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

She ran out and kicked the railing.

"Live with all your might, no matter what awaits you. For this is the life attitude of you 'people of the lower realm' that even the gods cannot imitate."

Just as she was about to jump into the air, the goddess left these words behind her.

Soon, Ais fell into the street of "Daedalus Road" under the pull of gravity.

What she could see below her field of vision were people fleeing in all directions, and the rampaging "half-human, half-dragon monsters".

*

Finn was the first to rush there.

"!!"

The moment the roar echoed through the sky, he took the lead and sped off, bringing that scene into his "range."

He saw a corner of a damaged building, rising smoke and dust, the residents of the maze-like street who couldn't escape in time, and the hideous figure of a "monster" that clashed horribly with the blue sky above the ground. He was taken aback by the sight of the "adventurer" already confronting the monster, and at the same time, he pulled the spear in his right hand behind his back like a crossbow bolt to gather power.

On the rapidly moving rooftop, Finn leaped up, unleashing the power of the golden spear that was being pulled back.

A flash of light streaked away.

The beam of light didn't even have time to react, let alone the monster, nor even the "adventurers" who were blocking the monster to protect the residents. It pierced deep into the target's body without missing a beat.

The spear pierced the monster's raised left hand, sending it flying.

"Ah ...

The monster was no match for the force of the "Spear of Fortia" piercing through its palm and crashed violently into the building behind it.

A deafening crash resounded, shattering the deserted houses into pieces, and the dragon twisted its long body. Spears and its pierced left hand were driven into the ground, pinning the "monster" to the earth like a living specimen.

--The maze street (district) suffered considerable damage, but there were no casualties.

Finn's first priority was to keep the monster away from the civilians, and while quickly analyzing the situation, he landed gracefully on the wide rooftop.

Then, thud! thud!

Led by Ais, Bert, Tiona and Tione, Riveria and Grace also arrived.

The surrounding noise disappeared as if time had stopped, creating a moment of blankness.

Finn saw the half-human, half-dragon monster and narrowed his eyes sharply.

"So, that's the reason for this commotion?"

After the murmur was uttered...

A huge cheer erupted.

『────────────────────────────────！ ！ 』

"It worked! It worked! Aaaaaah!"

"Adventurer, sir!!"

They were as urgent as fireflies and as fast as shooting stars.

They are the light of glory, saving the masses from panic as their daily lives were disrupted in the blink of an eye.

The residents of Maze Street were overjoyed to see the city's strongest symbol appear.

They struck first, launching a surprise attack.

The overwhelming speed of the attack left the "young man" with nowhere to "hide".

The adventurers and goddess who happened to be there saw the strongest being in the city arrive at the scene, and their expressions turned to despair.

"It seems that it hasn't caused any harm to the residents yet."

"Oh, someone got here before us."

"Oh dear, who is that person...?"

"It's Argonauts—!"

"That brat again..."

Just as the other outstanding members of the Loki Familia were gathering, Grace, Tiona, and the others noticed an adventurer standing motionless on the road.

It's Bell Craney.

There is also the [Hestia Familia], including the chief god.

Finn was surprised to see that the other party had arrived earlier than him and his companions—no, the bigger problem was that they were staying on Daedalus Road under these circumstances. However, he had other urgent matters to deal with, so he put the boy and the others out of his thoughts.

"The Dragon Girl (Vivel)... matches the characteristics of the previous 'Winged Monster,' doesn't she?"

The incredibly accurate intelligence analysis connected the monster in front of them with the events of five days ago.

The "humanoid monster" shocked the entire city. While its female dragon-tailed body was far from being "humanoid," the wings on its back confirmed the "winged" aspect of the attack. Perhaps it was a "subspecies," or had it undergone a "mutation"?

Most importantly, it's about timing.

It was the real trigger for this event, Finn predicted.

"Was that monster related to the incident on the 18th floor? It was wearing something that looked like shackles, but was it armed?"

"That remains to be seen, but... the guild may have anticipated this situation, which is why they ordered most of their [familiars] to stand by."

