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

She defined the "monster" in front of her with simple ideas.

(In other words—if you know what it is, you can understand everything, right?)

Tiona is an idiot.

Her nemesis (Bert), who is so stupid that all he can do when he speaks is curse, would look sad if he heard this. He's a complete idiot.

Tiona seriously believed that as long as she figured out the details of a monster, she could find out the complex background of the incident that even the hero (Finn) and others had been racking their brains for a long time.

She firmly believes that the "frustration" she has felt since her first battle with the "armed monster" in the maze street can be suddenly relieved.

To reiterate, Tiona is an idiot.

But it's precisely because she's this kind of person...

"Miss Tiona!?"

"Oops!?"

Therefore, she was able to observe that "scene" directly without being influenced by stereotypes about "monsters" such as "hatred" or "disgust".

When she arrived at the crossroads, a half-elf child appeared.

The children froze in terror as the dragon girl charged straight at them. Above them, the decaying buildings trembled and teetered on the brink of collapse, unable to withstand the impact of the battle.

As Tiona tried to rescue the child and was about to throw her double blades, "Vivel" rushed out in front of her to save the child.

"────"

The monster's body transformed into a blue-silver flying arrow.

The dragon girl protected the child from the falling rubble, and a single wing that grew from her robe covered the child she had knocked over, as well as her own body.

"Xiaolu!!"

The orphans who had been chasing the half-elf child screamed in terror. The Loki Familia gasped.

As the avalanche-like collapse resounded, Diona murmured:

"—It protected the child."

The muttering was drowned out by the sound of rubble crumbling.

I wonder how this appears to the orphans? How does it appear to the group members (Ax) and the others?

Is it like a monster spreading its ferocious wings to attack a child, only to have a pile of rubble fall right on its head?

Unlike Tiona, who possesses superior dynamic vision.

Only she, who correctly captured that fleeting moment, knew that "Vivel" had pushed the building down to protect the child because he realized it was about to collapse.

It is precisely because she is stupid that she can see reality so clearly and vividly.

"—Release the arrows!"

As the dust settled, the group members discovered the monster amidst the rubble. Enraged, they drew their bows and fired arrows. The monster deflected the arrows with its scales, staggered off the child it had pushed over, and galloped away.

"I'll chase after him alone! Everyone protect that child!"

"OK!"

After giving instructions to her fellow members, Tiona, carrying the large twin blades, went off alone to pursue "Vivel".

She stared intently at the "monster's" back as she gave her answer.

(Finn...Tione...I'm sorry.)

Could the monster attack on the child a week ago have actually protected the child, just like what happened now?

Could it be that the young hero (Argonauts) wanted to protect it, or was that the same idea?

Tiona heard the sounds of things freezing and thawing.

And just like that, I felt the "depression" in my chest melt away and disappear.

The naive girl, who lives by instinct, squinted her eyes as she apologized to the faction leader and her older sister.

"I think... I still don't want to fight these monsters."

result.

After chasing the other person deep into the back alley, Tiona still lost track of the "girl".

"!!"

When that "sound" was captured...

Bert pushed off the ground with both feet.

"Wait... Mr. Bert—!?"

He abandoned the reserve team members who had been ordered to standby in response to the "Black Bull" and leaped onto the rooftop platform of the building complex.

Bert pricked up his wolf ears, sensed the "source of the sound," and ran after it.

The enemy's movement was a straight line from the southwest of Daedalus Road towards the northwest. Bert wasn't so kind as to let such a daring operation go unpunished. Even if it was a trap, it didn't matter; whatever the enemy's intentions were, he would simply crush them.

Although it was a complete violation of orders, Bert was stuck at home and couldn't get any food, even though the west side had become a battlefield. At this moment, it was as if all his pent-up frustration was about to explode, and his figure cut through the night air.

「!?」

"What happened?!"

A violent acceleration, a startling wind-slicing sound, and the intense stomping of feet on the roof or walls.

The "something" moving rapidly overhead caused the adventurers to gradually look up to see if "something" was there. Meanwhile, Bert kicked through the building and flew straight through the air, accurately chasing the "source of the sound."

(I can't see anything! Is it "invisible"?!)

He narrowed his sharp amber eyes and caught a glimpse of "spatial tremor" that had indeed flashed by in an instant from afar.

