But I hadn’t expected to get any points at all, so I was happy with anything we did take away. Louisa looked troubled for some reason as she studied my license; I thought I saw some sadness in her eyes as they perused the lines of text.

“…Your Trust Levels with the members of Four Seasons have increased, yet mine haven’t budged at all…”

“Uh… Y-you know, I think that’s probably because we all teleported to the other island together. I used my support skills to help them recover magic, too.”

“You restored their magic… I didn’t know you had such a wonderful skill at your disposal. I suppose there’s no use sighing about it. I doubt I’ll ever have an opportunity to experience that skill for myself as a Guild employee.”

“You must get the wooorst knots in your shoulders, Louisa. Just say the word and I’d be more than happy to give you my special massage. Think of it as my own personal way of thanking you for all you’ve done for us!” Misaki offered.

“M-Misaki… Thank you, but that’s really not necessary…”

Misaki came out of the kitchen with her apron still on, walked around behind Louisa, and began massaging her shoulders. She had some confidence in her massage skills and showed surprising finesse—at the cost, perhaps, of a short attention span, judging by how quickly she’d abandoned her post in the kitchen.

“Misaki, Melissa said she wants you to handle the pizza toppings…,” said Igarashi.

“Oh, I’m on it! You won’t find anyone better in the cheese-spreading game than me!”

“Just don’t go overboard. We’ve got a lot of other food coming, too.”

“Stop worrying so much, Kyoukaaa! We get plenty of exercise from first thing in the morning alll the way through the night.”

“…M-Misaki’s always so cheerful. She really knows how to liven up the mood, doesn’t she?” commented Louisa.

“She takes it a bit too far sometimes, but I can’t imagine what we’d do without this little ray of sunshine,” I agreed.

“Whoa, did Arihito just compliment me?! Do my ears deceive me?!”

“Misaki, I’m gonna take over the toppings if you can’t pay attention.”

“Wait, don’t put that mystery meat salami there…!”

“…It’s not a mystery. It’s angry boar meat.”

I’d had a sandwich with wild boar bacon not too long ago, so I gathered boar monster meat was the Labyrinth Country’s pork equivalent.

“Umm… Sorry it’s so noisy,” I told Louisa. “Would you mind helping me go over the results from the Plateau of Primary Colors expedition as well?”

“Hee-hee… It certainly is a bit more laid back doing this here rather than at the Guild.”

♦Expedition Results♦

It looked like none of the Blue Butterflies counted toward our contribution points, but we still came out of the expedition with more than 8,000, thanks in no small part to fighting two Named Monsters one right after the other.

“D-does this mean…? Mr. Atobe, do you mean to tell me you defeated two Named Monsters when you rescued the Four Seasons ladies and this woman called Shirone?”

“Oh my… You know, I always steel myself as much as I possibly can before your reports, but it’s never enough. I almost fainted again when I saw these results. You really know how make a girl worry… Although I suppose I should know better than to worry about you by now.” Louisa removed her monocle. She pressed her hands to her lightly blushing cheeks a little sheepishly and smiled, tears glistening in her eyes.

“Congratulations, Mr. Atobe. The District Six ranking you see here is merely for reference as the contribution points you earn only officially count toward your status here in District Seven… All the same, given that you’ll be 1,180 out of 8,000 Seekers, you should expect to use the Upper Guild as soon as you proceed to District Six.”

We wouldn’t be starting at the bottom in the next district. Still, the competition would intensify the more Seekers were actively trying to advance to District Five—a fact that brought home just how enviable our shortcut to jump directly there really was.

“…Louisa, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you later.”

“Of course. The Guild headquarters have informed me of the particulars. I understand you’ve received a request to assist with a situation in District Five?”

“I agree it may be more prudent to advance one step at a time toward your goal. However, you’ve always very clearly expressed your determination to reach District Five from your first days in District Eight.”

“Louisa…”

“I will accompany you to District Five. I cannot assist you in the actual battles, but I would like the opportunity to continue following your work as your personal caseworker.”

Could we really hold our ground against the monsters up there? If so, the chance to rescue Elitia’s friend might actually be within reach—and come far sooner than any of us could have imagined.

“I plan to discuss this over with everyone and then decide whether we’ll go.”

“Wouldn’t you say you’re all already in agreement on the matter? Mr. Atobe, you and your party successfully defeated two Named Monsters in quick succession. I have no doubt you possess the skills necessary to fight any average monster that may appear in District Five.”

Louisa’s encouragement reached everyone in the kitchen and made it clear there was no further need to confirm anything; we were all completely on the same page.

“…It seems like it was just yesterday. When I first met Ellie, I felt like it would take us ages before we would ever made it to District Five,” added Suzuna.

“I know I’m not thaaat much help in battle, but nothing’s gonna scare me as long as I get to be with Arihito and you guys,” said Misaki. “Oh, don’t worry, Arihito, I don’t mean that in a weird way!”

No leap in the dark could scare us as long as we had one another—or so I wished we could say. The truth was we all struggled to keep our nerves at bay every time we fought a monster.

“…Thanks, guys.”

Still, nobody understood the dangers a party on the verge of advancing to District Six would face fighting monsters in District Five better than Elitia.

“Kozelka said we’d meet tomorrow morning, right?” asked Igarashi. “We’d better eat up and get a good night’s sleep.”

The doorbell to the terrace house rang as soon as Igarashi had finished speaking. Madoka went to answer it and ushered the Carriers delivering our orders from Refreshing Heaven and A Taste of Leuven into the living room. Just then, Ceres and Steiner dropped by on their way home from the rental studio; meanwhile, the ladies of Four Seasons, fresh out of the hospital, and Seraphina and Adeline reached our door.

“I say, you always have a party brewing every time we pop in,” said Ceres.

“…The ladies insisted on coming to see you all off, Mr. Atobe,” explained Seraphina.

“Fortunately, they sustained hardly any injuries during the battle with the Clay Giant,” said Adeline. “They were adamant about wanting to see you today instead of waiting for the morning, so we tagged along. Lieutenant Seraphina warned us not to get too rowdy, though.”

The members of Four Seasons stood silently for a while after they came inside. I got up from the sofa and went over to greet them, racking my brain over what to say. I’m glad we all made it out okay. We’ll be heading up to other districts, but please take good care of yourselves—not bad, though not exactly the words I was looking for. But before I could land on anything better—

“…Mr. Atobe…”

“Teacher…!”

“Arihito…!”

“Arihito…!”

The four ladies rushed at me all at once—I could’ve sworn they were coming in for a hug, but they stopped at the last second and laughed shyly as they turned to face one another.

“Ha-ha-ha… We’re hopeless. It’s like we’re always on the same wavelength,” Kaede said with a laugh.

“…I do believe the urge to hug Arihito is only natural, given how he came to our rescue,” said Anna.

“True, but we can’t hog Mr. Atobe all to ourselves,” added Ryouko. “Kyouka, Louisa—wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh no, don’t let us stop you. I’m sure Atobe appreciates the attention.”

“If Kyouka says so, I’ll defer to her wishes. It’s lovely to see you all again.”

Louisa got up and shook hands with the four women. Everyone in the kitchen finished preparing dinner and came out to join us, instantly brightening up the room. Seraphina walked over to me and nodded in greeting. Adeline stood close behind, her hands balled into fists for some reason. Maybe she was trying to offer Seraphina some encouragement?

“Mr. Atobe, I shall accompany you and your party should you decide to assist in District Five. Third-Class Dragon Captain Kozelka entrusted you with this special mission…so I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to join you in battle if I might prove at all useful to you.”

“Thank you very much, Seraphina. That would be a great help. I’d been trying to figure out how we would survive any initial attacks thrown at us.”

“I, Lieutenant Seraphina Edelbert, pledge to devote all my strength to thwarting any first blow the enemy may strike against us.”

“Thank you, we’re all counting on you. I know we’re much lower in level, but we’ll do whatever we can not to get in your way.”

“We’ve worked together so many times, but your humility never ceases to impress me… Wait, did that sound patronizing?”

“…Adeline, poke fun at important moments such as these and it will reflect badly on your character,” warned Seraphina sternly.

“Ha-ha-ha, you’re blushing. You only started showing me these sides of yourself after we met Mr. Atobe, even though I’ve known you for so much longer,” Adeline teased lightheartedly. Her face grew suddenly serious, and she put her hand on my shoulder. The whole room tensed in anticipation, wondering what she might say.

“Please take good care of the lieutenant. I trust she’ll be in good hands with you.”

“Wh-what are you…? You’ll trouble Mr. Atobe with such nonsense.”

“Juuust kidding. Sometimes you get an instant payoff if you switch it up and try the serious look for a change. Don’t you think, Misaki?”

“Huuuh? Ummm, I guess you could say that. Or maybe that’s just with Arihito…”

“It was certainly good enough to make you forget your manners and complain about getting only one serving, Master.”

The three of us were the only ones left in the living room. The others had figured we’d be better off using the public baths, seeing how large our group was, and had already started out. I told them I’d meet up with them later; I was curious to try this spa that was supposed to be specifically designed to help revitalize Seekers.

“I couldn’t help it. It was just too delectable,” protested Ceres. “I’ll simply have to pine away patiently for my next chance to enjoy it… Anyway, Arihito, what are you thinking in terms of modifications? We’ll be limited in the number of items we can process if you want them done before morning.”

“Switching out magic stones or runes should take no time at all, and I think we could make two or three pieces of equipment out of any raw resources you’ve got.”

“I see… Then, what could we add to Suzuna’s Pan’s Flute?”

“It’s got space for one magic stone and a rune. You might consider fitting it with the phonia rune if the flute proves useful in battle,” suggested Ceres.

I appraised the vellum rune and found more details about its effects.

♦Vellum Rune♦

“This vellum rune… It’s a bit tricky figuring out where to put it, given the risks involved. Incapacitated would mean your life is in incredibly great danger,” Ceres explained.

I guess this would be best for someone with a higher level like Elitia, or higher vitality like Cion or Seraphina, but neither Elitia nor Cion has any slots for runes on their equipment. I’ll have to check with Seraphina if she’s got one later.

“Now let’s see, what other resources could we process…? Oh my! You’ve picked up quite a few varieties of skill-enhancing fruits.”

“It’s hard deciding what to do with resources this valuable. Does it look like you could find a use for any of these?” I asked Ceres.

“I see… Then I think we’ll just hold on to them for the time being.”

“The other resources you picked up look like they’d be good for making accessories,” added Steiner.

♦Materials Available for Processing♦

“In that case, it might be a good idea to ask everyone what they’d like to use them for,” I said.

“Hmph. I’d wager they’d all want one of these… You don’t have enough for everyone now, so maybe you’d best give them out as presents as you find more.”

“Ohhh, right… Women do love pretty jewelry, don’t they? I should’ve thought more about what they might like instead of focusing only on equipment.”

“Just the kind of keenly insightful advice we’d expect from you, Master, what with your many, many years of studying the human experience and— Ow!”

“Y-yes, ma’am…”

I hadn’t gotten a very good look at Ceres when I ran into her in the bath, thanks to all the steam, but from what I had made out, she appeared to have been much more mature than the young girl standing before me now. I couldn’t bring myself to ask what that was about, though.

“Then what say we meet up with the other ladies at the public bath and ask them what they fancy?”

♦Changes to Magic Stones and Runes on Equipment♦

♦Processed Equipment♦

Part II: Doubt

I caught up with the others at the spa. After our baths, we all gathered at the lounge that also served as a bar, so I took the opportunity to go over our newly available skills.

♦New Acquired Skills – KYOUKA♦

♦New Available Skills – MELISSA♦

Leveling up had given us access to new skills, but there were also many others we lacked the points to afford. We could always acquire them as the need arose, so it was better to hold off on everything except for the ones we knew for certain would prove useful. Theresia’s Trap Detection 2 sounded great, but Antibody also required two skill points, so I decided not to get either for the moment. Weapon Bite would likewise come in handy only if we ran into a monster that fought with some kind of weapon. Dodge, on the other hand, I did have Theresia acquire since it complemented her skill set, worked with her buckler, and cost only one skill point. Melissa told me she wanted an evasion skill, so she wound up taking both Cat Walk and Cat Step.

The members of Four Seasons begged to stay the night; for a second it looked like we’d run short on beds until the ladies whipped out sleeping bags they’d apparently used before and turned the second-floor bedrooms into a regular campsite. I dozed off on the sofa to the raucous voices coming from above and before long fell into a deep sleep.

It was the dead of night the next time I opened my eyes. They took a second to adjust to the darkness of the room but eventually landed on Theresia, who’d fallen asleep seated on the sofa without anything to keep her warm. I laid her down so she could stretch out and covered her with a blanket. I worried I might wake her up, but she was fast asleep.

I could hear her softly snoring and saw her chest rising and falling very, very slowly, almost imperceptibly. It looked at first glance as if she wasn’t actually breathing, so I kept an eye on her for a bit to make sure.

…I guess it’s kinda creepy to stand here in a dark room watching her sleep.

I tiptoed out of the room and decided to get some fresh air—and ran into Igarashi standing just outside the front door in her pajamas.

“Igarashi, what’s up? Why are you out here so late?”

“Atobe, I’m so glad you’re up… You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake you. I think Elitia and Suzuna went out somewhere.”

“Elitia and Suzuna…? Okay, I’ll take a look around the neighborhood.”

“Oh, do you mind? I wish I could join you, but I’m a bit underdressed.” She had a point; I imagined she’d be a little chilly in her pajamas with only a cardigan draped over her shoulders. The weather in District Seven the past few days had reached summertime highs during the day but got quite cool once the sun had set.

“…It’ll be chilly if you go out like that,” she said. “Here, why don’t you put this on?”

“Oh… But if I take it, you’ll be cold, too, Igarashi. I’m okay, really…”

“You have such broad shoulders… Good thing I went for the larger size.”

“Th-thank you very much. All right, I’ll be back.”

“Okay, be careful.”

Igarashi saw me off as I left the house. My license told me right away where to find Elitia and Suzuna: at a park in a residential district about a five-minute walk away. Trees were a rare sight in the cities of the Labyrinth Country. This park must have been installed as a green respite from the city’s stony architecture; the trees there appeared to have been planted after it was created. The soft glow emanating from the magical lampposts gave me just enough light by which to see the two girls sitting in front of a monument erected in the park.

“…Ellie, do you think we’re not strong enough yet?” I heard Suzuna say, and I stopped in my tracks. I debated whether to call out to them; depending on the topic, I figured they may not feel comfortable including me in their conversation, but standing here and eavesdropping wasn’t much better. Still, I couldn’t just leave them.

“You’re worried it’s going to be too dangerous…especially if we don’t work our way through the labyrinths in District Six first, right?”

“…I can go back to District Five alone if I have to. But I couldn’t do anything on my own… That’s why I needed to find friends to help me.”

“…I know. And I know you’ve all agreed to go to District Five… It’s all thanks to Arihito and everyone else that we’ve even gotten the chance. That makes me really happy…but at the same time…”

Elitia was confused. She’d thought the day we would get to advance as a party to District Five would still be a long time coming, and now it was suddenly before us. We’d face greater risks this way by skipping the normal order of things. But the Guild had called on us because they needed all the reinforcements they could get to quell the impending stampede.

“I’ve never actually fought a District Five monster head-on. We had a few different groups in the Brigade, and I was in the third party… I shouldn’t have even been able to get into District Five back then. I was only level eight when the Shining Simian Lord attacked us. The only reason I got into the Brigade in the first place is because my older brother’s the captain and my father’s the founder.”

“…Ellie…why were you on the expedition when this Shining Simian Lord monster attacked…?”

These monsters had created an entire organization with the Simian Lord—a creature cunning enough to deceive Seekers—sitting at the helm. That same Simian Lord had stolen Elitia’s friend from her in an ambush. It was no wonder all these feelings had come rushing back to her now that we actually had the chance to go to District Five. I myself had gotten a taste of true, if only momentary, despair when Shirone separated me from my friends. What if I hadn’t gotten back in time? What if they hadn’t been able to defeat the Clay Giant without me?

“The Brigade didn’t mean to pick a fight with the Simian Lord. We were trying to get our hands on a cursed weapon from one of the Seekers he had captured. The second party completed that mission, and our captain gave the order to retreat. But no one ever came to help us fight off the monster.”

