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

She glared fiercely at Tione, who was slumped over with her knees bent, her face contorted with anger.

"Stand up, Tione! Let's continue, let's carry out the 'ritual'! How can we allow this struggle to end in such a farce!"

Tione's current weak and cowardly demeanor is unbearable for Algana.

That face was no longer that of a "warrior," nor that of a vengeful figure burning with fury.

That was just a girl's, a woman's, a female face.

Desiring a victory in the struggle, she absolutely could not accept this situation, this version of Tione.

"You seem to understand Common Language."

Finn spoke to the furious Alganna.

"Then things become simple. I'll perform the 'ritual' with you in Tione's place... which is to say, a struggle?"

Ignoring Alganna's astonishment, Finn plunged his spear into the deck.

He adopted a sideways stance, assuming a fighting posture with his bare hands.

"If I win, please don't approach Tione and the others again. If you break your promise, I will destroy your country."

"You filthy man! You little wretch! Talking nonsense...!"

Even though Algana was trembling with humiliation, she still assumed a fighting stance.

She licked her blood-stained cheeks with her long tongue, her eyes bloodshot.

Algana wanted to kill the little man immediately and continue her death struggle with Tione, her whole body brimming with fighting spirit and killing intent.

"Die!"

Without even starting a war, Tione knew who would win and who would lose.

"I've heard that in the Kingdom of Fighting (Tir Scylla), showing mercy in battle is considered an insult."

Algana was severely injured in her battle with herself.

Her body was also nearing its limit.

"So, I'll show you my true skills too."

more importantly.

The current Alganna is just like Tione when she met Finn five years ago.

She knew nothing. She had no idea how powerful the adventurers were, nor how vast the world was.

Unaware that the man before her was a warrior of the Lilliputian race.

"—【O Demon Spear, accept my blood, pierce my forehead】."

She didn't know that this man was a "fierce warrior" who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.

"[Hel Vanges]".

The lake-like blue eyes were stained with a fierce blood red.

「!?」

Algana's raised fist was blocked by her left hand, which was only the size of a human child.

Ignoring her gasp, Finn, driven by his warlike desires, unleashed his surging power. He yanked hard with his fist, pulling the woman's body towards him in one swift motion.

With no other options, Alganna paused time, and Finn clenched his right hand in front of her.

With the face of a bloodthirsty warrior, Finn roared.

"Ooh o ...

His right fist slammed into Algana's face.

"Gah——————"

The sound of bones being shattered drowned out the woman's loud screams.

Aljana, sent flying by the punch, crashed through the deck railing and even shattered the distant sea.

A tremendous splash of water, as if from a magical artillery explosion, erupted.

"~ ...

On the ship, which was rocking and creaking from the reaction force of the attack, Thione desperately waited for the tremors to subside.

When the ship finally calmed down, she looked up and saw Finn standing in front of her, his eyes still bloodshot.

"what……"

A pair of red eyes stared at herself, who was slumped on the ground, and Thione reflexively closed her eyes tightly.

A few seconds passed.

Nothing happened. Just as Tiony was about to open her eyes with trepidation, something was placed on her shoulder.

Tiony looked up and saw Finn take off his loincloth and drape it over her.

"Commander..."

Finn, whose pupils had returned to their beautiful blue color, smiled at Tione, whose lips were trembling.

"Let's go back, Tione."

As Finn passed by her, he gently placed his hand on her head.

Having reached her limit in every aspect, Tione surrendered, her heart breaking, and her eyes automatically filled with tears.

She abandoned her previous obedient attitude, turned around abruptly, and bumped her body into the back of the person she liked.

"Commander! ~~ ...

Tiony mustered all her strength and hugged his waist tightly.

Deeply moved, Tiony hugged him, and Finn was pushed down, his nose slamming hard against the deck with a loud "thud!" in a "holy clap!" gesture.

"Commander, Commander! Thank you... I'm so sorry...!"

"...This is really a headache."

Finn gave a wry smile as Tione clung tightly to his waist, calling his name repeatedly.

The leader of the little people rested his chin on his elbow on the deck, gazing up at the beautiful starry sky with a smile before the girl stopped crying.

The sea cave and the boat. The two "ceremonies" thus came to an end.

The girls' long-standing feud was thus severed by their own companions.

✿

Walking on the ice bridge that Riveria had rebuilt, Tione and Finn returned to the shore, only returning to the port city (Merlen) when the sky began to lighten. Most of the time was spent on Tione's big cry, but the subsequent treatment and recovery of her strength also took a considerable amount of time.

With Finn's loincloth draped over his shoulders, Dione carried him and Riveria to the port. By the time they arrived, the entire Loki Familia had already gathered in front of the port, making a great commotion.

"I specially brought Miss Tiona and Miss Tione's weapons, but I didn't use them at all... My back is so sore..."

