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

Facing the enemy's red horn, Bell unleashed a massive white-light slash.

"──────"

All of a sudden.

The boy's eyes caught sight of his pure white radiance being shattered by the enemy's crimson horns.

Then──

"──────Ugh!!!"

Defeated.

Bear Grylls' "heroic blow" failed.

The boy was sent flying into the air as he suffered a fatal impact.

"────"

In that instant, all sound disappeared from Orario.

Blood spurted from the boy's mouth as his body rose straight up from the point of impact.

Everyone looked up at the figure, their faces pale, and saw white light scattering from the shattered and scattered silver fragments.

"Bell--"

Eina covered her mouth with both hands, and time seemed to freeze.

"--Roarooooo ...

In contrast, the monster who had cracked the boy's ultimate move returned in triumph, shouting a victory cry.

He abruptly stopped his planing motion on the cobblestones, turned instantly, and rushed toward the spot where Bell had fallen.

Asterios charged straight ahead like a raging bull, striking Bell's body once more the instant he crashed to the ground.

"Ugh!?"

A powerful, black left wrist lashed out to the side, striking Bell and causing him to vomit blood again. Asterios seized the opportunity to grab the boy's body and continued sprinting forward, crashing headfirst into the towering white skyscraper directly in front of him.

"Quick, quick, get out of the way!? Everyone, run!?"

The high-ranking adventurers of the Ganesha Familia, a small group defending the gates of the skyscraper facility (Tower of Babel), fled at full speed from the unstoppable, invincible onslaught.

The next instant, the bull's rush shattered the tower's gates and walls.

"~ ...

Asterios, with his harbingers, invaded the Tower of Babel with overwhelming force.

In the first-floor lobby, on a floor reminiscent of giant stained-glass windows adorned with giant flowers, Asterios slammed his double-edged axe, along with Bell, whom he was holding in his left arm, onto the ground. The blow, delivered with astonishing force, severely damaged the boy and the floor—the next instant, the central section of the lobby collapsed.

The floor and ceiling were broken, and once you fell into the basement, there was a huge opening waiting below, which was the "big hole," the entrance to the underground city.

Falling, falling, falling.

As Bell coughed up blood, he was enveloped by a floating sensation and sucked into the ground along with a large amount of rubble.

The nighttime light on the surface gradually faded from Bell's blurred vision, and soon, that moment arrived.

"babble!?"

bump! !

Bell crashed down with a deafening roar onto the first floor of the dungeon.

Starting from his spine, an electric shock-like force surged through his entire body, and Bell fainted for a moment.

Bell coughed up the blood clot stuck in his throat; if not for the sublimation (upgrade), he would have died from this pain long ago. He endured the pain and slowly opened his eyelids.

In the far distance of my vision as I lay on my back, I could see a hazy, dim night. That must be moonlight streaming in from the tower's entrance. The dramatic fall, which could only be described as a collapse, seemed to have damaged all the magic stone lamps, plunging the tower into darkness. Part of the spiral staircase beside the cylindrical "large hole" was also damaged.

Bell lay on his back on the ground, using a large amount of rubble as his bed.

He plummeted straight down to the first level, seemingly causing damage as well. The cracked walls of the underground city glowed with a faint, dim phosphorescence, much like moonlight shining into the cave.

Bell was thinking in a daze when he looked up at the sky... and a dark figure covered him.

"Bell..."

"...!"

That wasn't the roar of a monster, but the tone of a human's voice. Bell heard it and mustered the last of his strength to lift his face.

There stood a black bull, looking like a victor.

Asterios, standing calmly, looked down at the battered and bruised Bell and said:

"That makes it one win and one loss..."

This made Bell's eyes widen.

"Let's fight again next time."

The bull warrior lost an arm, had one eye smashed, and was covered in wounds.

He raised the double-edged axe, held in his one arm, to his chest and declared:

"Next time—we must see who comes out on top."

Asterios grinned, then looked up at the sky.

"Roar!!"

Then he let out a triumphant, monstrous roar... and left.

From in front of Bell.

The figure disappeared into the depths of darkness, ahead of the dungeon.

"..."

Bell, like a puppet with its strings cut, was placed back on the pile of rubble.

The battle just now seemed like a dream, and all around was silent.

Given its current state, the dungeon must... probably prioritize repairing the damaged structure. No monsters will be born; low-level monsters like goblins or earth spirits were likely frightened by the noise and impact and retreated deep into the floors. Lying there for a while probably won't hurt them. Bell pondered these things with his not-so-bright mind.

He felt as if he were in a light, dreamlike state while he was here.

Even the conversation with Asterios felt somewhat unrealistic.

Although the excruciating pain that tormented his entire body was undeniable, it did not allow him to escape reality.

"…………I lost."

The murmurs that escaped from the lips were sucked into the vertical cave leading to the surface and rose into the moonlit night.

Bell looked up at the hole in the mural on the ceiling of the first basement floor.

"Those 'heretics'... I wonder if Mr. Guros and the others were saved..."

The eye crystal on the hand guard had long since shattered, preventing it from contacting the goddess.

However, Bell trusted Hestia and the others. He believed that while he and Asterios were acting as bait, they must have already seized the opportunity to complete their mission.

Yes, my fight against Asterios was meaningful.

"...That's right."

Because of the ongoing fighting that engulfed the entire city, Winnie and Reed were able to return to the underground city.

If he wins, Asterios will die.

He had to be defeated, otherwise he would not be able to return to the underground city or to his compatriots.

Yes, so that's correct.

"I was right to lose..."

Victory or defeat is secondary.

Yes, this is the best outcome...

"...That would be best."

A whispered remark.

Bell said in a low voice.

"...That would be best."

The whispered voice gradually choked with sobs.

My nose started to feel hot, and my vision as I looked up at the sky gradually became blurry.

Then, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Ideally, you'd be happy even if you lost...!"

Very unwilling.

I'm so unwilling to accept this.

He didn't care about being a "heretic" or having a mission; he just felt incredibly resentful.

Bale really wants to beat Asterios.

He desperately wanted to defeat his nemesis, who had appeared before him for a rematch.

As an adventurer and as a man, Bell really wanted to beat that formidable rival.

"Ugh, ah, ughhh...!"

Bell struggled to hold back, not wanting to let out a pathetic sob.

Her throat wouldn't obey her commands, and she started sobbing again and again.

Astellios said.

They said they would settle things next time.

The outcome is still uncertain.

He gave himself a reason to fight, a reason for Bell, who had been confused about something ever since his encounter with the "heretic."

He told Bell: Next time I'll take your life.

So don't be confused.

We need to become stronger.

He gave Bell a reason to become stronger.

"～～～～～～～～～～……!!"

—I made a promise with you.

—One day, I will create a place where I can live with Winnie and the others.

—For this reason, I will be more—

These are all things I said and promises I made.

Yes, I need to become stronger than I am now.

Bell must become stronger, even stronger.

To keep his promise to the girl and to prove himself to be her equal, he must become stronger.

Bell has another target.

Besides his aspirations, he had a new destination.

Everything that is needed now, everything... is closely related.

In order to catch up with the person I admire again.

To prevent any more loved ones from dying.

In order to win next time.

Become stronger.

Become stronger.

Also, so that I would no longer lament my powerlessness.