Beyond Liberty had also employed some questionable methods and excluded other Seekers from accessing the best hunting grounds. I didn’t entirely agree with it, but I did understand the logic behind it. The White Night Brigade’s way of doing things, on the other hand, I fundamentally opposed in every respect.

“…Was it the Brigade’s policy not to go in and conduct rescue missions?”

Suzuna seemed afraid of the answer she’d get. Her voice quivered, but she looked Elitia straight in the eye as she spoke.

“So…he didn’t care if his friend fell behind, as long as he got what he wanted…?” asked Suzuna with what I first thought sounded like shock at how callously the Brigade treated its members. But it turned out there was much more to it than that.

“I certainly believe every party has the right to determine how they conduct themselves. I know I’m in no position to criticize, but…”

“…The first party was supposed to take on the Simian Lord. But we all understood that, as members of the Brigade, we had to accept the same risks as everyone else, so nobody really stood up to the captain or left the Brigade in protest. A few people did speak up in favor of rescuing Rury from the Simian Lord, but it wasn’t enough to sway the entire group.”

But Elitia never gave up. I couldn’t imagine what she must’ve felt the moment her party decided to abandon her friend. The thought alone filled me with rage and resentment.

“You got attacked by such an overwhelmingly powerful monster… How is it that nobody but Rury got hurt…?”

I would’ve expected the party and their battle formation to crumble and descend into chaos after the Simian Lord’s sneak attack. And yet, only one person fell captive. Elitia trembled as she began revealing the reason behind this mystery. She wrapped her arms tightly around her body to try and keep herself from shaking.

“The next thing we knew…we’d escaped the Simian Lord, but Rury was nowhere to be found… I tried to go and look for her, but the captain…” She said the captain, her older brother, knocked her unconscious. By the time she awoke, she was back at the Brigade’s lodging.

“Rury never would’ve had to use her Morale Discharge if I hadn’t been so weak… If only I’d stopped him and done my job as vanguard…or known how to use the Scarlet Emperor better…Rury would still…” Tears streamed down Elitia’s face as she voiced her deepest regrets. Suzuna held her close and for a while said nothing.

There was something I still couldn’t wrap my head around, though maybe that just meant I had a different way of thinking. The Brigade’s first and second parties should have had a real chance of saving Rury, but they left her behind without making any attempts. Did they count themselves lucky she’d saved them from going up against the Simian Lord and decide to call it a day? Actually, it didn’t matter. Nothing would convince me what they did was right.

“…Arihito.”

“…!”

I walked out into the light of the streetlamp. The two girls noticed and looked my way.

“I heard you guys were out and about so I came to look for you. I caught most of what you said.”

“…I’m sorry,” Elitia began. “You’ve all been so supportive about going to District Five, but when I think of the kinds of monsters that means we’ll fight, I just can’t…”

“So…you think we might not be ready for it, huh? You’ve got a point. We’d definitely be in a better position if we built ourselves up in District Six first.”

“Arihito…,” Suzuna said nervously.

I could’ve focused only on the plus sides of going to District Five and put all worries aside. That was certainly a valid option, given the formidable opponents we were sure to face—but it wouldn’t be what Elitia needed to hear.

“But you know, we’ve done pretty well fighting with high-level Seekers like Seraphina, not to mention you. We’ve confronted level-nine Named Monsters like the Merciless Mourner and the Clay Giant…and come out on top. To me, that says we’ve got what it takes to fight run-of-the-mill District Five monsters, even if they might be a little stronger than we are.”

“…But…”

“It depends on the labyrinth, but…they’re usually around level eleven. The Shining Simian Lord was level twelve.”

This information brought home just how unusual it must have been for level-9 Named Monsters to appear in District Seven, but it only bolstered my point. We’d fought the unthinkable here and won; trying our luck in District Five seemed in no way like a fool’s errand.

“So maybe we’ll skip over level ten and fight a level-eleven monster right off the bat… We may only manage to take one down, but I don’t think we’ll be totally useless.”

“…But…just one hit could…”

“It’ll be okay, Ellie. As long as we all work together, I’m sure…”

“What she said! A little late to be worrying about all that now, isn’t it?” a voice called out behind us. We turned around and saw Misaki, who must have followed me at some point. She appeared from the shadows of the streetlamp I had stood under myself a moment ago.

“Sorry, Atobe… We got worried and ended up coming, too.”

“Woof!”

“…You’re way stronger than me, Elitia. I’ll try not to get in your way.”

“……”

Igarashi, Cion, Melissa, and Theresia followed shortly after, with Madoka and Seraphina bringing up the rear.

“In terms of levels, I’m only barely on equal footing with the monsters in District Five…,” began Seraphina, “but I believe this party will contribute in a manner befitting the Advanced Seekers honor it was bestowed.”

Tears shimmered in Elitia’s eyes, but she covered her face before any spilled out. The next time she looked up at us, the fierce, familiar sparkle had returned to her gaze.

“…Thank you. Nothing would make me happier than going up to District Five with you all by my side.”

“Of course. Let’s do this together, Elitia,” I said, and offered her my right hand. She took it and pulled herself to her feet. Suzuna stood up after her and turned to look at me, her own eyes glistening as well.

“Thank you for coming to look for us, everyone,” she said.

“Seriously! You guys really gotta stop leaving me out of these precious moments. I’m just as big an Arihito fan as youuu!” pouted Misaki.

“I’ll bet comments like that are why they didn’t invite— Um, I mean, you must have been sleeping so soundly, they didn’t want to wake you,” said Igarashi.

“I was so worked up about tomorrow…or I guess today. For a while it looked like I wouldn’t catch a wink of sleep. But then I toootally passed out!”

“…It’s too soon to cry. Save your friend first and then cry all you want,” Melissa said to Elitia, who smiled.

“You’re exactly right, Melissa… First things first; I’ve got to fight with everything I’ve got, no matter what the Guild asks of us. Otherwise, there’s no point in us going to District Five.”

“So…that’s settled, then. Shall we head back?” I suggested. “There’s still some time before morning. We should rest up as much as we can.”

Everyone started heading back home. I was about to follow them when I caught two figures walking in from the other side of the park: Steiner in their usual armor, and Ceres perched on their shoulder.

“Arihito, we’ve finished up the work you ordered and are off to bed, too. Give us a holler if you need anything while you’re in District Five and we can meet you there.”

“By that she means, ‘Do call for us, pretty please.’ We can get our hands on some quality ore there to strengthen your equipment, too.”

“Thank you both. I’ll be sure to reach out once we get permission to stay in the district if we have any questions about our equipment.”

“Don’t forget to pick up that suit Corleone’s making for you whenever it’s ready. And don’t do anything too rash. This is your first emergency summons; getting out alive should be your top priority.”

Part III: Monsters of the Sandy Sea

We breakfasted early at the break of dawn and were getting ready to push out when a report from the Guild headquarters came in for Seraphina. The stampede in District Five had broken out earlier than expected, and the local Guild Saviors forces, other Advanced Seekers called upon to fight, and district residents had already begun responding to the situation.

We rushed to the Guild Saviors headquarters in Green Hall and found Kozelka and Khosrow, along with a platoon of Guild Savior soldiers, on standby.

“You have my gratitude for accepting our request. The battle is already underway in District Five; we shall now explain where the situation stands.”

“This stampede’s coming out of the Dead Sea Sands… The monsters there’ve got these godforsaken habitats that make it damn near impossible to keep their numbers down, so we’re left to deal with this mess just about once a year. They’re nasty suckers; a single one can give a party with an average level of ten a run for their money. Of course, we’ll all go at ’em together if they do break out into town,” Khosrow explained.

A party with an average level of 10—that’s far stronger than us, if you’re looking at hard numbers, but even they have to put up a fierce fight against just one of these monsters. On top of that, they’re going to start crawling all over the town once it’s a full-on stampede. Those of us on defensive duty will also have to split up to cover the area. I can’t imagine we can count on purely advantageous battle conditions, either.

“That said, we can still win this thing if we get ’em one at a time. Take out their Named Monster, and we end the whole stampede, but we’ll really be in for the fight of our lives if it manages to get a little posse going ’round with it. This ain’t gonna be easy, but try to focus on isolating these sons of you-know-whats and keep an eye out for any party that might be in over their heads.”

“Understood. We’ll stay vigilant and act accordingly.”

“…You don’t have to come at me with that kinda deference. I’m not your boss or anything, you know, so…it’s kinda…”

“Khosrow, this is no time to indulge in bashfulness. Do not let your guard fall for an instant,” scolded Kozelka.

“Yes, ma’am! Noted!”

I hadn’t meant anything special by it, but I guess Khosrow liked how I’d responded. Maybe previous Seekers who’d been called to duty from other districts had been a bit more bumbling from nerves.

“…That’s one of Atobe’s charms. Kind of rich for me to say that, though.”

“What was that, Igarashi?”

“Ohhh? That’s not what I heard at alllll…”

“M-Misaki… You really shouldn’t push her buttons like that…,” Suzuna cautioned nervously.

“I agree, that is certainly one of Mr. Atobe’s graces… It’s hardly a wonder Sergeant Khosrow would also grow fond of him,” said Seraphina without the slightest hesitation. Her expression was entirely sincere, completely unaware of how her input made this even more embarrassing. Khosrow awkwardly scratched at his cheek.

“I understand there are non-combat-oriented members among your party, Mr. Atobe. We’ll have them wait within the District Five Guild Saviors headquarters after we teleport over,” explained Kozelka.

“Thank you for the kind consideration. Should we expect to head straight into battle, per your orders?”

“Yeah… But don’t go overboard if it looks like taking them down’ll be too much for you. Seekers aren’t duty-bound to quell a stampede, but some parties choose to pitch in. We may not necessarily be going at this as the underdogs.”

“…Additionally, several special corridors have been constructed throughout District Five in order to corner any vicious monsters that do manage to invade the town.”

“Third-Class Dragon Captain Kozelka, I’m afraid it may be premature to share such classified information with them…”

“Not at all,” Kozelka retorted. “We have street corner cars and other armored vehicles, as well as specialized weapons installed in different locations around the town, at the ready to use against rampaging monsters. Should you find yourself in a situation where you must rely on one of these weapons, please ask the closest Guild Savior for instruction as well as you are able. And if a Guild Savior deems it necessary to utilize said weapons, put as much space between yourselves and the targets as you can to avoid becoming collateral damage.”

“You can leave herding that Named Monster into the corridor to us Guild Saviors. But if it looks like we may need your help…well, we’ll be countin’ on you,” said Khosrow, then bowed his head. This one gesture proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they’d asked for our help out of real need, not mere decorum in regard to our title.

“Desert plus poison equals, say it with me… Scorpions. Course, these hard-assed monstrosities are easily the size of a few people put together.”

“Eeek! …S-so you’re saying there’s tons of scorpions on the loose?!” asked a terrified Misaki.

“They live burrowed deep beneath the sand, so it’s no easy feat to cull their numbers. We face a similar predicament with airborne monsters as well,” Kozelka told her.

Scorpion monsters with potent venom; I could see them coming at us with long-range attacks, but we needed to prioritize the safety of those who’d fight them on the front line. I handed one of the amulets to Seraphina and fixed the other to Cion’s anklet.

“Now then…I shall teleport us to the District Five Guild Saviors headquarters. All present, fall in line.”

“““Yes, ma’am!”””

Kozelka left the room, Khosrow and her battalion close behind. Adeline had said her platoon would follow afterward as backup, but they were all fully equipped and ready to deploy. They lined up in formation and saw us off.

We entered a hall with several doors at the end of the corridor. Kozelka raised her hand up to one of these; as she did, crystals embedded into the wall next to it illuminated a 5 in the Labyrinth Country notation and the door gave way.

Are all the Guild Saviors headquarters in every district connected? If so, does that mean Kozelka and the others sometimes travel to the top three districts as well?

We passed through the doorway and walked for a bit before we sensed a change in the air. Kozelka opened another door and led us somewhere very similar yet different from the District Seven headquarters. At that moment, Guild Saviors awaiting our arrival came rushing toward us.

“Third-Class Captain Kozelka, as previously reported, the stampede broke out prior to sunrise this morning! We’ve confirmed a hundred and thirty-four monsters and defeated thirteen! The battle zone begins at the entrance to the Dead Sea Sands and is currently expanding to every corner of the district!”

“Roger that. We’ll assess the situation and mobilize where we are needed. I’ve reported with my battalion and one party of Advanced Seekers; we have one more battalion to follow that will provide backup as soon as they arrive.”

“Understood! I’ll inform Third-Class Dragon Major Furet at—”

“Attention, headquarters, multiple enemy units are racing toward the eastern quadrant at high velocity! Evacuation of noncombat personnel to the designated shelter area is underway but has not yet been completed!”

I can’t imagine District Five is starved for Seekers, but they’ve only defeated 13 out of 134 of these monsters, and it’s been several hours since this stampede broke out. Must take a lot of time to bring a single one down.

“We must make haste. Mr. Atobe, I’m going to send you a map of the area. I would have liked to do this sooner, but the system does not allow us to display it outside of District Five… I apologize for the delay.”

“No need to apologize. It’s still plenty helpful learning this now.”

“I gotta tell ya, I like that practical thinking. Think you could come with us, Atobe? I want to buy some time for the support staff and other residents in town who can’t fight.”

“Of course. Madoka, hang back here for me. We’ll come get you as soon as we have this under control.”

“Okay…! Please be careful, everyone…!”

The District Five Guild Saviors headquarters, it turned out, was built underground just like the one in District Seven. We ran down the halls and flew up the stairs, the familiar sensation of teleportation hitting me at some point during our ascent, and finally made it to the building’s ground floor.

“Mr. Atobe, everyone, stop!”

We were still inside the Guild, a place where I had assumed we wouldn’t need to worry about fending off any monster attacks. I had assumed wrong.

♦Current Status♦

“Arghhh! They’re shooting off their toxic juice in the Guild… Stay on your toes! That liquid’s poison, but it’ll also melt whatever it touches. Don’t let anything those bastards hack up get on you, unless you want some new holes in your best armor!” Khosrow warned.

“Khosrow, I’m going in. I want you all to make your escape while I draw the enemy’s fire.”

“Hey…I can’t stand by and let you go all by yourself, Captain. Leave the dirty work to your subordina— Aaand she’s not listening!”

♦Current Status♦

They’re so fast… Kozelka’s one thing, but even Khosrow’s got a high-speed skill, and he’s a big guy… Wait, this is no time to be staring in awe…!

“Kozelka, Khosrow, I’ll support you!”

♦Monster Encountered♦

Armored plates covered every inch of the scorpion so enormous, it must have been roughly three times the height of an average person. It trained the stinger at the end of its tail at Kozelka as she sprinted toward it at breakneck speed.

♦Current Status♦

“Hyaaah!”

What did it do…? We’re done for if it comes at us now…!

“Once you get to District Five, you must never let a guaranteed chance to attack escape you!”

♦Current Status♦

“What in the—?!”

“—!!”

The Death Stalker had been poised to strike Elitia and Theresia, but Kozelka forced it to direct its stinger at her instead. In a split second, she managed not only to draw the enemy’s fire to herself, but also to dodge that attack.

“Follow after those two ladies, Khosrow.”

♦Current Status♦

“Atobe, he’s not down just yet!” Khosrow shouted. “Leave this one to us; you guys head over to the eastern quadrant!”

“We’ll regroup as soon as we’re able! If for some reason you run into the Named Monster, please do not test your fate!”

“We may not have the luxury of choice, depending on how it goes… But we’ll do what we can! All right, everyone, let’s do this!”

“““Okay!!”””

We ran out the front doors of the Guild building and headed east past a group of Seekers and Guild Saviors in a fierce melee with several scorpions. The monsters’ Poison Blasters had melted away the outer walls of several buildings in the area, and their stingers had ripped up the stone pavements everywhere we looked. Some combatants failed to realize the significance of the Devil Scorpion Stance and paid the price when the monsters’ counterattacks sent them flying. Others fell in immediately after and pummeled the scorpions with concentrated gunfire from a distance until a veil of smoke rose from the ground. However, the giant creatures rendered the blasts near useless with their defense against attributed attacks and came leaping through the smoke to begin their violent onslaught once again.

“““KYEEEEE…!!”””

“Keep goin’ on down that street! They’re gonna break through to the residential district any minute at this rate!” shouted one of the Seekers in the brawl.