"Tsk! Couldn't you have told me first?"

Tiona, Riveria, and Bert spoke as they looked out from the rooftop at the wide road.

Riveria's "guild" refers to the old god (Uranus). Finn deduces that her statement is partially correct and partially incorrect. From Uranus's perspective, this situation is probably the worst possible development.

Without a doubt, that "monster" is the biggest "secret" that the creator of the labyrinth city (Orario) wanted to hide.

As Tiona said, the monster had handcuffs and broken chains on its arms. This most likely means it was captured by humans. The capturers were probably the [Ikeros Familia].

(Although there are still some unsolved issues, for now...)

With his golden hair swaying in the wind, Finn stared intently at the street below where the Hestia Familia stood motionless—a monster struggling painfully at the end of the street.

"Captain, that monster..."

"The red stone on my forehead is gone. It must be removed as soon as possible."

Finn immediately made a decision regarding Tiony's statement.

"Veviel" is a rare monster. When it loses its rare and powerful red gem (dropped item) called "Veviel's Tear," which brings immense wealth, it loses its rationality and goes berserk until it retrieves the gem. It unleashes a killing storm with its latent "dragon" abilities. The residents of the labyrinth town are also present, and they have no choice but to "extinguish" it.

Now that things have come to this, let's use the "corpse" as evidence to confront the god Uranus face to face.

Finn made the decision that human life should be the primary consideration.

(But... how did you get there?)

A boy looked up at Finn with trembling eyes.

It's Bell Craney.

(Why are you looking at me like that?)

Finn's gaze met those trembling, deep red eyes, and in that instant, a certain feeling arose.

A certain undeniable sense of "disharmony".

(Bell...?)

At the same time, Ais also harbored the same "sense of disharmony".

Seeing the boy's pale face, she felt that something was "wrong".

The same was true for the members of the Hestia Familia. While the general public rejoiced at the appearance of Ais and the others, they remained silent, filled with despair.

She didn't understand why she wasn't looking at the monster that had appeared on the surface, but instead kept her eyes glued to Bell.

If monsters have any reason to live—

Unintentionally, the words she had spoken with the boy came back to her mind.

Ais, in a state she herself couldn't comprehend, stared intently at the boy who was caught in a dilemma.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh...!?"

The monster roared and howled in a mournful manner.

Along with the flowing blood, it emitted a horrible, agonizing cry of a "monster".

'Ooo ...

People cheered with anticipation.

The hope is that the "monster" will be slain and eradicated from this land.

The maze-like street emitted sounds, causing the second hand to move forward slowly.

The gods who happened to be present quietly observed the development of events from outside the chessboard.

The goddess's retinue, in despair, grew cold and frail, their will to resist wither and die.

The strongest adventurers are ready to eliminate the "monster".

And the boy who was forced to stand on the boundary line...

The boy...

The boy...

The young man—

"────────"

Ais will probably never forget that scene.

As a wound that will never fade, a wedge driven into the heart, it will never be erased.

Ais's golden eyes widened.

That day, that moment, that place...

Someone made a "decision".

They made a "determination" that was too self-destructive, too hopeless, and too foolish.

The gods will surely say this in the future.

Speaking of that day, that moment, that place...

It was an unobservable crack in the fabric of time, yet it was a "turning point" that truly propelled history forward.

At this moment, the gods must be lamenting.

Alas, this day, this moment, this place...

The moment when the much-anticipated "hero" fell into destitution—the "fool" was born.

'Ooh o ...

The initial surge of enthusiasm turned into a confused cacophony, and finally faded into silence.

"what?"

That sight made Bert frown.

"Hey... what is he doing?"

"Ah, little hero Argonaut...?"

Tiony and Tiona were in a panic.

"Did I see that wrong?"

"Finn..."

"...What does this mean?"

Grace, Riveria, and Finn narrowed their eyes coldly.

"────"

Ais was speechless.

"…………!!"

The boy stood up and confronted them.