"It's nothing, I'm very happy! The thought is what counts! Thank you, Raul!"

"How come Miss Tiona is already so lively and energetic..."

"He was in a near-death state and was also poisoned... It took a lot of time to treat him."

"Thank you too, Linne! Lefia, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this!"

"If someone could be forgiven after making such a big fuss, they'd be too easy to get away with it—I don't know how much trouble they've caused me."

"What's wrong? I just felt bad, that's why I apologized like this! ...Yes, I know that an apology might not be enough to solve this...I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble."

"Hmm—! A well-behaved Diona isn't bad either—? A whole new world has opened up in my heart—!"

"Loki, say no more."

"Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy! Miss Ais, I surrender! You've hit me right where it hurts—ah!"

"Hey, Bert, think of something quick. Everyone's getting discouraged by Tiona's condition."

"What...what does this have to do with me?! She's become so mushy, how am I supposed to figure this out?!"

"How could you do this! Even after I obediently apologized, it still wasn't enough—you stupid wolf!"

"Shut up, you stupid Amazons!"

Seeing the noisy scene centered around her sister, Tiony forgot her tension, and her expression softened considerably. Finn shrugged, and Riveria smiled with her eyes closed.

"Ah, Tione!"

Tiona was the first to discover Tione and the others.

"Lady Riveria!" "Captain!" While Lefia and the others called out, she was the only one who ran straight over.

"Tione, how are you feeling? How did the 'ritual' go? What about Argana?"

"...The commander took care of it for me."

Tiony finished speaking first, and Tiona was stunned when she heard it.

Soon after, she clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.

Seeing her like that, a smile bloomed on Tiony's lips.

"I beat Bajie! No one died, and I didn't kill anyone! How about that!"

Laughter. Laughter. Tiona laughed heartily.

What are your thoughts on this smile? What emotions are you holding? And what have you found redemption in?

The eastern sky began to glow with the colors of dawn. The lake surface shimmered with golden light.

Tiony's cheeks softened, and she smiled as her lips parted.

"Thank you, Tiona. Thank you for saving me. — Thank you so much."

Seeing Tiony's sun-like smile, a thousand thoughts suddenly welled up in Tiony's chest.

Then her cheeks gradually flushed red, and a smile spread across her face.

"Um!"

Finn and Riveria could feel the tenderness in Finn's eyes as they gazed at each other and smiled.

Then Tiony quickly stopped smiling and looked melancholy.

"Okay, okay, I need to apologize to everyone... You're an idiot, so no one will mind, but it's a different story for me—"

"It's okay, it's okay, everyone will forgive you! Why don't you just apologize with a smile like you did before? Come on, come on!"

"No way. Apologizing with a smile feels like I deserve a beating."

"It won't hurt, why not give it a try?"

"Ugh, really! You're so noisy! Go away! I still hate your style!"

"How could this be—?"

The sisters walked side by side.

Walk toward the place where the girls are waiting with smiles on their faces, a place bathed in light.

The world of just the two of them no longer exists.

Side Story: Sword Oratoria 6: Final Chapter - Disturbing Elements

The Mellen affair, which happened overnight, has largely come to an end.

The guild has decided to announce that the near-conflict between the Loki Familia and the Kali Familia in the heart of the port was entirely the work of the Kali Familia. They consider it an unfortunate incident caused by savage Amazons from the borderlands. As for the carnivorous plants that appeared, they attribute it to bad timing, as they happened to emerge from the lake and climb onto land at that particular time.

With Loki acting as a go-between, the guild leaders investigating the Murren affair could only issue this statement. Including the matter of the man-eating plant placed in the lake, no one could have imagined that the benevolent god Njord was involved, or that the mayor (Medor) was involved. The most damaging aspect was the stain of the guild leaders' connection to smuggling. If everything were revealed, it was foreseeable that it would severely shake the foundations of the port city (Murren), and the guild itself would face loud public condemnation. Moreover, it would expose weaknesses that would allow others to take advantage, like the whispers of a demon.

The whole thing was designed to gradually uncover the truth, which would then lead to a chain reaction of exposing the guild's weaknesses. From another perspective, it's like a warning drawn by a "line" connecting every point in the event. It's as if that entity is saying: You can punish us, but we'll drag you down with us.

In fact, after hearing the information from the Loki Familia regarding the clandestine organization, the guild, perhaps out of fear of past "retaliation" and a lose-lose situation, ultimately did not pursue their responsibility.

"So that's why those guys chose to release the man-eating flowers at that time... so that no matter how much trouble they cause, they can eventually eliminate their own existence."

"Yes, in other words, besides delaying our progress, it also serves another purpose. That is, as insurance."

This is Loki and Riveria's version of events.

The Queen of Beauty, who had mastered the "line," returned to the city alone with a smile on her face, seemingly unaffected.