“…All right! Good luck out there!”

“Thanks…! How d’ya like this?!”

Then it hit me: These people were technically in front of me, meaning I could support them on the fly with Outside Assist.

Support those two men and that lady… Will it work…?!

♦Current Status♦

“KYEEEE!!”

A Guild Savior with a shaved head slammed the scorpion’s pincers with his war hammer, forcing them to swing up into the air. His comrade, a samurai with a straight sword katana, then hit the monster with a double attack, quickly followed by the bolt of a crossbow let loose by their third companion. The onslaught overwhelmed the scorpion and left it foaming toxic bubbles at the mouth as it teetered back and forth.

“What the—?! D-dunno what happened there, but those were some killer moves… Freakin’ amazing…!”

“Did someone give us a drive-by support boost…?! Thank you, whoever you are!”

“E-either way, this is our chance… Don’t let up for a second!”

My support extended the stun effects on the Death Stalker and would at least make sure the monster stayed immobile, even if it didn’t add much damage. The group’s remaining party members joined in with their own attacks and hit the scorpion with further status ailments, finally bringing their victory closer within reach.

“Well, I figured out from our last encounter that stun attacks work on them.”

Still, Outside Assist really drained my magic. I struggled not to spill any of the potion I drank to replenish it as I ran. I started to think I might eventually need to acquire Back Order and have my friends split a bit of their magic with me.

I glanced down at my license to check the District Five map—there was some kind of red dot up ahead, maybe a monster headed for the residential district? It moved so quickly, I couldn’t believe my eyes, and it would stop every once in a while to engage in some sort of battle, or perhaps attack innocent civilians.

“We shall soon engage an enemy ourselves. How would you like us to proceed?” asked Seraphina.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to stun it with one of Suzuna’s attacks before it can shoot that Poison Blaster at us. Vanguards, I want you to follow that up as usual and do what you do best. If it takes that Devil Scorpion stance, though, I’d like you to go after it with your shield, Seraphina. We should be able to avoid a counterattack that way and get around behind it. Looks like that skill strengthens its defenses against head-on attacks but leaves them pretty thin in the back.”

“Understood…!”

Theresia took the lead and picked up on something just as she was about to turn the corner at the next building. Her Scout Range Extension 1 clued her in to our enemy’s presence far before the rest of us had any idea.

“……!!”

“Theresia!”

She knew running out ahead would set the Poison Blaster’s target squarely on her back. And yet, she ran into the fray without hesitation—she’d spotted two people trapped in the rubble of a building destroyed in the stampede. A middle-aged man lay hunched over his daughter in an attempt to protect her.

My Hawk Eyes told me they had no easy escape route open to them, though I couldn’t see the monster just yet. But Theresia was looking up, not at the ground. Her eyes were focused on something farther back and to the right of the building that blocked my view. The scorpion was clinging to the top of the building’s facade.

What do I do now that I can’t pinpoint the trajectory of its attack? Do I get Theresia to draw its fire? No, she might not make it in time even with one of her evasion skills if she tries covering for the two people in the rubble. There’s gotta be something we can do… Something!

“Suzuna, play your flute! And use the magic stone!”

“Okay!” Suzuna called back loud and clear. She took out her flute and began to play. Just then:

“Eyes on me, you overgrown scorpion!”

“……!!”

“Bow! Bow!”

Theresia and Elitia ran ahead to distract the enemy as well as give Cion the space she needed to swoop in and take the father and daughter to safety. The stagnation stone slowed down the Poison Blaster we had all seen coming so effectively that Theresia dodged it without activating any extra skills.

But the stone’s special attack proved far too powerful. I was worried it had some equally dangerous risks we weren’t aware of, and my fears had unfortunately come true.

“…Ah…”

“Suzu!” Misaki cried out, catching Suzuna as her legs gave way.

♦Current Status♦

The stagnation stone’s effects wore off the moment the flute’s whistle faded. The scorpion bounded back to its original speed and without missing a beat doubled down in pursuit of the one who had evaded its attack: Theresia. There was nothing particularly strange about its movements. Just devastating, dizzying speed. Theresia wouldn’t even have the chance to lift up her shield in defense. Seraphina could never make it in time; I had to call on our secret weapon.

“Ariadne!”

♦Current Status♦

Ariadne’s Twin Guard Arms shot out and stopped the oncoming attack—but only from one of the scorpion’s two pincers.

“…Ngh… Guh……!!”

This was what it meant to fight in District Five—what a level-11 monster could do.

The enemy’s overwhelming power came crashing down on me and left me staggering. It was Redface all over again; all the turmoil I’d felt at the sight of that senseless violence came rushing back with renewed strength.

“Arihito, snap out of it!”

“……!”

Misaki’s shout pulled me back to my senses. I’d known—or should have known—all along that Guard Arm wasn’t foolproof. I needed to get Theresia out of there as soon as possible, but how?

Stun the enemy and stop it in its tracks. We could save Theresia if we could just loosen its grip on her.

“Let Theresia go…you monstrosity…!”

“Hiyaaaaah!”

“Release Ms. Theresia…at once…!”

Elitia, Igarashi, and Seraphina all charged the scorpion in unison. We couldn’t afford to combine our attacks, or else we might end up hitting Theresia if we overshot the range. Our only option: Hit the scorpion over and over to stun it into submission.

“KYEEEE…!”

♦Current Status♦

“……Ah……!!”

My heart began beating in slow motion.

There was no time to waste. If I wanted to protect Theresia, I had to do what I alone was capable of.

“Master, I shall aid you in your quest to save this faithful maiden.”

♦Current Status♦

“KYEAAAHHH!!”

I didn’t unsheathe the sword from my back, nor deal the blow that followed—that Murakumo materialized to do herself. She thrust the naked sword powered by both my magic and her own at the scorpion faster than the eye could see, as if piercing new stars into the velvety night sky.

But the scorpion’s strong defenses surrendered no purchase to her head-on attacks, and it began thrashing its stinger too quickly to follow. I screamed. She would know what to do, even if my voice failed to reach her.

♦Current Status♦

I grasped Murakumo by the hilt and brought her with me around behind the scorpion. But that spot offered us no guaranteed safety from this enemy’s attacks. The scorpion could react in a split second and lash out behind it with its razor-sharp needle.

Or rather, it could have, if Seraphina hadn’t been standing before it. Her Provoke had turned all its hostility—and its stinger—toward her.

“Yaaaaaah!!”

Seraphina’s cry rang out, and I once again requested Ariadne’s aid.

“I grant thee, dear devotee, my protection. May these Stellar Mechanical God armaments shield you from all harm!”

♦Current Status♦

The scorpion let out an ear-piercing wail. It had struck at Seraphina’s shield too quickly to see, but we all saw how the stinger on its tail snapped off on impact and went spinning through the air until it sank into the wall behind it.

“Master, this is our moment…!”

“Make it count, Murakumo!”

Murakumo stepped slightly in front of me while the scorpion attacked Seraphina. We were allowed only eight people per party, but Murakumo was no mere person; she was my trusty weapon and, therefore, eligible to receive my support.

“Let’s gooooo!”

♦Current Status♦

“……!!”

“Awooooo!”

The scorpion’s pincers loosened their grip, and Cion wasted no time dashing in to save Theresia from their clutches.

“Master, retreat!”

♦Current Status♦

“……!”

The scorpion began secreting poisonous gas from every pore in its body. It was an attempt to injure us now that we had it cornered, revealing just how deep its vindictive nature ran.

“Bow!”

“This poison cannot hurt me. I don’t want to test my protection against anything stronger, but such petty fumes won’t even touch me.”

I patted myself on the back for giving Cion the poison resistance amulet; she used Covering to protect Theresia from the attack and immediately activated Emergency Withdrawal to take her to safety. I directed my Recovery Support 1 in Theresia’s direction as she rode away. I wasn’t sure it would do more than ease her pain, but I wanted to help her recover in any way I could.

“GYEE…GYEEGYEE…!”

“You’re not going anywhere!”

“C’mon, Kyouka… We’ve gotta join them!”

“You know it!”

♦Current Status♦

Melissa’s knife sliced through a gap in the scorpion’s armor and lopped off half its tail. Elitia and Igarashi followed soon after with a set of coordinated attacks. The scorpion refused to go down, however, and started attempting to escape the battle. Melissa transferred the tail she’d harvested into her Repository and tried to go after the scorpion but stood no chance of catching up to the desperately fleeing arthropod.

This must be why so few of them have been killed… Talk about a real pain in the ass…!

♦Current Status♦

Suzuna’s Auto-Hit had one powerful thing going for it: It never failed to find its mark, no matter how quickly that mark was fleeing.

“……”

“Suzu…!”

Storm Arrow drained another large chunk of Suzuna’s magic. She once again collapsed into Misaki’s arms from the strain, but her arrows had stopped the scorpion in its tracks. Even this mighty beast capable of resisting attacks of any attribution was no match for a powerful gale.

♦Current Status♦

“GYEEE… GYEEEGYEEE…!!”

The scorpion let out a screeching wail and lifted its pincers skyward.

At that moment, the very air around us changed. Several beacons of light rose from behind the rooftops of the buildings lining the street, and another engulfed the Death Stalker we had just been fighting.

♦Current Status♦

The sky contorted.

Then, almost as if crawling out of thin air, a gigantic scorpion covered in dark gray armor fell from the sky. It landed right on top of the Death Stalker that had its pincers raised toward the heavens in prayer, crushing it on impact and shattering the cobblestones where its legs dug in to support its staggering weight.

♦Current Status♦

“It ate their souls…and turned them into energy…”

“This must be…the District Five Named Monster…!”

The monster’s dark gray armor turned bone white. This was the Death Stalker Named Monster; it had the commanding presence of an armored tank and the regal poise of the highest nobility in equal measure.

♦Monster Encountered♦

“GOHHH… OHHH…!!”

Its cry rang out loud and clear: This monster very clearly ruled as queen above all the other scorpions, as the name of its skill implied.

“Eeek! …I-it’s growing more tails…!” squealed Misaki. The one menacing stinger it already had split into nine separate tails. Each one was thinner than the ones on the ordinary Death Stalkers and didn’t seem to have the same function.

A hint of urgency rang through Ariadne’s usually dispassionate voice. I felt my blood run cold. The white scorpion began glowing with energy that surged down its body toward its tails.

“Mr. Atobe, let’s use this mome—”

“No! Everyone, take cover immediately! Anywhere you can!”

Elitia and Igarashi stopped mid-charge as soon as I reined Seraphina in. Everyone had heard me. Even Cion would still make it to safety with Theresia on her back.

The energy gathered at the tips of the white scorpion’s nine stingers. The scorpion queen lifted both pincers in the air, poised to unleash the sinister energy converging within.

“My dear devotee, allow me to grant you at the very least my—”

I understood what she meant. Things would not end well for us if that monster released its attack.

“Everyone, run! I’ll stop this…!” Seraphina yelled.

She wasn’t moving, let alone attempting to run. She’d realized she was the only thing standing between the white scorpion and the residential district just barely visible in the distance.

I should’ve known this would happen, that the day might come when I wouldn’t be able to protect my party from a wide-range attack like this on my own.

No, I can’t give up yet… Keep searching or you’ll never forgive yourself. Do whatever you can…!

I had one chance to block The Calamity’s attack and save Seraphina’s life. And I went all in.

My capacity to defend myself lay somewhere on the lower end of the spectrum, but by placing my hand over Seraphina’s, I could guarantee her defenses would cover me, too. And that meant…

♦Current Status♦

Hellish laser beams shot out of the white scorpion’s tail in every possible direction. Seraphina’s shield and the replicate I used my new skill to create and expand combined forces and repelled the ray that came our way; it pushed Seraphina back with its overwhelming force as it refracted and dispersed into the air, but she held strong through it all.

“Ugh…!!”

“Seraphina, are you okay?!”

“Yes, are you…? Just how…?”

The laser beams had indiscriminately hit everything in their path, blasting open holes in the stone walls of those unlucky buildings that took their wrath head-on. The very structure of the town would get an unwanted remodeling if this kept up for too much longer.

“This would’ve gone a lot differently if you hadn’t made that call, Arihito… You honestly never cease to amaze me…,” added Elitia.

Borrowing Seraphina’s defensive abilities had given me the key to creating a protective barrier exponentially stronger than what I could activate with Defense Support 1. The protection she provided by raising her large shield, further expanded in range with Defense Force and buffed with Aura Shield, had fended off the searing beams.

“……”

“Mr. Atobe… As I feared, you’ve consumed too much magic…”

Taking Back Order was no longer an option since I’d acquired Defense Support 2. I had nothing left but the mana potion to replenish my magic, and there was a limit to how many times I could use it in a row.

I can still exchange vitality for magic with the Scholar’s Ankh. But we can’t afford to get too close to that monster with the Sting Ray threat hanging over us… What are we gonna do…?!

♦Current Status♦

Theresia’s injured and Suzuna’s almost out of magic… Do we even stand a chance against this thing…?

“Arihito, take everyone and run! I’ll buy us some time!”

Elitia’s voice reverberated through the streets. She’d lost almost none of her vitality or magic, but I could not in good conscience go along with her plan.

“If we retreat, we retreat together! Elitia, don’t do anything rash—”

“I can’t bear to see anyone else get hurt!”

“Ellie!” cried Suzuna.

♦Current Status♦

It was just an ordinary attack. The Calamity activated no additional skills, but its natural speed was enough to capture Elitia at full sprint. Red droplets splattered on the ground, spelling out just how deeply Elitia had committed to her charge.

“Aaaaaaaaaahh!”

“Elitia…I’ll support you…!”

♦Current Status♦

“GOHHH… OHHH…!!”

“Why…? Why isn’t it working…?!” exclaimed Elitia, exasperated.

The Calamity endured all of Elitia’s attacks without so much as flinching, though they had, in fact, caused real damage. The monster simply chose to heal itself afterward, and the slashes on its armored plates began fading. Elitia’s Berserk-fueled attacks had broken us out of every crisis thus far, but even they failed to impose the slightest damper on The Calamity’s movements.

“I’m not…done yet…!”

♦Current Status♦

The Calamity dug its spear-shaped claws into the ground and plowed through the cobblestones, charging at Elitia. And yet, in spite of the bulldozer barreling toward her, Elitia showed no signs of giving up any ground.

“—!!”

♦Current Status♦

That’s when an unexpected figure jumped into the fray: Theresia, still heavily wounded. She rammed into Elitia and pushed her out of the path of the incoming collision then immediately sprinted out of The Calamity’s way herself and activated her suit’s camouflage powers to blend into her surroundings. The Calamity paid no heed to the fact that there was no enemy in its path and continued barreling toward a nearby building, one that was sure to crumble upon contact. We had to make sure it didn’t get to that.

Misaki’s got the Jester’s Wildcards on her… That’s right—!

“C’mon, cards, do your worst…!”

♦Current Status♦

Misaki’s steel card flashed a brilliant blue as she whipped it at the monster. Affixing the hollow rune to her deck had transformed them into a named weapon—the Jester’s Wildcards. Their special skill: angering whatever enemy they hit and carving out a new weak spot in its defenses.

“Stopppp!”

♦Current Status♦

“GOH… OHHHH…!!”

♦Current Status♦

The Calamity started unleashing steam from every crevice in its body in an attempt to melt the ice that had stuck; the move assured we wouldn’t have to worry about a shortened cooldown period, but I had no doubt the queen would start attacking once again in no time. My bullets hadn’t frozen its lance-like arms, and anyone who got close enough would be guaranteed to suffer under their preemptive blows.

The Scholar’s Ankh is replenishing a little of my magic every time Recovery Support activates…but it hasn’t started converting any of my vitality to magic yet. What should we do next…?

“I—I have to do this myself…!”

“Ellie, we got this far as a team! There’d be no point if we don’t stay together… So please…!”

Suzuna’s pleas reached Elitia just as she was about to begin another round of attacks against The Calamity.

Red Eye, which consumed both vitality and magic for its entire duration, finally deactivated, and the red flames in her gaze gave way to its usual lucid luster. But she was still in Berserk mode, and it was only a matter of time before she lost the strength to control her impulses.

This monster will burn through ice attacks so quickly… And if that Immortal Sovereign move can slowly take this thing all the way back up to full vitality…then we don’t have any moves to defeat it on our own.

