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

"Huh... Ah...!"

"Now you've driven me to a dead end, haven't you? If you can't even be of any use at a time like this, then you're truly just a piece of trash."

"Ahhhhhh...!!"

With each insult she heard, Phil Weiss's expression became increasingly broken.

The disappointed voice and disdainful look from her crush constantly tormented her heart.

"You foolish and dull-witted family, I am utterly disappointed in you."

A tear rolled down Phil Weiss's cheek.

Upon learning that she had been abandoned by the only being who could accept her because of her ugliness, the girl's face was filled with despair.

"...!"

The elf Alicia, who was in the army, witnessed this scene and was so angry that her eyebrows shot up.

She didn't have much of a relationship with Philweis Charlia.

But like Lefia, she felt deep anger from the bottom of her heart towards the arrogant god who toyed with the feelings of his fellow citizens and ultimately selfishly pushed them away.

Even though the other party was a god, when Alicia witnessed her fellow countrymen being bullied and was about to take action—

"However—"

She stopped in her tracks after hearing Dionysus's next words.

I still love you just the same.

"────"

Dionysus revealed a smile that was both ugly and beautiful.

Whether it was Philvis, Alicia, or other members, even Finn was stunned.

Loki, however, remained silent throughout. Under her watchful eye, the god of men carefully placed his right hand on the girl's cheek.

"Philwis, you are my most important priestess. You weep because of me... Your cries, which are gradually dying because of my actions, are so beautiful... Ah, they are so pleasing to the ear."

“Ah, ah…!”

"That's right, what I'm most obsessed with is your 'frenzied' screams. The reason it's gotten to this point is all my fault for letting you have too much freedom. Thinking about it now really makes me angry..."

That expression conveyed anger, frustration, resentment, and love.

Even stained with blood, that smile, which still looked both handsome and terrifying, could not be more accurately described as "beautiful yet ugly."

His tone and eyes showed no trace of pretense.

Even children who cannot see through the lies of the gods can sense this.

Deeply moved, Philweis shed tears from her eyes that had a different meaning than before.

"—Philweiss, you can be proud, my heart belongs to you."

A deep voice, a gloomy smile.

It seems that even now, they still find pleasure in the joys and sorrows of young girls.

It was as if he was mocking himself for being so obsessed with a girl who was gradually going crazy.

This is the male god's extremely ugly and abnormal "love".

"You belong to me. Ah, how could I give you to anyone else... Even if we return to the heavens, you must stay by my side."

"Yes, Dionysus...!"

Phil Weiss's voice was filled with joy.

She was deeply moved that there were still people in the world willing to accept her, who was like an filth.

Dionysus gently embraced Phileith, who was lost in a sorrowful bliss and slowly closing her eyes. He held this beautiful yet ugly girl, whose body and face were now only half-exposed, as she prepared to enter eternal slumber, close to his arms.

He seemed to have forgotten his previous disgraceful behavior, and as if he had seen through the world, he gently stroked the beautiful hair of the girl who was slowly disappearing as it turned into specks of light.

"...I lost, Loki."

A moment later, Dionysus looked up and revealed a twisted smile.

This was his declaration of defeat after he realized that he had no chance of winning, and that all his escape routes had been cut off.

"You guys are amazing! You successfully thwarted my plan and made me look like a foolish clown! It's so hateful! But I can also be proud of it! Mighty heroes and gods!"

Dionysus, leading the charge, praised the "hero" and Loki for their victory, revealing a loser's smile.

The next instant, he raised the corners of his mouth wide.

"You've probably noticed, haven't you, Loki? The dungeons have reached their limit!"

"..."

"Even if you shatter my ambitions, you cannot stop fate! There's no need to wait for the 'appointed time'; this lower realm will become the underworld, and the 'madness' I've longed for will finally arrive!"

This is the only thing that cannot be changed.

Dionysus laughed as if proclaiming a prophecy.

He then raised the short sword with the other hand that was holding Phil Weiss.

He forcefully stabbed himself in the chest.

“Eh!?”

To the astonishment of Alicia and the others, Dionysus coughed up blood.

In an instant, countless particles of light enveloped his body.

"I'll enjoy your 'madness' from heaven!!"

"Divine Power" activated.

This extraordinary power can prevent even a god who has suffered a fatal wound from dying.

Dionysus held Philweis, whose eyes were closed and who was almost completely gone, and the next second, a bright light burst out around them.

"Haha, haha ​​...

A beam of light pierced through the maze and shot straight into the sky.

This is the "Gods' Repatriation," a declaration that everything has come to a complete end.

With Philweis transformed into specks of light, she ascended into the sky.

As the god's maniacal laughter vanished into the distance, causing a powerful earthquake, specks of light fell upon Loki and the others.

"...What's going on? We won, but there's absolutely no joy in it..."

In the silence, Alicia whispered this.

