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

「!?」

Then she put all her strength into a strike, only to tragically miss.

The monster squeezed its reverse joints, smashed through the floor, and leaped into the air. After disappearing from sight, it landed on the ceiling, which was at least tens of meters high. Then it began a series of leaps. It was a super-fast movement that left Ryūren no time to be astonished.

Countless diagonal lines flashed past, leaving all the adventurers in the cave frozen in place, without exception.

Upon witnessing this "super-fast movement" that shouldn't be possible on a large scale, Ryu's eyes froze.

Then, having escaped the monster's senses, he easily took Ryu's position behind him.

"!!"

When anger turned into trembling, the last words left by her deceased companion told her never to be hit by those "claws".

Ryu narrowly dodged the "Broken Claw" that shone with blue and purple light, and then suffered an unusual impact.

“Ugh!?”

Ryu could barely dodge the fatal blow, but like a third arm, the tail slammed into her body.

"Zagnat" was so powerful that a single swing of its tail, almost like a club, was enough to kill. Ryu was hit directly, his bones were broken, and his lips were smeared with blood and rouge.

Her back slammed into the pile of rubble, a flash of light streaked across her vision, creating a turbulent vortex that shattered her willpower.

Ryu was dragged to the ground by gravity and was about to fall when the monster easily approached her and ruthlessly raised its "claws" to grab her.

"—You idiot!"

The person who saved Ryu was Kaguya.

The price was an arm.

Just as his right arm flew into the air and blood splattered on Liu's wide-eyed face, the impact of the "Broken Claw" that shattered the floor blew the two of them away.

"Selty, fire! You coordinate with me!!"

Ryu, one of the most skilled fighters in the Familia, was defeated, and Kaguya lost an arm. However, the Astrea Familia did not lose heart; instead, they were filled with a burning desire to avenge their comrades and cast "magic" through incantations.

However, as expected, this only contributed to the tragedy.

「!?」

"Magic Reflection".

The bombardment was deflected by the Destroyer's only "shield," which could reflect any magic, and the two mages—Leyana and Celty—were engulfed in flames like weeds.

The "Broken Claw" that can annihilate high-level adventurers in one hit, the unconventional mobility that defies the principles of monsters, and the armor shell that reflects "magic".

The moment they grasped the full extent of the monster's enhanced "annihilation" capabilities, the hearts of the Astrea Familia girls finally succumbed to despair.

"──────────────!!"

The roar was more terrifying and nauseating than any monster's.

This is precisely the worst and most despicable "newbie killer".

Faced with that mobility, melee combat was impossible, and even "magic" could not deliver a decisive blow. That potential ability, capable of wiping out a first-class adventurer party, was truly a symbol of death.

Only by surviving the first wave of attacks and equipping oneself with adequate "armor" to withstand the "Broken Claw" can one finally achieve a draw.

In this battle, none of the adventurers met these criteria.

"No!!!!"

"Don't eat me──────────!?"

Slaughter, ravage, prey.

Whoever's fighting spirit falters first will be the first to suffer a brutal massacre.

"Iska, Maru!?"

Alexie's voice rang out.

That was a tone of voice she had never let anyone hear, a voice filled with tears.

As for Ryukyu...

Beside Kaguya, who was groaning in pain, she witnessed the moment each of her companions perished.

"Ah, ahhh..."

The fashion-conscious Amazons were dismembered.

With superb culinary skills, she was like an older sister to everyone, and the humans were devoured starting from their heads.

Those noble and virtuous companions, those gentler girls than anyone else, died so tragically.

Just then, Ryu heard the sound of something shattering inside her.

The tragic screams of the dying... the merciless corpses of friends who shared joy and sorrow... the calamity that symbolized the slaughter of everything shattered Ryu's spirit.

Elves, with their fastidious and proud nature, become extremely vulnerable when their hearts are broken. This tendency is particularly pronounced among them, at least compared to other races. Ryu is no exception. And this is precisely why Kaguya called Ryu "fragile."

Most importantly, for Ryu, the Astrea Familia is her emotional anchor.

In Ryu's heart, the existence of friends from other races whom she had made for the first time was of great significance.

"Aa ...

Fallen comrades...

A friend who left behind his weapon and was blown to pieces...

A comrade screaming as he was chewed up...

All of this eroded Ryu's heart more deeply and severely.

This was the first time she had faced such a sense of powerlessness.