The word retreat flashed through my head. No one asked us to take down the Named Monster. But I knew the moment we pulled back, nothing would stand between The Calamity and the devastation its name promised to wreak upon the city. Our mission was to stall this beast as long as we could—however.

“Mr. Atobe, reinforcements are coming in from the west… They’re saying we should keep proceeding due east!”

The latest orders flashed on Seraphina’s license. The next moment, a massive, spear-shaped something came racing toward us from the west: a vehicle equipped with a battering ram. Two enormous, armor-plated horses pulled the ram between them with a familiar figure holding the reins: Khosrow. Seated at his side were Kozelka and one more woman dressed in a military uniform with a beret covering her violet hair; I deduced she must be another member of the Guild Savior forces.

“Khosrow, they’re exhausted from battle. We can take over from here—”

“No can do, Third-Class Captain. A quick hop, skip, and a jump over our car and we’ll lose the beast. But I’d bet anything it won’t be able to resist going after Atobe and his group following that intense fight…”

“Third-Class Captain Kozelka, we can assure they will not be driven to the very end of the corridor if we utilize the equipment installed at the far back. Allow me to operate and time the firing of our weapon. It’s the very reason I have accompanied you on this mission.”

“Ms. Nayuta…,” began Kozelka. “Understood, please proceed accordingly. Mr. Atobe, you hear that?!”

“Yes, I did! But about this corridor—”

The Calamity turned its attention toward Khosrow and the two ladies. I shuddered violently at the thought of what could’ve happened if its Sting Ray had been active.

“Mr. Atobe, the buildings in this vicinity have been positioned to form a corridor between them… Lead the monster to the end of the corridor, and we can send it to the specialized weapon we have installed in the city!” explained Kozelka.

“That we can do!”

Then we make a run for it together… That’s right, we’ve done this before…

Back in our battle against the Paradox Beetle, I used Rearguard General and brought up the rear to ensure the skill would strengthen all my other capabilities.

“This is no escape; it is a charge toward victory. Master, do you require my aid?” I heard Alphecca say. It was a promising option; with her speed on our side, we might manage to outpace The Calamity. No one could hope to outrun the Sting Ray’s beams that raced along at the speed of light, however. It looked like they could track their targets to some extent as well, meaning we’d have to do more than dodge their trajectory to truly evade them.

“Seraphina, will you lend me your shield once more? I’m afraid it’ll try to attack us again as we run. If that time comes…”

Seraphina nodded before I could finish. I knew I was asking for the moon and had a feeling I wasn’t doing a great job of hiding it behind my terrible poker face, but she never wavered.

“It is yours to use for however long it can serve you. That is precisely why I am here.”

I nodded back. Theresia dropped her camouflage and appeared at my side; she was ready to fight, too.

“Arihito, you’re not gonna try and say I should find my own way out of this mess, are you?” Misaki asked coyly.

Elitia was in no state to say anything, but I knew she would never defy us.

“All right… Listen up, we’re going to be riding over capacity, but I want you guys to jump on Alphecca. Seraphina and I will catch a ride on Cion and run right behind you.”

“…Atobe…”

“It’ll be okay, Igarashi. There’s no time… Let’s defeat that Named Monster and end this stampede once and for all.”

“In the name of mine Hidden God Ariadne, we shall lead her beloved devotee. We are Alphecca…the incarnation of Arianrhod.”

Alphecca materialized, let the others board her chariot, and was off, racing full speed toward the corridor. Seraphina and I also took our spots on Cion’s back. We had to sit awkwardly facing her rear in order to protect the group should The Calamity strike out again, but the discomfort lasted only a second. Soon enough, I felt right at home and completely balanced.

♦Current Status♦

“This is Wolf Rider, a skill to use when riding a guard dog into battle.”

“I see… Thanks, Cion. Can you show me how fast you can go?”

“Bow!”

“Arihitooo! Kozelka’s team’s gaining on us!” shouted Misaki.

Alphecca shot off, Cion hot on her wheels. The moment Seraphina, who sat in front of me, saw the ice burst off The Calamity’s legs, she let out a cry so sharp, it pierced through my soul:

“The Calamity… Eyes on me!”

♦Current Status♦

“GOHHH… OHHH…!”

The Calamity raised its pincers and furiously set off after us. It caught up to Cion in a flash and got so close, we could almost touch it.

♦Current Status♦

Every time the monster brought those spears down to attack, Cion leaped with everything she had and dodged their reach by a hair. The lances smashed into the cobblestone street and sent the stones flying in their wake. In no time at all, The Calamity managed to close the gap between it and Cion once more and unleash yet another relentless attack.

I whipped my head around and realized why she was yelling the second I saw what awaited Cion up ahead. The corridor was about to send us down a right-angled turn. We’d have to lose speed to clear that corner. The Calamity must’ve figured it would be the perfect moment to strike and lowered its pincers in anticipation.

I couldn’t use my Morale Discharge since I hadn’t taken any damage yet. I started to think we had no choice but to combine Defense Support 2 and Seraphina’s shield to deflect, when—

“O valiant wolf, take mine hand as we fly over this battlefield!”

♦Current Status♦

“Awooooo!” Cion howled loudly.

I felt a sudden jolt as she picked up just enough speed to narrowly evade The Calamity’s arms. Cion turned the corner and sprinted even faster down the street. The others chasing the monster in the battering ram vehicle made it safely past the corner, too. We had the enemy sandwiched in on both sides, but we needed to keep pressing on.

“Do not fear! We have a specialist riding in the vehicle behind us who can activate the special interceptor!”

If only we can keep this up, then maybe…

But as soon the thought crossed my mind, I knew it was too good to be true.

♦Current Status♦

Luminescent energy once again began surging down The Calamity’s body and into its nine stingers.

“Mr. Atobe!”

“Seraphina, we will stop that beam. Please, lend me your shield once more.”

Seraphina turned around and looked me straight in the eye. Without a word, she took my hand and placed it over her own that gripped her shield.

“Your wish to protect all you hold dear is now mine as well. This is the feeling you inspire in me…!”

“GOHHH… OHHHH!”

The scorpion queen belted out a deafening roar—but it was no longer the only queen in town. Alphecca had appeared, adorned with her crown of thorns.

We turned another sharp corner, only to find a brick wall marking a very dead end, just as Misaki had suspected. That meant the secret weapon must be hidden somewhere around here.

“I entrust my safety to you, Master,” said Alphecca.

“And now, once more…together with our Hidden God, we shall fortify your almighty shield…!” added Murakumo.

Blinding beams exploded out from the nine tips of The Calamity’s stingers. In that split second, I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of a young woman, her head bowed in prayer deep within the Sanctuary of that fateful labyrinth.

“Just try and get past me…!”

The Calamity had its sights set not on Alphecca or Seraphina. It had recognized a single person as its true threat then focused every modicum of malice gathering at the ends of its nine stingers on that one target: me.

♦Current Status♦

The laser beams barreled straight toward me and cut in from the sides. I was surrounded, robbed of all possible avenues of escape.

I knew all my friends were praying we’d make it through this in one piece. Their hopes ran through me and bolstered the shield Seraphina and I had joined forces to create.

“Haaaaaaaaaah!”

♦Current Status♦

I activated Rearguard General and supported the weight of Seraphina’s shield with her. Then, drawing once more from her skills, I used Defense Support 2 to forge an invisible protective barrier. All nine laser beams The Calamity sent surging toward us bore straight down into the barrier—but then.

♦Current Status ♦

“GYOHHHH! …OHHH!!”

The deflected beams hit their maker with even greater force than they’d had to start and pierced through the monster’s near-impenetrable armor, forcing The Calamity to give up real speed for the first time yet.

“Both of you, brace yourselves for impact!”

Kozelka called out to the two huge horses pulling the battering ram vehicle as it barreled into The Calamity; the monster initially held its ground as the horses hurled themselves at it, but it stumbled forward after additional rounds of attack. Just then:

“Captain Kozelka…do it now!”

“Khosrow!”

“You got it, Cap!”

Khosrow hurled Kozelka through the air, literally—she shot forward like a speeding bullet, briefly landed on the wall to the right of The Calamity, and with lightning-fast swiftness, propelled herself all the way up to reach a lever positioned around three stories above the ground.

“Fall to your doom!”

♦Current Status♦

“Fire!”

♦Current Status♦

“GOHHH… OHHHH!!”

“Shit, it’s not enough! Nayuta, fire the other cannon!”

“…Activate Trap isn’t meant for one person to use in such quick succession…”

“You sayin’ you can’t do it…? Well, we better do somethin’, or that cockroach’s gonna bolt!”

♦Current Status♦

There was another lever on the opposite side of the street. Kozelka tried to jump over to release it, but The Calamity refused to let her go that easily and struck out from the bottom of the pit.

Elitia and Cion are the only ones in my party who can get that high in a single bound… Wait, no. Maybe that’s not what matters here…

I’d seen the skills Nayuta and Kozelka had used in action before.

That’s right—Theresia had both those skills. These may be incredibly high-ranking Guild Saviors, but at the end of the day, they were just putting skills they already knew to good use. Before I could even say anything, Theresia hopped off Alphecca’s chariot, walked over to the wall to the left of The Calamity, and gazed upward. She was in no condition to fight, but she stood tall on her own two feet.

She’s always been like that. Theresia has never once backed down from an enemy, no matter how strong or terrifying… None of us has. That’s exactly what’s brought us this far…!

Theresia knew Nayuta had used Activate Trap. She didn’t need me or my license to tell her that. I felt a wave of pride come over me for choosing her as my first-ever party member in the Labyrinth Country.

“Theresia.”

♦Current Status♦

“……!”

♦Current Status♦

“Stopppppp!”

Theresia’s skill fired the weapon built into the corridor. Huge spears trailed by strings of steel chains fired out one after the other and drove down onto The Calamity.

“I may not have the power to expend my master’s life force…but woe unto those who discount the Stellar Sword!”

♦Current Status♦

“GYOHHHH! …OHHH!!”

The tenor of the monster’s cry took a marked turn—we were finally doing some real damage. Cracks began to creep over the once impenetrable armor from wherever the spears and the Blade of Heaven and Earth had met their marks.

“Mr. Atobe!” yelled Kozelka. I had to hand it to her; even amid all the chaos, she never lost her dutiful concern for others.

“……!”

“I’ll be okay… I’ve still got one more trick up my sleeve… Ariadne!”

♦Current Status♦

““Hiiiiyaaaaah!!””

Elitia and Igarashi leaped into the fray with Melissa following close behind. We had The Calamity completely bound, but it still tried putting up a final fight. This time, however, we knew its nine tails wouldn’t be able to summon magical energy again so soon after activating Sting Ray.

“Cooperation Support…Double Fire!”

♦Current Status♦

“GYOH…OHHH!!”

The fierce blitz lasted only a matter of seconds and ended decisively with one final charge by none other than the strongest attacker on our team: Elitia. Her eyes burned red as she raised her scarlet sword overhead and chanted:

“Icy flowers, freeze over and scatter. Blossom Blade!”

♦Current Status♦

Elitia unleashed a deluge of strikes that rained down upon the behemoth scorpion like petals in a storm. Their ice attribute snaked in through the cracks in The Calamity’s damaged armor, growing in strength and plunging the surrounding air into arctic temperatures as they expanded.

“…GYOH…OH…”

The Calamity flailed as the ice ravaged its body. Slowly but surely, the scorpion queen was trapped in a frozen prison and could no longer move.

♦Current Status♦

The far-off clamor of battle and destruction instantaneously died out.

“……”

Theresia looked over at me. Recovery Support had activated the entire time she stood in front of me, and her wounds were already looking a little less severe.

“Yeah… It’s over. We won…”

“Arihito!! …Ahhh, I thought this time we were goners for suuuure!” Misaki exclaimed as she dove straight in for a hug before anyone else could even get close. There wasn’t a shadow of a doubt in my mind that Misaki had cracked the door with her Jester’s Wildcards and given us the opening we needed to defeat The Calamity. I decided that, just this once, I’d let her cling to me as long as she liked.

♦Current Status♦

“……!”

“Ellie!”

Igarashi and Melissa raced over to Elitia and caught her just as she was about to lose her balance.

“…You’re all…so…hurt…”

“Ellie…?” Suzuna went over to check on Elitia, but Theresia cut in before she could get there.

“…Theresia…”

“……”

Theresia reached out and patted Elitia’s shoulder a few times. Elitia placed her trembling hand over Theresia’s and held it tightly, then said:

“I…I’m nowhere near as strong as you. You’re always right there by Arihito’s side, protecting him, and us…”

Theresia said nothing. The little we could see of her face beneath the mask betrayed no expression. But I knew she cared for Elitia. As if to prove it, she took Elitia’s hand between both of hers and squeezed it back in return.

“…Snff…hic…”

Elitia buried her face in those hands and wept. We’d won, and all lived to tell the tale. Only this time, we had the battle scars to prove it. We had skipped over District Six and come directly to District Five. The Guild Saviors and the weapon they’d set up in the foundations of the city helped us bring the monster to its knees, but The Calamity had destroyed the walls and streets of the corridor as it fell into the pit, ensuring it could never be used again.

“Arihito, it dropped a box!”

“That’s an amazing find, but we didn’t bring this one down on our own. Let’s talk it over with Kozelka and her team and decide what to do.”

“You betcha! Oh, looks like they’re comin’ over right now.”

Khosrow hopped off the battering ram as Kozelka and their third companion—a woman called Nayuta, according to my license—walked over to meet us.

“Mr. Atobe, we must proceed to exterminate the remaining Death Stalkers. You and your team did us a great service. That said, I imagine you must all be exhausted.”

“My name is Nayuta Houjou. I’m a Third-Class Dragon Captain assigned to the District Five Guild Saviors regimen. Allow me to escort you through the city to a safer location in order to avoid any active battle sites.”

“Thank you, that would be a tremendous help,” I said. “I’d like to keep assisting with the mission, but I can’t deny that we’re all quite spent…”

Her introduction complete, Nayuta cast a scrutinizing eye at Theresia. She must have realized Theresia had used a skill they shared.

“I alone could not have operated both of those weapons at once… We would never have subdued The Calamity without this young woman’s assistance. You have my most sincere thanks.”

Nayuta nodded and held out her right hand. I shook it, and a warm smile spread across her face. She looked surprisingly mature for someone I felt had to be younger than me.

“…Ms. Elitia, that sword of yours should only be used once all the proper conditions have been met. It’s a wonder you so much as contend with its power at your level… To wield it to such devastating effect requires an exceptionally rare level of mastery.”

“…But…it’s all I have…”

“Ellie knows what she’s doing. She’s saved us time and again with this sword… It may be a dreadful weapon, but she has it under control…!”

I didn’t believe Elitia was only “contending” with the power of her sword. Suzuna felt exactly the same and told Kozelka so in no uncertain terms. Kozelka drew her hand up to the hilt of her own sword and appeared to consider something for a moment, then she bowed her head toward Elitia and said:

“I apologize; I should not have admonished you based on my own assumptions. You’ve all made it thus far by vanquishing your foes as we witnessed mere moments ago. And once again, your contributions here today secured victory against The Calamity.”

“This here Named Monster’s frozen to the bone… What’s it gonna be?” asked Khosrow. “Doubt it’d manage to get too far even if the ice did melt, but you won’t have to worry about that with it in this Frozen Prison status.”

And then, she did something I almost never saw her do: She smiled. I hadn’t expected her to have such a gentle side. It lasted only for a second, though, and the piercing gaze I’d grown accustomed to soon returned to her eyes.

“You have accomplished a great feat mere hours after stepping foot in District Five. Not only that, you exceeded all the precedents set by any Advanced Seekers before you. I hope you take due pride in that. That’s what I intend to do myself, with your permission.”

“I haven’t seen one of those Black Boxes in ages, and I gotta tell ya, it’s givin’ me quite the rush. But it’s all yours. And don’t be shy; take all the materials you want.”

“…Sure, we’ll take them,” said Melissa. “I get the feeling this one monster’s gonna fill up my entire Repository.”

She looked to me for permission, but there seemed to be no need for reserve; Kozelka had nodded, and Khosrow was giving us a big thumbs-up. I signaled it was okay, and Melissa pressed the Repository key against the frozen behemoth, teleporting it away.

