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

"...!?"

But she was immediately taken aback by her own actions, staring at her palm as she refused to let anyone hold it.

To date, there have been three people who have been able to hold Ryu's hand.

The first is Alexie, the third is Bell, and the second is Seele.

Ryu's body now clearly rejects the girl's hand that she could once hold.

Despite having the same appearance, they seem to be disgusted by the "darkness" hidden in the girl's (Seele's) heart.

The most powerful evidence is the Elven Hand, which can distinguish between good and evil.

Even though it was the same person, the elven body still believed that the person in front of her was not the girl that Ryu knew.

"You... are not Seele."

Ryu reached the same conclusion as Anya.

She yelled at the person who was looking down at their hand that had been slapped away, their expression hidden by their bangs.

"I will never acknowledge you as Seele!!"

The next second—

"shut up."

The pale gray eyes that were revealed when he looked up shone with a "silver light".

"Kneel down."

Ryu, who was being stared at, immediately obeyed the order.

“Hmm!?”

Both knees landed on the ground.

Liu was completely unable to resist on her own and knelt down in front of her.

The brain was completely disrupted, and consciousness gradually disappeared like melting candy. Both body and mind longed to become the servant of the goddess.

As Ryu's body and mind were being subjected to an irresistible magical invasion, Allen, who was watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly.

The girl (Seele) was clearly upset.

But she quickly let out a sigh and apologized to the elf kneeling before her.

"I'm sorry, I accidentally developed this bad habit. Because I've lost my patience and become unable to control myself, I even resort to using the charm (power) that I absolutely hate. You don't like this, do you? It feels very uncomfortable, doesn't it? I'm sorry, Ryu, I'll help you undo it right away."

The pale gray eyes gradually lost their "silver luster".

"--Pfft!?" Ryu also let out a big breath at the same time.

The scalding, turbulent current that stirred my heart dissipated as quickly as the tide receded.

Seele bent down and gently placed her hand on Ryu's shoulder.

In an instant—a chill ran down Ryu's spine.

"Ryu, I told you before, right? I really admire people who exist beautifully in this world for the sake of others. Although I love Bell the most, I also love you just as much, okay?"

The elfin nature deeply ingrained within him continued to utter mournful cries.

Whether it was the hand resting on her shoulder or the voice that had suddenly become kind, both turned into a feeling of discomfort, stirring beneath her skin.

She desperately wanted to slap that hand away, but her body, still under the influence of the "bewitching" power, wouldn't obey her commands.

"I've got it—why don't you want to monopolize Bell with me, Ryu?"

"…………ah?"

Suspecting she was hallucinating, Liu finally managed to lift her head, only to see the girl (Xier) with an incredibly radiant smile.

"Ah, that's right. That way, it can't be called exclusive ownership, but rather shared by two people."

"What are you saying...?"

"Bell will soon succumb; the curse within him called longing will soon be broken. Then, Bell will become mine."

The girl (Xier) smiled happily, like an innocent child sharing her precious toy.

"Even though I hate it when other people touch Bell, it's okay with Ryu. I'm only allowing it because of you, okay?"

Ryu couldn't understand what she was trying to say.

I felt a chill run down my spine.

A voice echoed from the depths of her heart—the pale gray-haired girl she knew was no longer alive.

"Then let's cherish Belle together? Just the three of us, caressing each other's bodies, touching each other's lips, enjoying each other's fragrance, and embracing each other to our hearts' content."

Disgusting.

"We nestled in the room, loving each other so much in bed that we couldn't distinguish one body from the other, and we became one."

Disgusting.

"By uniting our souls, we can etch love into each other's bodies. That way, even if I can't have my wish fulfilled, perhaps you can conceive Bell's child?"

How disgusting!! How disgusting!! How disgusting!!

That was the witch's suggestion, an irresistible potion once people understand "love," and a desire that brings destruction.

When the girl offered her a glass of wine called "love," Ryu felt nothing but disgust and repulsion.

The person before me was merely a stranger disguised as "Seele".

"Ugh... I refuse...!"

Liu Lisheng threw out his answer.

