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

Then, just as Bell's sweat dripped onto Winnie's hair...

"—Come out here."

Bert, cold and ruthless, precisely fixed his gaze on the shadowy hiding places of Bell and his companions in more than one back alley. Even in their "transparent" state, Bell and the others were pierced by his spear-like gaze, their bodies frozen in place. Since Bert's appearance, time seemed to stretch on endlessly, but in reality, only a minute had passed before the boy and girl's fragile hopes crumbled.

Seeing Bert's toes pointing in her direction, Winnie's shoulders trembled. Bell gripped her shoulders tightly, bracing himself for the worst. He decided to act as bait, allowing Winnie and the others to escape.

Unexpectedly, Bell's decision was stopped by Haruhime's actions.

(Haruhime...?)

The fingers that stroked a strand of silver hair made Winnie look up and see Chunji smiling.

The fox-girl gave a faint smile to the speechless Bell, then quietly left the dragon girl's side.

Bell's outstretched hand missed its target. She shook off her invisibility cloak and emerged from the shadows.

"what?"

"..."

Bell and Winnie were astonished as they watched Chun-hime walk forward and confront Bert under the starlit sky.

The girl's fox tail trembled as she faced the astonished werewolf. But she hid it from him, staring resolutely at the young man.

"You're not alone, are you? The rest of you, come out here too."

"I am alone."

"Stop kidding me—"

"—I am alone!!"

Then, she yelled.

Winnie had never heard a girl make such a loud noise before, and her shoulders jumped; Haruhime interrupted Bert.

Her upright eyebrows and her emerald green eyes, brimming with determination, did not yield to the man's fierce glare.

She pressed her hands to her ample breasts and shouted again:

"So, please leave!"

The boy unfortunately realized that this statement was not meant for young people.

She was no longer the frail girl Bell had rescued from the city of debauchery. The figure standing in front of the powerful, protecting Bell and the others, was the priestess who resisted calamity with her weak body, the older sister who wholeheartedly protected the dragon girl, and also her mother.

She screamed, the girl who could only be rescued screamed to protect what she cherished.

Bell's eyes flickered.

"hurry up!!"

Chunji's shouts and her retreating figure gave Bell a hard shove.

We must not let her awareness go to waste.

Bell, his fingers digging into Winnie's shoulder, finally ran away to shake off his torment. The dragon girl turned back, tears welling in her eyes, and Bell grabbed her hand, his teeth clenched tighter than ever.

"...Don't try to be a hero if you have no fighting skills whatsoever."

Sensing two figures disappearing into the distance behind Chunji, Bert lightly kicked the stone slab beneath his feet with his metal boot. Instantly, shattered stone fragments flew out like bullets.

Countless fragments hurtled towards the astonished Haruhime, tearing her kimono and cheeks. Haruhime hurriedly shielded her face with her arms, nearly losing her balance, but managed to brace herself. She did not move aside.

Bert clicked his tongue.

"Get out of the way."

"don't want."

"I'll beat you to death!"

"I will not yield!"

Bert strode over, and Chunji opened her arms.

Seeing that the fox-man refused to retreat an inch, Bert narrowed his eyes and kicked the ground. Even a slight acceleration from a level one adventurer was far too slow for Chun Ji's eyesight to keep up; the werewolf's figure appeared before her in the blink of an eye.

Faced with the frozen girl, Bert raised his left hand with little interest, as if to hit her.

“──!!”

however.

Upon seeing the unwavering emerald eyes peeking out from behind the golden bangs, Bert's hand suddenly stopped.

"..."

Bert opened his eyes wide, remained silent, and stared intently at Chun Ji's eyes, which did not waver even when facing an attack.

The silence between the two men was broken by the faint sounds of battle from afar, which reached the ears of the orcs.

This incredible scene continued until Bert spoke:

"--He's just a nobody."

The werewolf's lips curled up menacingly.

"You clearly have absolutely no ability—are you prepared to die?"

「!?」

Bert unleashed his full killing intent, spewing it outwards. Seeing the ravenous wolf about to devour him based on the undeniable law of the jungle, the overwhelming power of the predator sent chills down the orc's spine.

Even so, Haruhime still did not move aside.

She finally couldn't take it anymore and trembled uncomfortably, but she still opened her arms and stared back at Bert.

"Don't get too cocky!!"

Instead of lowering his fist, he stomped his left metal boot on the ground.

The sound of breaking and the force of the impact easily sent Chunji flying. Her back slammed hard against the wall beside the alley entrance, her body bent into a U-shape as she groaned in pain.

As for Bert's words, a smile appeared on his face. It was a mockery of the insignificant character he looked down upon, but also a clear expression of joy.

Bert now considers Haruhime an "enemy".

He recognized them not as a rabble unworthy of even a sneer, but as an adversary he had encountered on the battlefield.

The werewolf acknowledged the fox-girl's resolve and laughed at it.

"Stop moaning and whining like a whore! All you do is put on an act!!"

"!!"