“Roger that. Atobe, let’s grab a drink one of these days. I’ve got a feeling I’m gonna like shootin’ the you-know-what with you,” said Khosrow in parting, then together with Kozelka, he climbed aboard the battering ram vehicle. He maneuvered it through a quick U-turn and went speeding out the way they’d come.

“Master, I shall transport you all to safety. O valiant wolf, do you have strength in you yet to carry your companions?”

“Bow!”

“Great job earlier, Cion. You really helped us out back there.”

Cion sat in anticipation as I walked over to her. Igarashi joined me and started petting her. I decided it’d be best to leave Igarashi and Seraphina with Cion. Worst-case scenario, Seraphina would be able to deflect any oncoming attacks with her shield.

“Now then, Mr. Atobe…I’ve set your license to track my location. I’ll guide you through the city, so please follow my lead,” Nayuta told me. “Hah!”

♦Current Status♦

Nayuta cracked the taloned whip she had hung around her waist and leaped into action. Over and over again, she threw the whip ahead to propel her forward, the picture of a circus acrobat alight in midair.

“Whips, huh…?” mused Igarashi. “I guess you do see lion tamers using them in their shows.”

“I’ve only met Captain Nayuta once before, but I believe she did, in fact, belong to a circus troupe pre-reincarnation. Excellent deduction, Ms. Misaki,” said Seraphina.

We set off after Nayuta as we chatted. Theresia decided all on her own to sit on my lap; I didn’t have a problem with that in itself since she needed my Recovery Support, but it was a little awkward, given how badly her suit had been damaged. A huge gash in the fabric had left her shoulder completely exposed.

“……”

Perhaps unaware of the state she was in, Theresia offhandedly turned around to face me. I wondered whether we could get her Hide and Seek repaired—or at least that’s what I tried focusing on to get my mind off how dangerously close her body suit was coming to revealing something I definitely should not be looking at.

“I-it’s best if you sit still. I know this may be a bit too warm, but just bear with me…”

I draped my jacket over her shoulders, kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner.

“……”

“Hee-hee… You’re really swimming in Atobe’s jacket, Theresia.”

“You’re one to talk, Kyouka. I wish you’d put something over that suuuper racy look you’ve got going for you,” teased Misaki.

“Arihito, do you think we can get Theresia’s clothing mended?” Suzuna asked with concern. As Alphecca began picking up speed, I wondered if we could find a professional in District Five to do it for us—but that’s when I got a message on my license from Madoka back at the Guild Savior base.

Dear Arihito, one of the Guild Saviors just let me know you all made it out okay. I’m so relieved. I also heard Theresia was injured. How is she doing?

Kozelka must have written to Madoka on her way to the next site. I mentally thanked her for thinking ahead and opened the next message:

We’ve officially been granted leave to stay in District Five for a while thanks to all your great contributions in battle. This means we can ask merchants from other districts to come here, too.

In that case, I figured I’d better have Ceres and Steiner come up and meet us. Maybe I could ask Luca from Boutique Corleone to join us after he finished my suit, too. It would be great if Falma could help us out with the Black Box, but I guessed that would depend on what was going on with her kids.

But more important—most important, actually—this permission to stay meant one thing.

“Elitia, let’s talk this over again later. It’s time we rescued your friend.”

“……”

Elitia had lost her best friend, left the Brigade where she once belonged, and been dubbed the “Death Sword.” Yet, she never abandoned her quest to save Rury. And now we had all made it here. But it was still too soon for her to celebrate. For one thing, we didn’t know if we’d even be allowed to venture into the labyrinths of District Five. All labyrinths were ranked in stars, and we were supposed to raid only those with up to three.

“We’ve already defeated one Named Monster… I’m sure they’ll let us into the labyrinths here. We’ll get your friend back, Ellie. I promise.”

“Thank you, Kyouka.”

Elitia’s resolve was as strong as ever, but I could see her begin to waver. Perhaps all the memories of losing her friend and the desperate battle against The Calamity had planted seeds of doubt in her mind. If so, I wanted to say something—anything—that might comfort her. But as I looked at Elitia gazing off in the distance, not a single word came to mind.

“Yes, that would be a great help, thank you. Some of my friends aren’t done with their treatment yet. Could you take us there after that?”

Theresia and Elitia both needed their wounds treated, but fortunately none was severe enough to leave a scar. The Healers had also helped restore Suzuna’s magic, and she was already feeling much better.

“After you and your party defeated the Named Monster, Mr. Atobe, the rest of the Death Stalkers’ attacks significantly weakened, and many Seekers residing in District Five turned out to help eliminate them,” explained Adeline. “All told, about five hundred Seekers contributed their efforts to the cause. However, I imagine the promise of maintaining their contribution points without having to step foot in a labyrinth inspired at least some of them into action; getting just one attack in would suffice for that.”

“I see… Those were some vicious monsters to contend with. I don’t blame anyone for sitting out that fight, even Seekers who’ve worked their way to District Five.”

Living in the Labyrinth Country meant accepting a certain level of risk that a stampede could break out at any moment. You weren’t required to join in the fight once it did, but it was always a good idea to prepare measures to protect yourself for when the time came. That was obviously a higher hurdle for support staff and artisans since they had fewer opportunities to maintain their levels or hone their battle skills. It’s one reason I believed every Seeker who was able should pitch in, though I knew you couldn’t force people. Everyone, ourselves included, ought to contribute however they could without pushing themselves too far outside their comfort zones.

“If I may be blunt… I can’t tell you how unprecedented it is for a party of Advanced Seekers to come out on top in terms of contributions during a stampede. I’ll bet the District Five Guild Saviors headquarters is going crazy over this.”

“Y-you don’t say…”

“Oh… Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean they’re going to come to you with tons of extremely dangerous missions out of the blue or anything. In any event, a Seeker’s duty is to explore the labyrinths however they see fit.”

“Thank you, Adeline,” I said.

“Please, we should be thanking you… Now then, I’ll start on those arrangements with the apartment while we wait for the rest of your party. You are nine people in total, correct?”

“Arihito, what a relief you’re okay… Although I am worried about that Theresia girl. That must have been a mighty attack to have completely ruined her bodysuit.”

“I wish I could share my armor with her.”

“What sort of nonsense are you spouting? Your Living Armor is there to protect your— Oh, never mind. We came to do our part as professionals. Is there a rental workshop we could use?”

“Yes, there is an opening at a workshop near the apartment building. So, Mr. Atobe, what do you plan to do while you’re in the district?” Adeline asked.

“Actually, there’s a labyrinth we’d like to check out, time permitting. To be honest, that’s part of the reason we decided to accept the request to join this mission.”

“You certainly waste no time… B-but I do apologize, I’m not familiar enough with the relevant regulations to know if that kind of permission is something you could get so quickly after skipping a district to come here…”

As our conversation went on, Theresia, Elitia, and Suzuna finished with their treatment and came out along with Igarashi, Misaki, and Melissa.

“Theresia, how are your injuries?” I asked.

“……”

“I see… Glad to hear it. Don’t worry, Ceres and Steiner are gonna fix your suit up for us, okay?”

Theresia nodded and gently touched my jacket, which she had over her shoulders. Maybe she was trying to give it back—or at least that’s what I thought.

“……”

“Hm? Theresia…?”

Theresia fixed her gaze on me. If that was her way of telling me she wanted to borrow it a little longer, that would be fine by me. It might be a little chilly in District Five for my taste, although I figured that was all the more reason to lend it to her. I wondered if she’d be fine with my jacket or if I should pick something else up for her in town.

“…Atobe, how about you let Theresia hold on to that for a little while?” suggested Igarashi.

“Ooh, is this what I think it is? Is our Arihito having trouble understanding the inner workings of Theresia’s heart again?”

“M-Misaki, watch yourself… You’ll embarrass her…,” said Suzuna.

“……!”

Theresia’s lizard mask was definitely turning a bright shade of red—and that’s when it hit me. She knew she should give me back my jacket but also still wanted to keep it. The chill in the air must be part of that, but maybe in this case it also meant… No, better stop there or I’ll be the next one to blush.

“Theresia, don’t worry about the jacket…”

“……!”

“I-it’s fine, calm down… You can give it back when we get to the apartment.”

“……”

Theresia nodded. Maybe Misaki was right; I still had a lot to learn about reading people.

Just then, a band of Seekers walked out from the treatment area and toward the lobby. A woman whose flaxen hair was woven into three braids appeared to be leading the group; every person in it wore matching white outer garments.

“……!”

“Ellie, what’s wrong?” asked Suzuna. “Do—do you know them?”

Elitia’s eyes flew wide open when she caught sight of the white-clothed troupe. It wasn’t too hard to guess why; they must’ve belonged to the White Night Brigade. There were about fourteen of them, just enough for two parties. I couldn’t tell from appearances alone if any others had cursed weapons like the one Elitia was bound to.

“…Yes. Those are the second and third parties… I’d bet anything they helped quell the stampede.”

“Honestly, that’s a little surprising…,” started Igarashi. “I didn’t expect them to do something like that. I guess I shouldn’t make assumptions.”

“Agnes, the leader of the second party… She doesn’t agree with everything the captain says. She has her own way of doing things.”

The leader of the White Night Brigade was none other than Elitia’s older brother. Seeing these members here meant he was also most likely somewhere in District Five, and yet, the Brigade’s first party had stayed out of the stampede entirely. Maybe they didn’t think the situation called for their assistance, or maybe they preferred not to get involved in the town’s defenses as a rule. Whatever the case may be, it was certainly surprising, as Igarashi had said, to learn a division of the Brigade had joined in the fight.

“…Let’s get out of here,” Elitia pleaded before I could ask her how we should respond to the Brigade. No surprise that her harried voice couldn’t hide all the worries at the forefront of her mind.

“O-okay…got it. Are you guys ready to go?”

“Oh, Arihito… Suzu’s still a bit pooped…”

“I’ll be fine, Misaki. Don’t worry about me, I’m… Ah—!”

“I-I’m sorry… I always cause you nothing but trouble, Arihito…”

“No, I’m the one who should apologize. I wouldn’t have pushed you to use those skills if I’d known they’d drain you this badly. Let’s hold off until you’ve leveled up a bit more before we try using Pan’s Flute and the stagnation stone together again.”

“Okay… But please do let me use them if we really need to.”

Suzuna had played her flute and then activated Auto-Hit without much time to recover in between. I had no doubt she meant what she said and wouldn’t hesitate to put herself through such an exhaustive experience again for us if the need arose. In that case, I needed to find out how to increase her maximum magic capacity or come up with a way to reduce the toll this combo took on her.

“Bow!”

“Cion… I’m sorry, you must be exhausted after fighting so hard for us, and yet…”

Cion had been waiting patiently in a corner of the lobby but now walked over to us and scooped Suzuna up onto her back. She took great care not to sway as she walked out of concern for her charge, a gentle giant in every sense of the word.

Elitia broke into a tiny smile at the sight. She was worried about Suzuna, but I was pretty sure her mind was occupied with concern for her imprisoned friend. I wanted to believe our victory over The Calamity made picking a fight with the Simian Lord less of a reckless venture, but one look at Elitia was enough to tell me our next foe would prove even stronger than the last.

“Hold up, she made it back here already? Found some useful muscle? She better not kid herself and think any old ragtag team of idiots’ll be enough to save her ass out there.”

“Souga, they’re here because they earned the right to be. You’re in no position to assume we’re superior.”

“R-right… Sorry, Agnes. But should we tell the captain that Elitia’s back…?”

“I’ll handle it. Elitia…”

The woman her companion had addressed as Agnes called out to Elitia, who stopped for a brief moment, bowed her head slightly, and kept on walking. Our friends went after her to make sure she wasn’t alone and followed Adeline out of the Healer clinic. Soon enough, I was the only one left. I felt all the Brigade members’ eyes turn to me.

“I understand Elitia used to belong to your group. I’ve also heard the reasons for her departure,” I said.

“…I see. So Ellie’s still trying to save Rury, isn’t she?”

The way Agnes called Elitia by her nickname made it clear how much seeing her had tugged at her heartstrings. I no longer believed everybody in the Brigade had written Elitia off completely. This Agnes very clearly cared about her—and I didn’t want to stoop to the kind of cynicism I’d need to believe it was all for show.

“I have no right to say anything; I’m one of those guilty for abandoning Rury in her time of need. I’ll bet you despise us, too.”

“Elitia told us about her friend, and I… No, we decided to help rescue her. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“…Is that…the only reason you’d risk your life in that labyrinth? The Guild Saviors themselves say the Simian Lord is best left alone. If even they don’t recommend trying to take it on, why would you?”

“You also had your own reasons for risking your lives in that same labyrinth, with that same Simian Lord, didn’t you? It’s not for me to say if whatever you gained there was worth losing one of your own. But we’re making a different call… If Elitia believes Rury’s still alive, then we believe her. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed.”

“…I don’t know how the hell someone with that kinda devil-may-care, glass-half-full, rosy-posy take on life made it here, but I’m telling you now: Every single Seeker in District Five does whatever it takes to stay far, far away from the Simian Lord. Only those with a death wish would even think about trying anythin’,” said the man called Souga. He glared at me, the whites of his eyes giving him a menacing look. He bore a battle-ax on his broad, muscular back and had probably never skipped a day of strength training, but even he was urging us to reconsider.

“…What’s so dangerous about the Simian Lord? Would you mind telling me?”

Souga opened his mouth to respond, but Agnes cut him off.

Now that wasn’t a title bestowed lightly. She was trying to tell me he was on an entirely different level than anything we’d seen thus far.

“…Y’all don’t stand a chance against him. You’re just gonna end up losin’ more people you care about. Not that I’m about to try and stop you if you’re so hell-bent on it,” said Souga, the concern in his words belying the aggressive image his short, spiky, black-and-gold-dyed hair and earrings lent him. I knew his warning was well intentioned, but I wouldn’t stand for the way he’d already decided our fates. We’d come here because we had faith; we believed that Rury was alive and that we would save her.

“I’m glad I got the chance to talk with you. I’d thought most people in the Brigade stood ready to abandon their friends at any moment, but I’m relieved to hear you don’t all feel that way. I was worried we might at some point have to face off against any group who’d go that far to get their hands on what they wanted… We’ve run into similar situations in the past.”

“Don’t get all touchy-feely on me just yet. We’re workin’ toward our own goals, and I’m willing to risk it all for that, even if that means one day they’d need to leave me behind. I hadn’t forgotten about that girl. I prolly would’ve pretty soon if I hadn’t run into Elitia, but it is what it is.”

“Arihito. Arihito Atobe.”

“Arihito Atobe… I’m Agnes Fille, vice captain of the White Night Brigade. We’ll be moving up to the next district soon, but if possible, I’d like to see Elitia and…” She started to say talk to her but stopped when she saw the looks on her companions’ faces.

“We’ll take care of her,” I said. “To be fair, she’s been the one taking care of us so far. But being in a party is all about give-and-take.”

“Arihito, you’re gonna get lost if you don’t keep uppp!” yelled Misaki as she doubled back to get me. I raised a hand to let her know I was on my way and turned to leave.

“…If you insist on raiding the Blazing Red Mansion, you’d best get all the intel you can. This map covers all the land we explored when we went there… Will you take it?”

“H-hey, Agnes, why’d you do that much for—?”

“Because I want to. I’m not asking your permission… I just…”

You never could tell what kind of people you’d find, even in the Brigade. Agnes pulled out her license and sent me a map, which cut off at some point in the middle of the second floor.

“Thank you very much. There’s one more thing I wanted to tell you… We ran into Shirone. She committed crimes with heavy karmic penalties and is now in a District Seven prison.”

“—! Shirone… What did she do to Elitia…?”

“I still don’t know what she had in mind, but she tried to lure me away from my party… If the Brigade drove her to do all that, then I think one day I’ll have to talk to your captain, face-to-face.”

“…Looks like I jumped the gun a bit. Shouldn’t have called y’all a ragtag team of idiots. My bad. But talk is cheap. If you’re gonna do something, you better be damn sure you’ve got what it takes. And you need power.”

“I couldn’t agree more. We do need power, something that Elitia’s sword has provided us time and time again. I’m always thinking of how we can get even stronger.”

“Shit… Tch. Looks like Elitia won the friggin’ lottery.”

I could’ve sworn he also muttered, “At least the guy’s got a spine,” after which a woman in the group slapped him hard on the back.