She glared back sharply, her eyebrows raised, and her body jolted violently with the sound and breath she let out.

—I will never make any agreement with you who are not "Seele".

That angry gaze spoke those words in place of the tongue that wouldn't obey.

"...It really turned out like this after all."

At this moment──

The girl with drooping eyebrows (Xi'er) revealed a genuinely disappointed smile.

(Huh...)

For a fleeting moment—

Liu seemed to see the pale gray-haired girl from her memories.

"Whether you succeed or fail, you feel disillusioned. No matter how much you argue, you can't mend the relationship... and in the end, it all turned out like this."

My vision began to distort, and my consciousness rapidly faded away.

Although the "charm" had been lifted, Ryu was still dizzy from the backlash. As she gasped for breath and her eyes became unfocused, she could no longer hear Seele's words clearly.

But why is that?

The words that vaguely reached my ears seemed like something I'd heard her (or someone else) say recently.

That look—with its drooping willow-leaf eyebrows, a sorrowful smile, and an expression of utter speechlessness—seems familiar.

I remember it was somewhere between ordinary friendship and admiration—

"But there's no going back now."

As those words ended, Ryu's consciousness plummeted into the abyss.

"Allen".

She quietly put her hood back on.

The girl—no, the goddess—turned her back to the fallen elf.

"Take this child away. To prevent her from contacting Bell, lock her in the basement of headquarters."

"...Shouldn't we use 'charm' on her?"

"Out of sadness, I don't want to taint this child's soul. Will you be disillusioned with me?"

"...Absolutely not."

Faced with the God's undisguised confession, Allen gently shook his head in response.

"As agreed, Anya is now in your care."

After speaking, the goddess left the square without saying anything more.

Suddenly, a drop of water fell on my shoulder.

Alan, who had fallen silent for the moment, turned to look at his sister, who could no longer get up.

"If you dare to make any rash moves, I'll destroy that tavern. If you don't want to end up like that, don't bother the goddess, and keep your mouth shut."

After making those harsh remarks, everything came to an end.

Allen carried Ryu on his shoulder and followed the goddess away as her bodyguard.

Only one cat-person remained in the square.

"………………Ahhh."

It started to rain.

The rain blurred our vision, and our hearing was drowned out by its sound.

The kitten lay on its back on the scattered and broken wooden box, unable to tell whether the water flowing down its cheeks was rain or tears, letting the large droplets slide down.

"Wa ...

The mournful cry was drowned out by the sound of water and went unheard by anyone.

Just like the day she was abandoned by her brother and the goddess, Anya let the rain pelt her.

*

Thick clouds and torrential rain, enough to create fog in the city, obscured the setting sun.

As the pocket watch in her hand ticked, Asifi sat silently on the bed in her hiding place, her eyes closed.

"Rion... even you..."

As she watched the hands of her pocket watch signal the approaching sunset, Asifi murmured to herself in despair.

The fact that her elven friend failed to show up at the agreed location on time made it impossible for her to harbor any optimistic or positive assumptions. No matter how lonely she was, reality wouldn't allow her to do so.

"Am I all alone now...? Do I have no companions left...?"

The voice was so faint that it seemed as if the person in question might disappear at any moment.

However, Asphie quietly stood up.

She suppressed her weakness and pessimism and put on the battered black helmet (Hades' Helmet).

She disappeared from this secluded place, vanishing alone into the city tormented by cold rain.

*

The rain showed no signs of abating.

The sound of rain could still be heard in the low-hanging night, as if the sky were weeping.

Just like the day I rejected someone's confession.

(...Where did Miss Seele go...?)

"What are you doing?" My master glared at me as I stopped in the corridor and turned to look out the window. So I immediately caught up with my master and walked around the mansion along the usual route.

The "baptism" did not stop because of the rain, so today was even more difficult than in the past.

Even on my way to the goddess's bedroom, I couldn't hide my weariness.

In my hazy thoughts, I think of that girl with light gray hair. To this day, I still spare no effort in spending precious time searching for her.

But still, nothing was gained.

Nobody knew her.

Could she be just a figment of my imagination?