Upon hearing Bert's insults, Chunji, who had been struggling in pain, suddenly looked up.

She mustered all her courage to glare at the smiling, fierce, and contemptuous werewolf, stretching out her trembling hands in front of her chest as if offering an offering.

"【-Grow bigger】."

Then she began to chant.

"[Its power, its vessels, countless treasures, and countless desires. Until the bell tolls to announce it, enjoy glory and fantasy!]"

This is the only "magic" that Haruhime can use; it's a kind of sorcery that can't be used as a weapon.

Chunji knew that this sorcery could not harm the powerful figure before her in the slightest, yet she continued to sing.

"【-Grow bigger】."

There is a ten-minute interval required to use the level-up enhancement. After her strange conversation with Bert, she managed to buy herself some time and decided to use the "magic" that awakened the girl's "magic power".

"[This body that has devoured the delicacies of the gods, this golden light bestowed upon the gods. From the mallet above to the earth below, may you be blessed.]"

Bert, who was facing the girl from a distance, did not move an inch, waiting for the chanting to end.

Is it arrogance? No, that's not right. It's the roar of the weak towards the strong—a gesture of courtesy towards the young girl's awareness.

The moment Haruhime unleashes her "magic," Bert will eliminate her without hesitation or mercy.

As the moment drew near, the werewolf adventurer cracked his knuckles.

"【-Grow bigger...】".

Haruhime's magic, the "Treasure Hammer," has a unique feature.

Whether or not a magic circle is present, it emits golden magical light before activation, which further highlights the uniqueness of her magic.

As the chanting progressed to the latter half, a misty "magic" began to emanate a cloud of light, signaling to the audience that the most powerful sorcery, which even the goddess of beauty (Ishtar) marveled at, was about to be unleashed.

Golden particles and clouds of light passed over Chunji and Bert's heads and rose into the sky. Like the black mist spreading from the western part of the labyrinth street, the North Northwest District where they were currently located was also shrouded in a layer of light.

Anyone who knows will immediately recognize (、、、、、、) as a sign that the handleless light hammer has been summoned.

Just as Haruhime finished chanting and Bert leaned forward, he received the girl's prayer and "she" arrived at the scene.

"!!"

Bert turned around and saw a head of gorgeous, jet-black hair appearing gracefully behind him.

Aisha Belleka, an Amazonian carrying a large broadsword, came to the rescue.

"【The Treasure Hammer】".

In the blink of an eye, a large number of light particles flew past Bert and gathered around Aisha, and the light hammer fell.

"Who are you……"

Bert squinted, watching as the level upgrade was completed.

Enveloped in the torrent of light, the female hero swung her broadsword, directing the rising particles of light at the tip of the blade towards the werewolf.

"Hey, you bastard, you want to mess with my little sister, don't you? Right? That's what I'm convinced of."

"What the hell?"

"I won't let this guy who tried to bully my cute little sister get away with it. I won't swallow this insult until I beat him up right now."

Aisha, with a smile, "provoked a fight."

She insisted that this had nothing to do with "heretics," that she didn't know what "heretics" meant, and turned the fight into a "private duel." Seeing her confront Bert, who was staring coldly at her, Chunji was deeply moved.

"Sister Aisha...!"

"Silly fox, don't do this recklessly. Didn't I tell you not to use it so ostentatiously... But, alright, since your expression has become a bit more decent, I'll forgive you this time."

Aisha knew that Chunji believed she would come to her rescue, which was why she made this bet, and she shrugged with a hint of delight.

Bert snorted at their behavior.

"In the end, it's all about relying on others, isn't it? How incredibly boring."

He said that, but the smile on his face didn't disappear, as if he admired the girl's "tactics".

The werewolf's fighting spirit soared, and he tore a slit at the corner of his mouth.

"If you're going to do it, then do it already, you stupid woman. I'll kick your infatuated head to pieces too."

"Come at me if you dare!!"

With Haruhime watching, Bert and Aisha began their battle.

*

"Bell, Haruhime, she...!"

"...!"

Belle, holding Winnie's hand, ran through the back alley with a bitter expression.

Will Bert hurt Haruhime? I don't know. But at the very least, he probably won't take her life. The two of them must now try to keep their distance to avoid his pursuit—

Anxiety, doubt, and the things he had to do now were all jumbled up in Bell's mind. In order not to let Haruhime's resolve be in vain, he would never turn back, while at the same time apologizing to her for his incompetence, and moving forward for Winnie's sake.

"Bell, there's no time...! If we don't hurry, we won't be able to rejoin Fels and the others!"

Hearing Hestia's anxious voice, Belle and Winnie quickened their pace.

The light particles from the level-up had disappeared. Bell, wearing an invisibility cloak, was careful not to be discovered by adventurers or the Loki Familia, but there was no need for that, as there was absolutely no one around; it was eerily quiet. Rather than feeling lucky, Bell had a premonition of danger. He shook his head and headed south towards his destination.

Then, as the two continued southward, southward, and southward again, Bell's feet became unable to take another step.

"...Bell?"

"..."