“Ow…! What the hell?!”

“Quit your dopey mumbling. I kept quiet while Vice Captain Agnes was around, but stop acting like you speak for the rest of us.”

“Shut up. The captain’s been in a crappy mood lately. Just let me have this.”

A few of the other second party members bowed to me in parting and walked away. Each and every one of them was probably decked out in the highest-quality gear, but in the end they were still Seekers, just like us. And now I knew they weren’t outlaws bent on following nobody’s rules but their own. I wondered what could have stopped such a formidable group from going back for Rury. Maybe the Simian Lord’s reputation as the “devil incarnate” had something to do with it.

And if Rury was already— No, I wasn’t gonna go there. She was alive. I had to plan everything around that.

What we needed more than anything was to stand up, look that menace straight in the eye, and strike back.

Part II: The Chef

District Five also had Upper, Middle, and Lower Guild divisions; it was the Middle Guild building we’d visited when we’d transported here from District Seven, and it was here we returned to meet up with Louisa once we’d left the Healer clinic. She’d obtained special permission as our personal caseworker to follow us to District Five and was waiting for us there.

The Middle Guild building—or the Forest Diner, as it was also called—doubled as a large dining hall. Restauranteurs had come from all over the district to serve hot meals to the people gathered beneath its roof, perhaps because they’d seen the damage the building had sustained in the stampede. But since we’d been officially designated Most Distinguished Seekers for our efforts in quelling the stampede, our guide took us past the bustling hall and showed us into a private room also reserved for meetings.

“My name is Maria Millers, and I am the Chef who will be taking care of you this evening. Thank you for all your efforts assisting with the stampede today,” she said somewhat matter-of-factly, then bowed deeply before bringing in a wagon she’d left waiting in the hall. A rather large, dome-like metal lid concealed whatever dish lay beneath. I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what she had in store for us.

“D-don’t tell me… This isn’t that scorpion thing we just defeated, is it…?” Misaki asked nervously. The thought sent a chill up Igarashi’s spine, too. I liked to think I’d eat anything as long as it tasted all right, but even I might have trouble adding scorpion to my diet.

Maria said nothing and removed the metal lid to reveal: another dome, this one made of something like clay.

“Might this be…a steamed rock salt brûlée?”

“Precisely. It’s a steamed dish liberally filled with District Five specialties, all locally sourced.”

Louisa had been spot on. The dome I thought was clay turned out to be rock salt. Maria cracked this open with a utensil and unveiled several bundles further wrapped in some sort of seaweed. She left the bundles intact and transferred one to each of our plates then bowed. It seemed we were free to dig in.

“A-are you sure it’s okay for us to have these…?” Igarashi asked. “This all looks so expensive…”

“Ah! T-Theresia, try to be a bit more delicate…!”

Theresia could wait no longer and stabbed her knife into the seaweed wrapping to cut it open. The inside was stuffed with an abalone-type shellfish, meat, and vegetables. Theresia piled vegetables and the shellfish onto her fork and brought it to her mouth. The instant she gulped it down her pale throat, Theresia’s eyes flew open in surprise and locked on to the plate before her. At least I imagined they did, since I couldn’t see her eyes behind her mask.

“……!”

Theresia turned toward me. I’d never seen her react this way before. She clearly had her own tastes when it came to food, but I couldn’t imagine how good the dish must be for her to rate it so highly.

“I-is it that good? All right, let’s dig in… Thank you for the meal.”

“Mm…! Mmmmm…?!”

“Wait, wait, this meat is outta control… It’s steamed in salt but it’s not toooo salty at all and toootally melts in your mouth…!”

“This is delicious… I can feel it warming up my whole body.”

Suzuna’s comment got me thinking. I looked at my license on a hunch and saw that her magic was recovering faster than it had been. Drinking the mana potion came with side effects, but evidently, nutritious meals didn’t have that problem. The cook must have taken Suzuna’s condition into consideration when planning out this meal.

“I prepared this dish for its medicinal benefits after speaking with the Healers at the clinic. I hope you’ll enjoy your time here this evening. Please call me whenever you’re ready, and I’ll bring in your next entrée.”

“I’m pleased to hear it. I’ve brought some alcohol for the table, but do let me know if I can offer you any other beverages as well.”

She had anticipated our every need and pampered us with first-rate service. I could’ve sworn there was a fine dining gem hidden somewhere in the Guild. Actually, this must’ve been it.

“S-sure pays to be a Most Distinguished Seeker… We didn’t get any of this back in District Eight,” noted Misaki.

“Apparently there’s a limited number of cooks in each district… Maria’s dishes are seriously incredible,” added Igarashi.

“…Hope she can teach me.”

Misaki and Igarashi marveled over the meal. The food seemed to have piqued even Melissa’s interest and gotten her thinking about how she could use her cooking skills to learn the recipe. Homemade dinners brought great comfort, but every once in a while it was also nice to treat ourselves to such luxurious fare. Honestly, your body is your moneymaker in the Labyrinth Country, so we basically ate whatever ours craved.

Elitia had looked glum since we first sat down to eat. She realized Suzuna, who was sitting next to her, had begun to worry, so she took a few bites.

“…This is amazing. I guess there’s still lots of cuisine I don’t know about in this country.”

“Ellie…”

“I’m fine… I just got lost in my thoughts a bit. But I know I can’t get too far ahead of myself.”

“Louisa, does it look like we’ll be allowed to enter the labyrinths here in District Five?”

“You’ll receive special contribution points for your work today as well as extra points for the impact that had on the stampede… However, even these two together will not suffice to grant you immediate access to a five-star labyrinth. You do, of course, have the right to submit a request for that permission, but I cannot guarantee it will be approved…”

The Guild’s laws had served us thus far, but they also restricted our options. I could certainly understand the Guild’s motives behind putting these prerequisites in place for the more challenging labyrinths as they probably served to reduce the number of Seekers who went missing.

“I understand it might be difficult to get access to a five-star labyrinth when we don’t even have clearance for four-star ones yet… Still, would it be possible to try and ask?”

“Yes, of course, and I intend to. Elitia has—that is, all of you have worked so hard to come here. No one can attest to that more than myself. However, I confess I do have one concern.”

“A concern…?”

Louisa’s eyes fell and landed on her cup filled with alcohol. That alone told me whatever it was she had to say did not come easily to her.

“Huh? …Wh-what the heck’s up with that? They called us here, and we worked our butts off for them…!”

“Have they by any chance…taken offense to a lower-ranked district’s unit garnering higher commendation?” I guessed, and Louisa nodded in affirmation. Seraphina said nothing on this, but her expression hardened and took on a new severity.

“As we speak, the Guild is considering whether to award you and your party another honorary title even more distinguished than Advanced Seeker,” she began. “The District Five Guild Saviors headquarters would most likely process the change if it does go through… I expect Third-Class Captain Kozelka to inform us as soon as the matter is settled.”

“I see. We’ll be happy with any contribution points we can get.”

Everyone had their own sense of honor and pride, but I wanted to keep my nose out of those kinds of adversarial confrontations as much as possible—though maybe that sentiment was a bit out of place since we were, in fact, competing for contribution points.

“It’ll take a little time, but I will make sure to submit a request for at least temporary access to a five-star labyrinth.”

“I’d appreciate that. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll do our best to fulfill all the necessary requirements.”

After we ate the steamed salt rock dish, Maria brought out plates of grilled white-meat fish wrapped in a piecrust, along with soup, salad, and fruit, every single course more delectable than the last. I helped Theresia make her way through the dishes since she was still nursing her injured arm. Hopefully it would heal quickly.

All that remained after the main courses was dessert. We had three choices; one called “Mighty White Peach Mille-Feuille” caught my eye.

“Maria, is this one made with fruit that boosts your stats?”

“Yes. I made it specifically with your party in mind.”

“Then we’ve just got to go with that one, right? The menu says the other desserts are supposed to help with ‘calming sleep’ and, um…‘passion’?”

“P-passion might be a little too, um… I mean, I’ll bet it gives you a boost, but I have enough trouble staying asleep as it is…”

“…! Kyouka, we’re not supposed to mention that in front of Arihito…,” Suzuna cut in quickly.

“You’re having trouble sleeping, Igarashi? Maybe you should try this Calming Bavarian Custard.”

“N-no, I’m fine. I’ll take the added strength wherever I can get it… Honestly, Atobe, you don’t have to go butting into every little thing.”

“Louisa, you could probably use a little bump in your defenses, too, huh? I bet all those men leering at your lady lumps can get creeeepy.”

“Wha—?! L-look, Misaki, I can’t exactly say I’m shocked, but you really shouldn’t talk like that…,” I chided her.

“I-it’s fine… I’ve learned to live with it. I’m the only one who suffers if I worry too much, so I simply wear whatever strikes my fancy.”

“…Yeah, I get it. I wish my armor’s design reflected the defense it provides me.”

Louisa and Igarashi sighed in unison. Someone chuckled at the sight—it was the chef, Maria, surprisingly enough.

“If I may, I’d recommend you ladies try the Passion Strudel. It’s infused with a lovely white wine.”

“Y-you don’t say… Then maybe it would help lull me to sleep…,” said Igarashi.

“All right, then I’ll have that, please.”

Louisa was sold with the promise of white wine and made her choice on the spot. The option tempted Igarashi as well, but she and Louisa agreed to split their desserts, so she went with the Mighty White Peach Mille-Feuille instead. I didn’t particularly dislike wine, but I wasn’t exactly drawn to it, either. There probably wouldn’t be too much alcohol in the strudel, whatever that might be, so the thought of Louisa having it didn’t really worry me.

“Madoka, wanna take a walk on the adult side of dessert with me?” Misaki offered.

“…I’m curious about this ‘passionate’ fruit, but I’ll have the Mille-Feuille, too,” said Melissa. “I want better defense.”

“Bow!”

It looked like most of our battle-oriented members chose to go with the Mighty White Peach Mille-Feuille. It worked in mysterious ways, but we all saw the value in gaining even the tiniest bit of strength from something as simple as a meal.

“I’ve gotta remember to brush your teeth later so you don’t get any cavities, Cion,” I told her.

“We have what’s called a mastic stick made for guard dogs. It should help if she chews it like gum,” Maria suggested. She’d really thought of everything. Once she confirmed our orders, Maria briefly retired from the room.

Ceres and Steiner had been with us the entire dinner but seemed to feel a little out of place. After all, they were artisans, not Seekers. They’d kept relatively quiet—that is, until the alcohol started flowing and loosened their lips.

“Arihito, why don’t you have that fine young lady make something out of the fruits you picked up? It’ll save you time looking for an Herbalist, and she might have the know-how to enhance their effects.”

“Yes, I’d like to ask if that might be possible later. I’d probably come back another day to work out the details.”

“I’m basically swimming in defense as it is, so I went out on a limb and ordered the wine dessert.”

“It’s not like you’re some expert, either, Master. I mean, should you even be drinking at all?”

“Gr! …Why, you little… Don’t you dare run your mouth and let slip anything Arihito doesn’t need to hear…”

I decided to take this little back-and-forth as friendly banter showing how close they were. But what could those things I “didn’t need to hear” be? Did Ceres have some kind of secret she wanted to keep hidden from me?

“Arihito, you must never pry regarding a lady’s age or pedigree. Do you hear me, young man?”

“Y-yes…”

There was no way I could press her for more details after a warning like that. I could feel Igarashi’s and Louisa’s eyes bearing down hard on me, too, and decided I’d better hold my tongue, even though I knew Igarashi was younger than me, and I had a feeling Louisa, the picture of a lovely lady, was as well.

Part III: The District Five Commander

We met up just outside the Guild headquarters with Adeline, who’d eaten with her troop, and she took us to the apartment where we’d be staying. Along the way she filled us in on the latest news she’d heard from her troop mates about the stampede.

“Wow… I can’t imagine this was the first time a monster like that instigated a stampede. What was the battle like last time?”

Adeline quickly pulled out a leather-bound notebook, almost as if she’d been expecting the question to come up. She’d apparently borrowed a report log from one of the District Five Guild Saviors.

“Let’s see… The last stampede occurred one year ago; the District Five commander at the time was gravely injured in battle, and it took three days for reinforcements to come from upper districts and suppress the outbreak. Someone had to take over for the District Five commander back then…so even though the stampede was quelled in one day this time around, I believe he feels some guilt for once again failing to lead his troops to victory.”

“Three whole days…?” said Igarashi, astonished. “Did they try to fight the Named Monster without catching it in one of those traps? Maybe it scurried off like the other scorpions.”

“But we took that sucker down in just a few hours… I totally get why these Guild Saviors are so stunned,” added Misaki.

Just as the thought occurred to me, I noticed two Guild Saviors walking toward us from the other end of the street steeped in the last rays of sunlight. One was Nayuta and the other a man with a somewhat dark and mysterious air to him.

“…! Third-Class Dragon Major Dylan… To what do we owe the honor…?” asked Seraphina.

“Th-this is a little unexpected, I mean… Have you come with a directive for us…?”

Seraphina and Adeline straightened to attention. The man in the military uniform walked right up to me; we were about the same height and maybe the same age, too.

“Huh… So you’re the famous Atobe. I’d heard rumors of that one runaway rookie we’re supposed to get every few decades, but turns out it was all spot-on. You got me good, I’ll tell you that.”

“N-nice to meet you… I take it you’re familiar with us?”

“No need to be so stiff. Although I’m officially a Guild Savior, I started as a Seeker, too. Seriously, what a show. I had a feeling we were in for something good when Kozelka and Josh came up, but man.”

He spoke frankly and didn’t sound like a real military officer, rude as that might be to think. It was like nothing ever fazed him, for better or worse.

“Excuse me? Josh…?”

“Ohhh, you probably know him as Dragon Sergeant Khosrow. He’s got it so his last name’s what shows up on his license.”

“Commander Dylan, I witnessed myself how Mr. Atobe and his party lured The Calamity into the trap corridor and assisted in its destruction… No. It would be truer to fact to say they led us to victory against the monster,” Nayuta advised Dylan, who nodded in response. He then pulled out something from a pocket in his uniform and presented it to me.

“I owe you all an apology… There are some among my troops who’re claiming you were out of line and racked up those contribution points by ignoring orders and taking matters into your own hands. Defeating a Named Monster constitutes a great service to our country; by all rights they should be honoring your accomplishments and thanking you for what you did, regardless of how you got there, and yet… I’m very sorry.”

“I-it’s fine. Nobody has said anything about it to us directly.”

“Rightly so. Anyone who dared would be hearing from me. As the party responsible for the victory against The Calamity, you have all been designated the Most Distinguished Seekers…and now it’s been decided you are to be awarded an honor even greater than your current Advanced Seekers: the title of All-Star Seekers. Will you accept it?”

“This…”

“It’s an award medal. Its effects kick in when you just carry it around with you. Would you hold on to that for me? You can think of it as a good luck charm.”

The medal was forged out of a metallic material I’d never seen before and had the Guild’s crest engraved on its face. I decided to keep it in my pocket since it was small enough to carry without issue.

“As I’m sure you’ve already heard, you’ve been granted exceptional leave to stay in District Five for the next seven days. I hope you understand this is a very special case. While you’ve clearly met the requirements to advance to District Six, you’re only here because of the request for your assistance. I know this is no way to talk to our Most Distinguished Seekers after you played such a big part in quelling the stampede, but rules are rules.”

We had seven days—one week to save Rury.

“We need access to a five-star labyrinth. I’ve already addressed the issue with our Guild caseworker, but is there any way you might have the authority to grant us that permission, Commander Dylan…?”

Dylan shook his head. Rules were rules: That had to be his position as a Guild Savior.

“A few days…”

We didn’t have that kind of time. I wanted to gear up and go as soon as we were all rested, or now if we could. Commander Dylan had recognized what we were capable of. If only I could get him to approve our request, then—

“Arihito.”

I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned around to see Elitia shaking her head; she was warning me.

“You guys have what it takes. Your party’s got exceptionally rare strengths… Build on those and you’ll go as far as you could ever want. One day you’ll come to District Five through the proper channels and then keep on climbing at a speed no other party could dream to replicate.”

“…Right.”

“Mr. Atobe, Captain Kozelka and Sergeant Khosrow have also decided to remain in the district for a few days. They have requested you contact them should you require their services at any point during that period.”

“I understand. Thank you for telling me.”