This extraordinary sense of loss.

Despair shatters the elf's pride.

For the first time, Ryu felt "fear".

She, who had never yielded to any evil or crooked path or any "evil force," was now afraid of this monster.

In that instant, a painful "scar" was etched into her heart.

"Gahh ...

Soon, the victims also affected the Rudra family.

The cadres who accompanied Jala were reduced to pieces, and countless members, before they could even grasp the situation, became the souls of the dead under "Broken Claw" and tail.

The monster turned its attention to the larger Rudra clan, sparing no one and beginning a mechanical extermination of them.

"...Kaguya, are you alright?"

"If that's how it's called, then the commander is practically lying through his teeth..."

The Astrea Familia has only four members left, all of whom are badly injured.

Alexie, who was attacked along with her murdered comrades, could barely survive and was already utterly exhausted. Kaguya, having lost an arm, was in even worse shape. She tore open her combat suit and used her mouth to stop the bleeding, her face covered in cold sweat.

As for the Lilliputian Lyra...

"...I'm sorry, Alicia, Kaguya, my eyes...I'm blind..."

"Lyra..."

"I can't see anything..."

Hit head-on by the "magic" reflected from the armor shell, Lyra's eyes slammed shut, and she covered them with her bangs. There was no way to recover; her eyeballs and the skin around them melted. Perhaps tormented by the excruciating pain from her burned nerves, her hands trembled.

"What the hell is going on with that guy... Damn it, looks like my lucky streak has come to an end..."

The curses of the little people echoed in the darkness.

Lying on the ground, Ryu listened to their conversation in a hazy state of consciousness.

She coughed repeatedly, vomited blood clots, and then shakily raised her head.

"────"

At that moment, Ryu's eyes met hers.

Of the three people standing before her, the one with green eyes turned to look at her for only a moment.

Ryu's gaze unfortunately met that of Arisha, whose eyes held a mixture of determination, illusion, and tenderness.

"I'm sorry—Kaguya, Lyra, please entrust your lives to me."

Alexandra turned her gaze back to the front and said this.

In front of Ryu, whose eyes were wide open.

"I want to save Leon."

How can I describe the despair I felt at that time?

A surge of emotion, far stronger than her own feelings for the calamity-inducing monster, brought Ryu to a standstill.

"...The purpose of this battle was always 'who survives.' We are already half-destroyed puppets, so let this place be our final resting place."

Leaving behind a stunned and speechless Ryu, Kaguya readily agreed.

"...I cherish my life the most, as you all know, right? But I'm the weakest among you, and I'll definitely be the first to die, so...I'll just follow you."

Because I never gamble with no chance of winning. Leila smiled resolutely.

"But, Captain... you should live. As long as you and Goddess Astraea are here, justice can continue."

"No, Kaguya. I've said it before, there are as many kinds of justice as there are people. Therefore, there is no single right answer when it comes to justice."

Then, a smile appeared on Alicia's profile.

"But if it's Leon, he'll always be able to choose the right path."

--No!

Ryu's "consciousness" is roaring.

Beyond the scenes of reminiscence, the present-day Ryu, standing in the darkness, denies Alexie's words.

—You're wrong, Alexie!

—I (that guy) will fall into the flames of revenge! I will lose justice and go astray!

—You're the one who should have survived!

She pointed to her past self (Ryu), lying pitifully on the ground, powerless, and shook her head violently.

Ignoring her excited shouts, Alexie turned around and knelt down in front of Ryu, who was reminiscing about her.

"Rion... listen to me, okay? We need your 'magic' to defeat that guy."

The last look she gave Ryu was one of infinite tenderness.

"So, you'll sing here, okay?"

Her last words to Ryu were infinitely cruel.

"We'll peel off that guy's 'shell'."

Because Ryu is no longer able to fight. Because a spirit whose spirit has been severely wounded will only get in the way.

Most importantly, because she is Alexandra Rofer.

A noble girl who wanted to save her friend's life more than her own pushed Ryu away.

"Please... this is a 'promise,' you know, Rio?"

This became a curse.

It became the sword of oath that pinned Ryu's body to the ground, even robbing him of the possibility of getting up and fighting again.

It was a vow that required Ryu to live.

It is a wish that they would not be sacrificed in vain.

Ryu could only tremble and shed tears.

"Rion, are you there? You...you have to live—"

--Wait for me.