It may have been shaken by strong wind pressure. The other party may have covered their entire body with a cloth that could make things "transparent".

Magical artifacts. Bert guessed it immediately.

"Is he a brat?!"

Bert, remembering the boy they considered their enemy, quickened his pace.

Bert was furious.

Hearing that the Hestia Familia—Bell Crane—was associated with monsters inexplicably made him very angry.

He himself didn't understand what he was angry about. But he had that feeling of something stuck in his throat that he felt when someone he admired did something incomprehensible—or as Tiona put it, "frustration."

(He's such a loudmouth, what on earth is that brat doing?! ...It doesn't matter anyway, it has nothing to do with me!)

Bert kept a close eye on the invisible entity that hopped and dashed over buildings of varying heights like a rabbit, sometimes even flying over massive towers that required looking up, never letting it escape his perception.

The "invisible man," who was running at full speed, did not notice his high-speed pursuit.

Bert also moved and leaped repeatedly, like a wolf chasing its prey.

(Is it over there?)

Finally, in the northwest of the maze street, Bert chased his opponent to the back alley, landing with a powerful and beautiful stunt.

"..."

As his gray hair still swayed in the wind, Bert surveyed the utterly silent surroundings.

This is an open space crisscrossed by several paths. Deep within these paths, where neither magic stone lamps nor moonlight serve as lamplight, lies boundless darkness. Silence reigns supreme over the surrounding space.

You can't hear a sound at all.

The surrounding darkness seemed to be a defense, telling Bert that there was no one there.

There was indeed no one in sight. However—

"—Come out here."

Bert correctly sensed the breath and stared intently at one of the many paths—a dark, empty distance.

Even if they are "invisible", they cannot escape the five senses of the orcs.

Seeing that his opponent wasn't moving, Bert decided to take the initiative, but just as he was about to take a step...

"what?"

"..."

Emerging from the shadows was a fox spirit.

She had beautiful long golden hair that rivaled Ais's. Her beauty exuded a captivating charm, and she wore a bright red kimono from the Far East.

Bert was impressed by the girl who resolutely stared at him.

About two months ago, on the day Bert and his group stormed the port city (Melen) to rescue Tiona and the others, this fox-person was caught up in the attack of the Ishtar Familia, including the frog woman (Friline) and the pervert (Lina).

So after the fall of the Ishtar Familia, she converted and joined the Hestia Familia?

Bert showed no interest whatsoever, only frowning.

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

"I am alone."

Bert spat as he glanced at the back alley where the girl was guarding, but the fox-man in front of him denied what he said.

"Stop kidding me—"

"—I am alone!!"

Then, she yelled.

Even when faced with Bert's displeased and menacing gaze, the fox-girl remained unyielding.

She pressed her trembling hands to her chest and cried out again:

"So, please leave!"

"..."

"hurry up!!"

He stared intently at the sound Bert made, but it wasn't being shouted at him.

Behind her, in the dim, lightless depths, "two auras" gradually faded into the distance.

She was the fourth-place finisher.

The girl in front of him was using herself as bait to let "her baby" escape.

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

The girl today no longer has the appearance that Bert once saw in Hong Kong.

Back then, she was only protected by the Amazons, a fragile and easily perishable female beast like a doll. But now she clings to herself so tightly.

Bert grew increasingly angry.

—I hate weak women the most.

I hate women who, despite having no power to resist, think they're the tragic heroine.

I hate girls who, for some unknown reason, use the nice-sounding word "awakening"—which is actually just a weak will that can't even be called "awakening"—to arm themselves.

I hate those pathetic women who soon reveal their true colors and start begging for mercy.

Bert thought disdainfully to himself, and kicked the stone slabs under his feet with light, caressing footsteps.

The stone fragments kicked up by the metal boots [Frosvelt] flew out as shot.

"Ugh...!?"

Several pebbles flew towards the astonished fox-woman, tearing her kimono and her cheeks.

The girl staggered for a moment, but quickly regained her balance.

Bert didn't intend to actually hit her, thinking that scaring her would be enough, but the fox-woman rejected his idea.

Bert clicked his tongue clearly this time.

"Get out of the way."

"don't want."

"I'll beat you to death!"