Commander Dylan and Nayuta walked off. Elitia released her hold on my sleeve and smiled. For once, it didn’t feel like she was putting on a brave face.

“……”

Theresia walked closer to Elitia as if to say, Don’t worry. But Elitia shook her head.

“There’s no point if we don’t all get out of this safely…so please. I think if we just go back through District Six and work on ourselves first, then…”

“No…we held our own, here in District Five, and even took down Death Stalkers, which leads me to believe we won’t be completely outmatched in these labyrinths. Maybe there are some three-star ones we can explore. We can always work on building up our levels there.”

“I agree; we’ll need contribution points earned in District Five anyway,” added Igarashi. “We’re so close. I’m sure we’d regret wasting these precious seven days in another district.”

Elitia hesitated for a while still, but eventually dropped her protests and nodded quietly. The turmoil she felt continued to rage within her, pitting her desire to rescue Rury against her fear of bringing harm to her friends. But she wasn’t the only one bearing those burdens.

“We should be able to get some good experience here. I’ll bet we’re probably the lowest-level party in the whole district… If we focus only on gaining one level, it’ll definitely be much more efficient to fight monsters here than in District Six.”

“Elitia, you should really get some rest. You took a big hit in that last battle…,” I called out to try and stop her. Elitia looked back but did not stop. She held out her hand to discourage her friends from following after her and, with a smile on her face, said:

“Even if I go back now, I’ll be too worked up to get any sleep. Don’t worry about me… I’ll be back before it gets too late.”

We had only so much time in the district, which meant we had only so much time to gather information. I knew I should respect her decision; still, I couldn’t help but worry as I watched her walk away.

“…Elitia has experience living in District Five before, I understand. She may know more about it than I do,” offered Adeline.

“That’s…true. Let’s head to the apartment and wait up for her.”

Elitia had already rounded the corner and disappeared from our sights. She felt the time crunch deeply—I understood that all too well. But it’s moments like these when you need to really keep your head on straight. I could only trust Elitia knew that, too.

Part IV: The Monster and Its Minions

“Ellie, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault you got hurt so bad. If only I’d healed you quicker…”

“That’s not true. It’s my job to do whatever I can so one day people will count on my blade.”

“I’ve always counted on you, ever since the day I met you. And I still do.”

Rury activated a skill called Heal Wound and cured my injuries. It was truly magical: It sent a gentle wind whirling around my body, healing every hurt. Many reincarnates elect this kind of job when they arrive out of a desire to wield such magical powers. However, only a rare few are cut out for the position, and fewer still ever manage to become a Healer with the ability to conjure up these sorcerous effects, even among those whose jobs allow them to acquire recovery skills.

And yet, my brother, the captain, never once asked Rury to help him. I couldn’t understand why. He openly proclaimed a Healer was a bounty for the Brigade but always turned to potions or other remedies whenever he found himself in need of the exact assistance Rury could provide.

I lost the ability to read my brother after he changed. We hadn’t exactly been very close in our past lives, but he’d never been the kind of person to completely disregard whatever anyone else said.

“So you went with Swordswoman, huh? Wish you’d chosen a position in the rearguard to round out our group better.”

Keeping up with the others was the most I could manage. Always at a lower level than our group average, I did nothing but hold everyone else back. My brother gave me the Scarlet Emperor to try and change all that.

“This sword could be your key to pulling your own weight despite your level. Even if you fail to master it, I’ll give you one more chance to prove yourself.

“What a relief it would be if my good-for-nothing sister could contribute something to the group.”

“……”

I could tell my brother saw no value in keeping me in the party, but his eyes sparkled with boyish excitement the moment I succeeded in equipping the Scarlet Emperor. It was degrading, groveling before him to secure a place where I could belong. And yet, at the same time, I felt truly happy I got to stay in the Brigade and would never have to part with Rury.

…Shirone and I are no different. I have no right to criticize her for anything.

I didn’t want to lose them. I didn’t want any of them to get hurt. But I knew that’s exactly what lay in store for them if they set out to rescue Rury. I’d known it all along, but those fears finally hit home during our fierce battles against the monsters in this district.

This party could surely go the distance. But this mission I’d embarked on would send them to a labyrinth even the Guild Saviors dared not touch, a place other Seekers spared no thought in avoiding. My selfish desires might very well kill all their dreams.

I wanted to return Theresia to her human form. I knew Arihito hoped for nothing more earnestly than that, and I wanted to fulfill his wish with every fiber of my being.

The truth was, I already had the right to enter a five-star labyrinth so long as I went in alone, but I’d kept that from Arihito and the others. I’d earned it back when I belonged to the Brigade. I’d break no rules and incur no karma if I went as an individual separate from any party.

…I have to find Rury. But…what if she’s already…?

No; she had to be alive. All the others had put their faith in that—I had to believe it, too. But the labyrinth had no mercy to spare for us. That’s why I had to go before everyone else and face it on my own. I was the one who had failed to save Rury; I had to do this alone.

Visions of my friends’ faces filled my mind’s eye. I knew I would cause them worry, that I was clinging to my childish ways, and couldn’t even convincingly leave them with a reassuring smile.

My legs trembled as they carried me down the all-too-familiar path to the mouth of the labyrinth. Streetlamps illuminated the road even after the sun had abandoned it for the day. It was almost completely deserted. The Guild Saviors didn’t need to warn anyone to stay away; that wisdom had long ago taken root deep in the hearts of the local Seekers.

There stood the round, red pillars of metal. I had only to descend the stone steps beneath their arches to finally enter: the Blazing Red Mansion. I stood petrified beneath the fiery, flickering glow of the streetlights. It felt as though nothing existed in that moment but my heart beating so hard, it hurt.

“Shit, that sure is nasty.”

I overheard a man close by and snapped back to my senses. Two Seekers were talking about the Blazing Red Mansion.

“They say Seekers get put in the same category as monsters if they’re forced to serve one for long enough. I get that it’s a Guild rule and all, but damn…”

That was the one thing I had been dreading most.

If a Seeker-turned-demi-human attacks another Seeker, they qualify as targets you can legally hunt. In other words, they get written off as monsters. But the Guild had one other special rule. If an enslaved Seeker becomes hostile toward other Seekers…they show up on your license as allies of their captor and are officially designated monsters themselves.

“And then go on to talk about how there are bound to be fewer prying eyes at night. They gotta know they’re no better than thieves in the dark…”

“Is that true…what you just said?” I cut in. “Did you overhear someone going into this labyrinth talk about doing such a thing?”

“—! …H-how long have you been standing there?”

They hadn’t noticed I was there and jumped when I spoke. But I didn’t have the time to care about that and pressed one of them for answers.

“Did they mention anything about one of those enslaved Seekers being a Healer? Please, you must tell me!”

“N-no…you don’t hear anything that detailed going around, but there’s hardly a soul in these parts who doesn’t know the Simian Lord gets all the Seekers it catches to do its dirty work.”

“…H-hey. That sword—she’s not the girl from the White Night Brigade, is she…?”

“Ahhh, right… I get it. There was a rumor a while ago that even the mighty White Night Brigade gave up and turned tail in that labyrinth. If you’re sayin’ one of y’all got caught back then, they’re probably showing up as monsters by now. They might’ve already been done in, for all we know…”

“…That can’t be…! I won’t allow it!”

One of this labyrinth’s defining features was that no other monsters aside from the Simian Lord’s minions lived here. The Guild didn’t classify it as dangerous because there was little risk of a stampede breaking out. Anyone with the proper qualifications was free to explore it, with the caveat that they should expect no assistance regardless of what happened inside.

I could see a high-level party successfully raiding this labyrinth without much difficulty. Nevertheless, the Simian Lord, a Named Monster hoarding the type of loot Seekers would normally jump at the chance to acquire in spite of the considerable risk, lived on. One major aspect of his battle forces checked most ambitions: the human Seekers he’d enslaved and forced to join forces with his loyal underlings.

At my current level, I know I can keep up with the Simian Lord’s movements if I activate my Red Eye. If my party was here…he’d go after them, and they might get hurt again like when we fought The Calamity. But since it’s just me…

I’d find Rury and lead her out of this cursed labyrinth—if only I could manage to do that, there had to be some other way to undo the curse that bound her to the monster’s will. I’d come this far; I wasn’t leaving without her.

I’ll bet other Seekers would go straight for Rury if they found her… She always wore valuable rearguard equipment given her vital role as a Healer. It would all fetch a high price on the market if whoever plundered it from her failed to wield it themselves.

“……!”

♦Current Status♦

I was done with regrets. Someone I cared for had been stolen right before my eyes. I’d abandoned Rury in her time of need, but I would never allow either of those things to happen again—never, ever.

Part V: The Flaming Forest

I ran through the next set of red metal pillars and teleported to the second floor. Time shifted; the sky was pitch black, but it was light around me.

…This…wasn’t here last time…!

The Simian Lord’s fortress commanded vast swaths of the second floor, but it still should have taken me a while to find it. Instead, I caught sight of its outer walls after walking for only a few minutes. It stood bathed in bright orange light amid the flaming red forest.

That party… Thank goodness, I caught up to them…

“Look! …I see a human, just like they said…!”

“I can tell this is gonna be way more fun than takin’ on a run-of-the-mill monster… And no one can say shit about it. That monster’s got a hold on ’em. It’s self-defense, pure and simple.”

They laughed at their despicable banter I could barely stand to hear. What if these lowlifes found Rury…? No, I didn’t want to even entertain the possibility.

I trailed the four-person party, hiding in the shadows of the trees so they wouldn’t notice me. A river ran through the labyrinth, but the Simian Lord’s fortress extended over and past the bridge that crossed it. It appeared there were two separate strongholds, one each in the west and the east.

The Simian Lord was incredibly cunning, something we found out the hard way when he sprung that surprise attack on us. So cunning, in fact, that he’d spread out his growing forces among the two towers to make it that much more difficult to pin down his own location.

“Doesn’t this fortress look bigger than what we heard?” said one of the four Seekers.

“Looks like he’s tryin’ to set up his own little country down here…,” said another.

“I swear I saw that girl go in through there. Whaddaya say we go save that little lady from the big bad monkey?”

Is that actually…hidden…?

One of the men pulled the lever, and they all made their way into the fortress. I imagined they probably had some kind of surveillance skill active to keep an eye on their surroundings, but I couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right. They’d found a way in so easily for a reason. I wasn’t sure if the figure they’d seen was Rury or someone entirely different, but I had to risk it and find out.

“Hey, we know you’re in there! Stop hiding and show yourself!”

“Dumbass! Stop screaming. Every damn monster in this place is gonna know we’re here.”

The gate began closing once more. I had to try and slip through while the men had their attentions turned to whatever lay behind it. I crouched low to the ground and just barely squeaked past the gate made of wooden stakes.

The four men had walked into a large hall the gate opened up to. I hid in the shadow of one of the several statues standing there before they could realize I’d followed them in.

That’s when I heard a scream rise up to the rafters.

“…H-hold up, somethin’s off!”

“There’s some weird pattern on the floor behind us…! Aaaaaah!”

And then I saw it: that deep, blazing blood red.

It was a hue I could never forget. It had invaded countless nightmares and to me represented evil itself.

♦Monsters Encountered♦

Three Seekers appeared wearing black cloaks and eerie monkey masks—and behind them…

“Dammit! Did he send that dancer out to lure us in…?!”

“The Return Scroll won’t work! You gotta be friggin’ kidding me! How did this—?!”

“It’s getting so damn hot… He’s gonna boil us alive!”

“Hey, eyes ahead! They’re coming!”

“Wha—?!”

♦Current Status♦

“Whoaaaaaa!!”

It was all too clear why so few Seekers ever tried to challenge the Simian Lord. They knew the monsters were not the only foes to fear here; battling fellow Seekers meant risking incalculable danger.

“…This ends here and now. It has to.”

♦Current Status♦

“I’ve been waiting for this moment…ever since the day you stole everything from me!”

How many people had this monster tortured? What must the people who cared for these enslaved minions be feeling—myself included?

“HOO-EEE HOO-EEE HOO-EEE!!”

The huge monkey was easily several times bigger than an average person. It looked down at me like a pebble in its path then decided I was no match for it and sent its minions out ahead to form a human shield.

If only I could pull this off, I’d never ask for anything again. I didn’t care if I lost everything else—as long as I had Rury.

“HOO-EE HOO-EE!”

“…Don’t you dare laugh.”

I knew the depths of my own stupidity better than anybody. And yet, dumb as I was, my friends had all come with me this far on my quest. And they’d never once laughed at me.

I had to bring Rury back, no matter what. For them.

If I could have just one more wish, I’d pray they would forgive me my stupidity.

“Raaaaaaah!!”

♦Current Status♦

And then I was above him. The Simian Lord looked up at me in astonishment, his eyes wide and fangs bared as I spun through the air and slashed my blade down upon him.

“…Haaaaah!”

♦Current Status♦

“HOO-HEE…EE!!”

“It’s not over yet… I’ll put everything I have on the line and bring you to your knees!”

If only Arihito had been here to support me, these attacks would have packed a greater punch. But if what they lacked was power, then…I’d just keep attacking until I took the Simian Lord down. I’d dodge every other attack, reserve my aim for the one foe I had to defeat, and shower the beast with all the razor-sharp petals I could muster.

The dancer kicked out her foot and sent a dagger hidden in her shoe flying toward me, but even that couldn’t reach me now.

♦Current Status♦

“AAAAAAAAAH!!!”

♦Current Status♦

The Simian Lord lost his balance and fell to his knees.

The next blow would take him down. One last push—but my vision darkened the moment I went to activate Blossom Blade. I couldn’t use that attack again. I had to try something else. But I could still win.

I just needed to land one more hit.

At least that’s what I thought.

♦Current Status♦

The monster before me began transforming; its blazing red fur blackened over and it shrank a full size smaller. I had no idea what had just happened. I had definitely been fighting the Simian Lord—and yet. The monster I’d showered with three rounds of Blossom Blade smiled with self-satisfaction as blood bubbled up from its mouth. That’s when I finally caught on and realized just how late that epiphany had come.

A wall of flames licked the edges of the great hall. Yet another monster stepped out in front of the fire, with one more masked figure at its side.

♦Monster Encountered♦

“…Rury…”

♦Current Status♦

“Ah… Aaaah!!”

Not a single attack had hit me. And yet, the wounds The Calamity had inflicted on my body began to burn—then burst open. I knew this skill. It was the one attack available to Healers, the one Rury was too kindhearted ever to use.

♦Current Status♦

I knew I wouldn’t survive another minion attack and jumped back. As I did, the black monkey’s wounds began to heal.

I had no idea what kind of expression Rury was making. The black leather cloak and monkey mask shrouded her features entirely. But I could still see one familiar item, the Healer’s weapon Rury always carried: her wand.

“How dare you hide and send a sorry knockoff to fight me…and make Rury dance like a puppet!”

Rury pointed her wand toward me. If she sends another Open Wounds my way, I’ll—!

I cowered in terror before my dear friend, afraid of how she’d hurt me next. The Simian Lord looked down on me with a twisted sort of pity. He pulled his lips into an evil smile and then, laughing all the while, stayed Rury’s hand. I knew he’d done it for no other reason than to demonstrate exactly how much control he had over her.

“I’ll never…never forgive you, never… You’re not getting away!!”

Even the Simian Lord’s body double had proved too tough a foe for me to handle alone. It rose to its feet, wounds healed just enough so it could move again, and walked toward me with the three other minions.

♦Current Status♦

I began to drift out of consciousness. The wounds Rury had reopened grew ever more painful. One last emotion took over my entire being. I had to let my friends know. Let Rury, whom I’d failed to save, know.

“…I’m so sorry. I…couldn’t do…anything…”

The Simian Lord might try to enslave me as well. In that case, I had but one task left. I gripped the hilt of my sword with all the strength left in me. I had wandered in confusion ever since the day it chose me, but at least in my final moments, I could make sure this blade would never turn against Arihito and the others—and end it myself.

And yet, my hand would not budge.

The Simian Lord’s hulking ape henchman and the three minions stopped in their tracks.

A loud bang broke out behind me. All the feeling I’d lost returned to my body. And then, the first thing I heard was that voice that always had my back: his voice.

“It’s not over yet… I’ll be damned if I let that happen!”

Arihito had come for me. The others, too, even though I’d done something so foolish.

