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

The collapse of Orario represents the re-emergence of the "ancient" era of war.

The endless war between humans and monsters (monsters), which has caused countless tragedies, will be staged once again.

"Of course I understand!!"

Upon hearing Luluni's question, Olivas cheered.

"I am doing this by my own will, to destroy this city!! To fulfill 'her' wish!"

Surrounded by Lefia and the others, each displaying different expressions, Olivas made a loud declaration.

He pointed behind him to the confused Lulu and the others.

"Can't you hear 'her' voice!?"

He stretched out one arm and pointed to the jeweled fetus on the main pillar behind him.

"She said she wanted to see the sky! She longed for the sky day and night!! This was her wish, and since that's the case, I will sacrifice myself for her wish!!"

His voice grew increasingly high-pitched, as if it had no limit.

His sickly pale face broke into a warm, enthusiastic smile.

From his rambling, incoherent speech, one thing was clear: the man was utterly loyal to "her" and utterly obsessed with her.

"This city prevents 'her,' slumbering deep underground, from gazing at the sky! This city that clogs the great hole must be destroyed!"

"In place of the foolish humans and incompetent gods, 'she' should reign supreme on the earth!!"

"She is different from those gods who treat humanity as mere entertainment, shamelessly spouting 'respect for life' while standing idly by! She gave me a second life and treated me with compassion!"

After rattling off his words, Olivas looked down at Lefia and the others with mockery and hidden hostility.

"It wasn't anyone else, it was 'her' who chose me!! Only I, only we, can fulfill 'her' wish! I will definitely fulfill 'her's' wish!!"

Seeing the man's expression as he expressed his long-cherished wish, Lefia understood.

—Fanntic.

Olivas believed in "her," whom he claimed gave him a second life, to the point of blind delusion.

Even the "wise one" who created the Philosopher's Stone—eternal life—failed several times in his attempt to resurrect the dead, ultimately failing to reach that realm. The gods, bound by the rules of the mortal realm, and most importantly, respecting the lives of children, have never performed miracles of resurrection; but Olivas Actor personally received this blessing and became enamored with "her" existence.

His utter disappointment with the gods and his changed mind bound him tightly with strong chains.

"She is everything to me!!"

Under the watchful eye of the female fetus, Olivas spoke resolutely.

Everyone was speechless at the man's unusual demeanor and the existence of this mysterious "she." Asphie peered at Olivas probingly, while Lulune shook her head helplessly, as if she thought the man had gone mad. Philvis remained rooted to the spot, unable to utter a sound or utter a single word.

Lefia also cast a trembling glance at the man before her.

"Stop rambling on."

Suddenly, Bert spat.

The werewolf youth, looking utterly bored, took a step forward from among the crowd.

"Why say so much? Just shut up and die... I don't think you can move anyway."

Bert first spoke arrogantly, then glared at him with the eyes of a wolf, pointing out this detail.

Lefia and the others looked at his profile in surprise. Olivas didn't reply, remaining silent.

Bert, being a first-class adventurer, had already noticed that the other party's lengthy speech was a way to buy time to recover his strength. Bert realized that the other party was using a great deal of magic and life force to heal him, and could no longer move as freely as before.

Olivas chuckled in response to Bert's sharp, spear-like gaze.

"I didn't expect you to see through me. I really admire you."

Olivas admitted that Bert's judgment was correct.

Even though his thoughts had been seen through, he still wore a daring smile.

Bert stared at the other man with suspicion at his calm and unhurried attitude.

"Her blessing to prolong my life is too much for my body to bear... Just as you said, I can barely move now."

"I meant me." Olivas' smile deepened.

In an instant, Asphie and Bert both seemed to realize something, and their eyes widened.

Before they could act, the man known as the "White-Haired Ghost" shook his white hair and suddenly raised one arm high.

"Let's get started—viscum."

Immediately afterwards, the red light emitted by the quartz behind him flickered.

Among the three monsters parasitizing the main pillar, a giant flower stirred, trembling, and pointed its vibrant, dazzling petals at the little people below (Lefia and the others). The monsters did not roar; instead, there was a tearing, ripping sound as their bodies, which had been fused with the main pillar and the green wall, were ripped apart, making one want to plug their ears.

The brightly colored flowers emitted a strong stench of decay—the stench of a corpse.

Lefia and the others were all unable to move. They could only see the huge shadow and the enormous, long body falling from above them, following the force of gravity.

"--spread!!"

Bert shouted excitedly, as if he were kicking everyone's waist.

Everyone sprinted away from their original positions. Lefia grabbed the wrist of the bewildered Philweis and escaped the shadows that enveloped them. Olivas, the enemy, also leaped aside, getting out of the shadows' reach.

Soon, the terrifying size transformed into a hammer and smashed into the ground, the biggest impact of the day shaking the entire Great Hollow.

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!?"

"No, no way!?"

Asphi and Luluni shielded their faces with their arms as the shockwave reverberated throughout their bodies.

As the ground was blasted to pieces and the green flesh turned into flying debris like a torrential downpour, that enormous body stood proudly deep within the rising gray smoke.

Witnessing the giant flower monster that was like the floor master... no, much larger in length than the floor master, the advanced adventurers all shuddered.