Loki seemed to have seen through what she was thinking with her hands clenched into fists, and reminded her:

"Alicia, don't worry about it. That's how the love of the gods is almost always; you can't measure it by the standards of the mortals."

"...Will Philvis Charlia be able to rest in peace?"

"There's probably nothing we can do. After all, she was caught red-handed by that scumbag boyfriend, and she was just played like that, her life ruined. It's absolutely terrible."

"..."

"However... we don't know what the person involved is thinking."

Loki looked up as he finished talking with Alicia.

Far above, where a huge hole has been blasted out, one can glimpse the brilliant starry sky, the vast night sky.

The red light covering the ground had completely disappeared, and cheers could be faintly heard coming from the city.

The people, kept in the dark, remain completely unaware of the truth, and offer a triumphant song to the nameless heroes.

"It's over..."

"Yes, it's all over... although some very thorny issues remain... at least this matter is now resolved."

Loki, standing beside Finn, squinted at the only visible sky.

Alicia and her fellow members closed their eyes, some clasped their hands together, others raised their weapons, and together they offered prayers.

The goddess whispered this to the sky:

"Line, and everyone else...we won!"

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 12 - Final Chapter: Rain of Light

A deafening rumble of earth could be heard.

It seemed as if I heard a song composed of kind voices and tears.

Savoring the feeling of victory, the joy of securing one's home, or a sense of accomplishment.

The grief of losing comrades, the mourning for the victims.

I feel that my mind is filled with a mix of thoughts that cannot be described by the word "victory".

"..."

Ais wanders alone through the labyrinth where everything has come to an end.

She no longer had the strength to hold her beloved sword.

His battered body is still breathing painfully.

It seems that even a moment of distraction could cause one's legs to buckle and one to kneel on the ground.

My severely injured body kept reminding me that I needed to rest.

The enemies have all vanished. After all the "Fairy Clones" were defeated, the green flesh scattered throughout the labyrinth turned into a yellowish-brown, decaying and peeling away. The same was true where Ais was; the stone beneath was exposed, restoring the original appearance of the man-made labyrinth. There was no trace of any monsters around, probably because the colorful monsters with Fairy tentacles had also lost their ability to move.

However, Ais did not stop.

In her search for someone, she decided to put in even more effort and venture into this silent maze.

"Ah, Miss Ais!"

After turning a corner, the members of the Loki Familia appeared.

Raul recognized Ais and called out to her, then ran over to her.

"W-How did you get here? Look at you, you're so badly injured! Are you really alright?! But since you're here, it means you've successfully defeated the enemy... Ah, that's wonderful!"

Raul and his men used a corner of the passageway to set up a temporary base.

Not long ago, everyone received orders through the "Eye Crystal" to retreat, and those unable to move were instructed to stay put and await rescue. Although Ais did not possess an "Eye Crystal"... she encountered a singing bird—more accurately, a "heretic" that disguises itself as a human by covering its body in a robe before making contact with people—that flapped its wings and searched for and notified the isolated adventurers along the way, thus obtaining the information.

The other party informed them that this was the closest base to Ais, and that "the person she was looking for" was also here.

"Anyway, you need to get treatment right away...! Ah~ But we've run out of supplies, so it seems like it would be better to get you out of here quickly... But you must be too badly injured to walk, and even if someone carries you out, it would be very difficult for you, right? I, I'll get a healer right away and find a trolley!"

Perhaps because of the victory, Raul was unable to calm down for a long time. When facing Ais, he was sometimes worried about her injuries and sometimes relieved that she had returned safely, making him act rashly. Seeing that Raul had finished checking and was preparing to take care of the aftermath, a smile appeared on Ais's face.

"Hmm... I'll wait for you."

Seeing Raul staring at her with a blush on his face, Ais tilted her head in confusion. Raul snapped out of his daze and hurriedly said, "I-I'll be right back!" before running off at top speed.

Besides Raul's small party, many other adventurers were also present. Everyone was covered in wounds and looked exhausted. Some were relieved of their victory, while others remained silent, perhaps because they had tragically lost comrades. But perhaps recalling Finn's words before the battle, some unconsciously smiled at their comrades who had joined the Starry Sky. Others took out a small silver jug, bearing an emblem, its whereabouts unknown, and first drank half of it down, then poured the remaining half onto the weapons left behind by their companions.

Ais looked at the scene where everyone had different thoughts after the final battle, and was glad that the members she passed by had all survived. She continued to drag her body forward slowly... and finally found that person.

"Bell..."

The boy was fast asleep.

He sat on the ground and leaned against the wall.

He seemed completely exhausted and showed no signs of waking up.

Ais smiled and sat down next to the boy.

"...You came to save me."

Facing forward, she whispered this thank you to the boy, a thank you that no one else could hear.

No one noticed Ais and the others. The adventurers, centered around the Loki Familia, were all focused on their own bodies, constantly checking on the injured.

Ais gazed at the scene before her and continued to whisper:

"Thanks to you... I was able to win."