“Ellie! …You’re so hurt… I swear, you’re just too reckless!”

“…I’m sorry. You have to…run… That monster will…”

My vision was fading. Kyouka’s warmth enveloped my body; from a distance, Arihito’s recovery powers began healing my wounds. There was nothing I could do now but pray—pray that everyone would be safe, that they could all escape this evil fortress.

Part VI: The Escape

I had suspected all along Elitia might head to the Blazing Red Mansion. We went through Kozelka and Khosrow and obtained temporary clearance to follow after her into the five-star labyrinth. Seekers with an honorary title could apparently request permission to enter labyrinths they wouldn’t otherwise be qualified to access if there were some sort of extenuating circumstances. Elitia venturing into such a dangerous labyrinth fell into that category.

I had Adeline determine Elitia’s precise location with her Arrow Familiar once we made it to the second floor and drew from Alphecca’s magnificent speed to race toward that point. We busted down the outer gate to the fortress by applying the set damage from Attack Support 1 but soon realized we would also need to break through the Purgatorial Prison walls.

Silver Traces, one of Alphecca’s skills, had an extra-special effect: It gave her the power to smash through any obstacle created by an area effect in her path. We flew through the flames and found Elitia standing all alone against the Simian Lord and his minions.

Four of us had plunged into the fortress aboard Alphecca: Igarashi, Theresia, Seraphina, and me. We’d have to rely on her Silver Traces to make our escape as well. But that would only be possible after we shook the enemy off our tail. Igarashi had almost managed to get Elitia onto Alphecca’s chariot when one of the Simian Lord’s minions, a Seeker whose face was hidden behind an ape mask, went after her.

“Haaaah!!”

“Ariadne, I request your support!”

“I, Ariadne, grant the guardian of the mighty shield my protection!”

♦Current Status♦

“Urghhh!”

“Seraphina!”

“Mr. Atobe, cover me…! Haaaaah!”

“I can do that, too! …Yaaaaah!”

♦Current Status♦

Seraphina rammed the Martial Artist with her shield and sent him flying back while Igarashi, still holding on to Elitia, raised the spear in her right hand and sent a lightning bolt down upon the Dancer to check her advance. But the last minion, the Terraformer, was preparing some sort of attack. My instincts immediately told me whatever it was would mean trouble.

“Oh no you don’t!”

The impending attack’s name alone told me it would somehow alter the ground—I know it might sound strange coming from me, but this felt pretty darn close to magic.

“Almost there… Atobe!”

I jumped off Alphecca, took Elitia from Igarashi’s arms, and quickly carried her onto the chariot. Theresia bought us time by distracting the Martial Artist, who had regained his footing, and dodging his every attack. She managed to evade his blows, but perhaps owing to the gap in their levels, the Martial Artist was still gaining on her.

“Theresia, fall back! We can’t use the Return Scroll here; we’ll have to leave through the gate!”

“……!”

“Atobe, that Demon Monkey’s aiming at us! Oh no, my Thunderbolt won’t make it!”

The Simian Lord took one of the iron clubs he carried on his back and handed it to his underling, the Demon Monkey, who wound it up high above and aimed it straight at us.

“GRAAAAH!!”

If the Silver Chariot was destroyed, we would be completely stranded. The Demon Monkey saw this and set his sights on Alphecca. We had only one hope of stopping that gigantic club.

“Haaaaah!”

“Seraphina, I’ll support you! Ariadne, please!”

“O armaments of this Stellar Mechanical God, become a shield to block all harm!”

♦Current Status♦

“GAHEEE!!”

The enormous projectile that dwarfed Seraphina’s shield in size made a terrible crash as it collided—but the shield held true and expertly reflected the club right back at the Demon Monkey.

“GROAAAAAH!”

♦Current Status♦

Chains stretched out behind the iron ball the Simian Lord hurled our way; they tangled themselves in Alphecca’s chariot and immobilized her.

“This was what you were after… You wily beast!”

“Hang on, Alphecca, I’ll get you out of those chains!”

“They’re huge! What do we do?!” cried Igarashi. “It’s no use… He’s pulling us in!”

The Simian Lord dragged Alphecca, with Elitia and Igarashi on top, toward him using just one of his mighty arms. Alphecca spun her wheels and strained with all that she had away from the beast, but the Simian Lord dug his heel into the ground and hauled them closer and closer to him.

“…Master…I am unable to release my material form now.”

“Alphecca…don’t give up! I’ll save you, I promise!” I screamed.

Alphecca’s voice trembled with fear as she stared down the Simian Lord’s overwhelming power.

“Devotee in confirmed peril. Stellar Sword request approved. Ten seconds to device startup. Severance target: Helltect Steel.”

“We need ten seconds! Igarashi, come attack the Simian Lord with me!”

“?! …Okay… Yaaaaah!”

I wanted to stun him, if only the once. It might not get us to the full ten seconds, but it would at least buy us some time.

♦Current Status♦

“He bounced us right off… That hand’s covered in magic!”

“HOO-HEE HOO-HEE HOO-HEE!”

“Atobe!”

“Not yet. We’re not done yet!”

I took out my magical gun and loaded it with the frost stone—and then remembered we’d been here so many times before. I had to believe she would be there once again. It’s how we’d always done it.

“Theresia, I’ll support you!”

♦Current Status♦

Theresia had concealed her presence in the heat of the chaotic battle and snuck around behind the Simian Lord.

“GRO…OO!!”

The Simian Lord howled in pain. The attack had caught him completely off-guard. He was far stronger than us, but these blows hurt. Not to mention, it looked like we’d found his weak spot: attacks with attributes opposite of fire.

“GRAAAH…AAAAAH!”

It seemed like the Simian Lord rarely ever took a real hit, because his Demon Monkey underling and minions were frozen in shock. The Simian Lord waved his enormous hand at them and ordered them to attack.

“Well…too late. Time’s up.”

“Devotee, thank you for the assistance. Stellar Sword activation initiated: unlocked Arms Device Limiter.”

♦Current Status♦

♦Current Status♦

“The chains broke! Ariadne, you’re amazing!” exclaimed Igarashi.

“To think Murakumo would change so drastically in the hands of the Hidden God… Ms. Theresia, come this way! We must escape!”

“……!”

Theresia activated her Accel Dash and raced toward us. I reached out my hand to pull her up on the chariot—however.

“GRAAAAAAH!!”

The Simian Lord’s roar shook the ground beneath us. A cryptic symbol rose from the tips of his fingers as he wove his arms through the air, then in the blink of an eye, it shot out and latched on to the back of Theresia’s neck.

“Theresia!”

♦Current Status♦

Now aboard the chariot, Theresia writhed in anguish. The Simian Lord had done something to her. Alphecca set off racing toward the exit; I brushed aside the hair covering Theresia’s neck and saw the mark he had left on her.

It’s a Slave Seal… The Simian Lord had something to do with this. He must have the power to control these symbols… That’s how he enslaves all those Seekers!

A large, dark, bruise-like marking appeared on the skin of Theresia’s neck. She would be forced into slavery like all the others the moment the Simian Lord finished his inscription.

“Master…,” Alphecca called out, urging me to halt our escape.

If we leave like this, then Theresia will…

But we had no other option.

“Get us out of here! Full speed ahead, Alphecca!”

“…Understood.”

♦Current Status♦

We tore through the raging flames and made it out of the fortress.

I swore to myself I would undo the hex that had befallen her. We had seven days here. Seven days to take back all that was ours. As we put more distance between us and the fortress burnished with hundreds of blazing flames, the gears in my mind began spinning. I was already planning for our inevitable return.

Arihito’s heart fell when she showed him the register of names. He’d signed similar lists before he reincarnated to get a seat at a family restaurant and other establishments, but he’d never confronted a situation where fifty people stood ahead of him in line.

“Of course, we asked all your party members to sign this consent form before they entered the facility, so I don’t believe you’ll risk losing their trust if you join them, Mr. Atobe,” the receptionist explained.

“I—I see…”

Theresia’s name headed off the list, as if for some reason she represented the group, followed by a column with all the others’ signatures. Arihito had seen this handwriting before; it looked like Kyouka’s.

Does this mean Igarashi’s gotten that used to our relationship now…? I’m definitely not there yet. I mean, I still have pretty mixed feelings about bathing together with Theresia as it is…

“We have towels and bathrobes you may borrow, as well as a dining area where you can purchase light refreshments. Please be sure to wear the bathrobe, as well as underwear, if you do make your way there.”

“O-okay…”

The family bath was much larger than the bathing room back at their apartment and could comfortably fit up to sixteen people.

“Wheeee! I’ve never gotten to try out a huuuge private bath like this before. Suzu, wanna breaststroke race me to the other side?”

“Misaki, you know Arihito’ll get angry if you fool around too much, right?”

“No waaay, I’ll bet he’ll toootally swim with me.”

Arihito puzzled over what exactly Misaki must think of him and was about to undress when a thought hit him—wasn’t it best to wear a bathing suit when sharing a coed bath so nobody would feel uncomfortable?

“I imagine it must feel a bit daunting for Mr. Atobe to be the last one in. Perhaps we should leave word that we have our bathing suits on.”

“Good idea, Louisa,” agreed Igarashi. “But honestly, I feel like even with your suit on…you kinda put guys in a tough spot. I mean, it’s hard not to look…”

“…Your boobs are just as big as hers, Kyouka,” added Melissa.

“Bow!”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Cion?” asked Igarashi.

“Oh, do you think he’s here?” asked Misaki.

“…M-Misaki, I’m going for a dip in the cold bath…”

“Suzu, you’re gonna catch a cold that way, y’know. It’s fiiine, it’s only Arihito. Just stay for a little while. I promise I won’t do anything.”

Arihito realized Cion was trying to open the door from the inside and took a step closer. Guard dogs weren’t allowed to bathe in the water, but they could soak their paws in the foot baths in private family rooms—or so Arihito remembered the receptionist explaining as he put his hand on the door.

“…I haven’t seen Theresia for a while,” noted Elitia. “Where could she be?”

“…Hm?”

The door to the bath slid open before Arihito could move it. And there, standing right in front of him, was Theresia: stark naked, stripped of all armor but her mask, just like she was every night at bath time.

““……””

It was too much for Arihito to take in. Words failed him the minute his eyes met hers. He’d never expected her to conceal her presence so no one would notice her go to greet him in her birthday suit—the sight set Arihito’s eyes spinning and her innocence delivered a devastating one-two punch.

“……”

Theresia reached up and sandwiched Arihito’s cheeks between her hands then angled his face down toward her.

“T-Theresia… Um, I know it’s a little late to say this, but you know…”

She had clearly spent some time soaking in the water; a red blush had crept all over her pale skin and even tinted her lizard mask a shade of scarlet. She didn’t look overheated to Arihito, though he did worry another dip might prove risky for her. Maybe she had almost overshot her timing and was riding the resulting high?

“……”

“Heh-heh-heh, looks like the time has finally come… I get to wash your back, get you to wash mine, and go exploring for your most ticklish spots! Suzu’s gonna help me, of course!”

“M-Misaki… I told you not to go too crazy…”

“…Arihito, I know Misaki brought the idea up before I had the chance, but…the truth is, I would like that. I want to show how grateful I am to you… P-plus, you did so much for me and Ariadne the other day…”

“S-Suzuna, you don’t have to worry about that. I mean, we did it to raise our devotion levels, so you really did me a favor. Would you mind if I asked you to help me out again sometime?”

“O-of course. I’ll be happy to, whenever you want…”

“I trust that you’re doing something really important, Atobe, but…you can’t keep Suzuna up too late, okay? We stay up late enough as it is with the—”

“A-ahem… Kyouka, loose lips sink ships, you know, and your lips are looking dangerously loose. Why don’t you keep quiet for a bit?” cut in Elitia.

“…S-sorry. You’re right, Louisa and I have helped Atobe wash up before, so I think maybe we should sit this one out today.”

“Actually, I can’t recall much of that day…,” said Louisa. “Would you mind if I made up for that now?”

In the end, the task fell to three ladies: Louisa, Suzuna, and Misaki, not to mention Theresia, who never left Arihito’s side. He sat himself down in one of the little chairs in front of a washing station and reluctantly entrusted his body into his friends’ hands, wondering how it would work if even more people tried to scrub him down at once.

“I—I guess…I just haven’t really stopped moving since I came to the Labyrinth Country.”

“I’m going to clean between your fingers now. Spread your hand out… Thank you. Okay, next I’ll work over here…”

“Ms. Suzuna, your technique is so surgical… I mean, precise. Mr. Atobe, do you feel an itch anywhere I may scratch for you?”

“N-no itch, but…”

Something soft pressed up against Arihito’s back, forcibly calling all the nerves along his skin to attention. To top it off, Theresia was squatting in front of him and washing his legs; Kyouka had wrapped a towel around her, but it didn’t do much to cover her up.

“…Y-you know, this… It kinda makes me think about our nightly ritual…”

“Hm…? Misaki, did you say someth—?”

“Nothing to concern yourself over, Mr. Atobe. We ladies have lots of little secrets, after all…,” Louisa whispered into Arihito’s ear, making him unconsciously gulp.

He couldn’t betray their trust; he couldn’t let himself react. The more he repeated these mantras to himself, the more Arihito noticed feelings he had not thought existed growing larger and larger.

We’re going to District Five tomorrow… Do we really have time for this…? Shouldn’t we be steeling ourselves somehow…?!

“Haaah… I can’t take it anymore!”

“Kaede, aren’t you giving in a bit quick? I bet I could go for another ten minutes.”

“You push yourself to too many extremes, Ibuki… I can barely stand on my own two feet,” said Anna.

“Phew…” Ryouko sighed. “I can already feel my skin glowing. I’d forgotten how much I love saunas, and they’re so good for your metabolism… Oh?”

The four ladies of Four Seasons walked out of the sauna connected to the family bath. They were all wearing bathrobes; the heat had left their skin flushed and dewy with sweat, and not even Arihito could ignore how much more captivating it made them look.

“Oh, Kaede, wanna get in on this?” offered Misaki. “We’ve pretty much got him good and clean, though.”

“O-oh…Arihito’s here already. Pretty cold of you to start without us, Misaki.”

“Kaede, you’re making it sound like you planned to do that all along…,” said Ibuki.

“…It’s a well-known fact that the bath is precisely the place for deepening bonds by washing each other’s bodies. There’s nothing untoward about it,” countered Anna.

“Th-that’s true… If you say so, then I’d love to. But is it really all right…? I wouldn’t want to go over your heads, Kyouka, Louisa…”

“R-Ryouko, you’re putting them on the spot…!” said Anna.

“…Atobe, is there anything else I can do for you? I could clean your ears after you take a bath…but maybe that’s a bit too intimate.”

“In that case, I could give you a massage, Mr. Atobe…,” offered Louisa.

“I’d like to do something for him, too! Louisa, can I help you?” asked Madoka.

“…I can groom you if you want, Arihito,” added Melissa.

“Bow!”

Arihito wondered if it was really all right for him to receive so much from his friends without giving anything in return. Soon enough, the four ladies attending to him switched places with Four Seasons.

“…Wh-whoa, this is a bit more embarrassing than I’d thought… Arihito, thank you again for everything. I figure you’ll be all rushed tomorrow on your way to District Five, so I wanted to get that in now while I can,” said Kaede.

“Arihito, I know I always call you ‘Teacher’…,” Ibuki started, “but it’s only ’cause I learn so much when I’m with you. I really do think of you as my teacher. Even after you go to the next district, that’ll never change.”

“You’ve taught me so much as a fellow rearguard, Arihito. I swear you’ll see a new and improved version of me the next time we embark on a joint expedition. I promise I’ll have new serves to show you.”

“Right… But there’s always a chance we’ll go back and visit previous districts. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything,” Arihito reassured them. For a while, none of the four ladies could say anything. Kaede’s eyes filled with emotion and glistened with tears; she opened her arms wide and went to hug him from behind, from where he couldn’t see her.

“Kaede, I know you’re not gonna glom on to him like that. You’re such a good friend.”

“…M-Misaki, don’t be so sure of yourself, or next time I really will steal him away,” Kaede retorted, and everyone in the bath laughed. In that moment, Arihito took her comment as nothing more than a joke. Theresia stood off to the side, staring straight at Arihito and holding a bucket filled with warm water as if to silently say, But that’s my job.