"Scatter them."

Obeying Orivas's command, the giant flower began to move.

Its super-heavyweight body couldn't raise its head high like a carnivorous plant; it could only wriggle like an earthworm, attacking all the adventurers around it in one go.

「!?」

Separated from the girl (Philwis), Lefia saw the large, long, dark green body approaching and used all her strength to dodge.

Faced with such a formidable opponent, incomplete movements were futile. She kicked at the ground, then slammed headfirst into it, the wind pressure from the blows hitting her back like a fist sending her tumbling several times.

The surrounding area presented a similar scene. The enormous, elongated body could easily kill an adventurer with a single serpentine movement.

"Would our attacks be effective against an opponent like this?!"

Lulu cried out as she dodged the countless vines and tentacles that stretched out from the enormous body.

The human girl (supporter) of the Hermes Familia swung her "Demon Sword" as she fled, subjecting the monster's massive body to a baptism of fire, but the monster paid no heed. Unconcerned about its exploding skin and bursting into flames, it continued its relentless, serpentine attacks.

Adventurers eagerly drew their weapons and slashed at the monster, but it kept writhing, repeatedly throwing them off. Those who attempted to attack with "magic," including mages, were either lashed by enormous, undefendable vine tentacles (whips) or attacked by newly hatched carnivorous plants. There wasn't even time to chant.

The chaotic battle situation prevented them from working together.

"Damn it!?"

illustration

Bert leaped into the air and delivered a flying kick.

He channeled the remaining "Demon Sword" into Frosvelt, unleashing a devastating blow that blasted a large hole in part of the giant flower's body, but it was merely a drop in the ocean. The monster convulsed, appearing to be in great pain, but it was far from being fatally wounded.

Even if the speed and attack power are only average, the quality and scale are far inferior.

Bert clicked his tongue when faced with an enemy whose normal tactics were simply not worthwhile.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!? Go, Giant Flower, wipe out all the adventurers who have stepped into this sacred space!!"

Olivas, who was watching from the sidelines, burst into laughter.

The man still held two giant flowers in his hands, appearing quite at ease, and all his wounds had completely healed. He leisurely waited for his strength to return, not forgetting to use the surrounding carnivorous plants to attack Bert and the others.

He watched with a pleased expression as he observed the overwhelming advantage the battle was in.

"Olivas Actor!"

"...?"

At that moment, someone called out his name in a fit of rage.

Olivas turned his head and saw an elf girl with long, shiny black hair and wearing a pure white battle suit.

"You caused such a tragedy, and you still have the nerve to live to this day?!"

Philweis, her beautiful face contorted in a grotesque manner, confronted Olivas with a murderous gaze.

"You've ruined my...comrade...I..."

"...Oh, so you're a survivor of that operation too."

"How dare you... how dare you...!?"

Seeing the look in Philwiss's eyes as if she were seeing an enemy, Olivas seemed to realize that she was a survivor of the "27th Nightmare".

The white-haired man tucked his chin in, tilted his face, and revealed a cold smile.

"Although I orchestrated that plan, I was also a victim, and I even died once because of it. I finally woke up from God's nightmare... How about we consider it a lose-lose situation?"

"Stop talking nonsense!!"

Upon hearing Olivas's joke, Phil Weiss shouted.

Her hands and feet were trembling. A flood of anger erupted from her slender body, and her heart was in turmoil. She couldn't stop her reason from spiraling out of control.

His right hand, now devoid of the dagger, clenched into a fist, while his left hand gripped the remaining short staff with all its might.

Phil Weiss cursed her own lack of strength, her inability to kill the man and avenge herself, her heart filled with hatred.

"Only you, I absolutely...!"

With fury burning in her crimson eyes, Phil Weiss raised her short staff.

Orivas appeared calm and composed, enduring the murderous gaze of the beautiful and proud elf.

Then, he quickly shifted his gaze to Phil Weiss's back.

"Playing with you is certainly fun... but is it alright to abandon your fellow elves, little elf?"

“——”

Phil Weiss's eyes widened in shock.

She turned her head to look behind her, at the battlefield where the giant flowers were rampaging.

Caught between the helpless adventurers, the golden-haired elven girl is desperately fighting back against the attacks of the giant flower and the carnivorous plant.

Phil Weiss's face twisted in bitterness.

Ironically, it was a single sentence from her enemy that awakened her out-of-control rationality.

"Your companion seems to be dead... Are we going to abandon that elf this time?"

With his crimson eyes, he saw that Lefia was covered in wounds from a fierce attack.

The road ahead and the road behind were clearly divided into two paths.

Is it to take a step forward and, driven by the flames of hatred, annihilate the enemy?

Should we reach behind us to rescue our compatriots who might fall off the cliff at any moment?

—"The Announcer Spirit".

In the past, no matter how others exaggerated or described this taboo name, she never took it to heart. However, at this moment, the name flashed through her mind, tormenting Phil Weiss.

To this day, many of their fellow elves who know the truth still curse themselves as "shameful".

This is a fact.

She never felt heartbroken because of it.

Even so, some people today say they are "beautiful".

A fellow young woman said that she was "beautiful" despite her filth, even if it was just a comforting remark.

Just like the chief god (Dionysus).