"I'll hold off Thistle here for you all."
The Winged Lion looked at Laois with a worried expression. "But I won't last long. Once you've dealt with Falin, you must deal with Thistle immediately."
"After that, you can become the new master of the dungeon."
The Winged Lion said this to Laois, who nodded solemnly in response.
And then…
Thistle finally arrived at the doorstep of his home, riding on Falin in her dragon form.
"..."
Thistle frowned at the sight of his door left ajar, his face growing increasingly displeased. He scolded Falin, instructing her to wait outside until he returned from the house.
Falin obediently waited in place—and all of this was clearly seen by Kairo Retsu and the others.
Everything was still unfolding according to the original trajectory.
Laois clenched his fists nervously as he watched Falin, lured by the scent of food, make her way toward the meal they had prepared in advance.
Laois knew what he had to do next. During the planning phase, he had already seen the way he would ultimately deal with Falin.
All that remained was to carry it out—to deal with Falin calmly, following the original progression, and kill the chimera she had become.
Laois had thought he was fully prepared. But now, standing at the threshold of choice, he realized the depth of his hesitation.
"If you can't do it, we'll handle it," Kairo Retsu whispered from behind him. "You've earned the right to choose."
Laois looked back at his teammates, and then at the hunters he had only recently come to know. At last, he gripped the damp cloth he had prepared in advance. "This is something only I can do. I've made up my mind."
Before they set out, Laois had discussed alternatives with the others—whether there was any way to capture Falin instead of killing her. But even if they managed to put her into a deep sleep, she could still be awakened by Thistle.
To truly bring her back to life, Falin had to be killed now. Laois understood it was his responsibility. Passing that burden to anyone else would be far too cruel. It had to be him.
Just as events had originally unfolded, after eating the meal laced with sleeping agents and drinking alcohol, Falin quickly drifted into a deep sleep. Laois shed any gear that might make noise, carrying only the damp cloth as he approached her.
The events of their journey flashed rapidly through Laois's mind, before settling on the image before him. He gently wrapped the cloth around Falin's mouth and nose—then pulled it tight.
Falin, startled by the sudden attack, awoke instantly and instinctively began to struggle.
Everything was playing out just as it had originally. Laois held on tightly, smothering the chimera Falin himself.
Having become a hunter, Laois now had the strength to restrain her firmly. He could even feel the gradual weakening of her resistance.
And in that moment, Laois came to a realization.
The future he had once seen on the big screen… was nothing compared to living it with his own two hands.
Now, he truly felt it.
After Falin died, Laois's team immediately rushed to check on him and Falin's body.
Meanwhile, the hunter party was talking quietly among themselves.
Tanjiro spoke with visible empathy, "Laois-san must be in a lot of pain right now. Even if he knows he can bring his sister back…"
"This was a necessary step for Laois," Kairo Retsu said. "He's one of us now, and we can't make that decision for him. But now…"
"It's time to face the Mad Sorcerer!"
Kairo Retsu looked at Naofumi Iwatani.
Naofumi nodded in understanding and raised the Four Holy Shield on his arm, tapping it lightly. "Don't worry. I'm ready."
"Let's go."
Laois wiped the blood from a scratch on his arm, donned his gear again, slung his sword-axe at his waist, and grabbed the massive Charge Blade.
"To save Falin, I must become the dungeon's master."
"Next up… is the battle with Thistle."
He turned to his companions. "We've lived healthily each day and done everything to prepare."
Laois took the lead, pushing open the wooden door.
Inside, standing atop the central table, was Thistle.
At this moment, Thistle held two of the Winged Lion's sealing books, and glared at them all with pure fury.
"You killed my dragon again," he growled. "You killed monsters and cooked them into meals. You trespass and run amok in my home!"
"You thieving, greedy vermin! Always trying to steal something! I'll tear you all to pieces—so thoroughly you'll never be able to come back to life!"
"Hah!"
Kairo Retsu had already drawn his Charge Blade, the shield now positioned directly in front of the team.
"The dungeon master… This is finally the moment we hunters excel at!"
"So it's just a dragon," Kairo Retsu said calmly. "Dragon hunting is our specialty!"
"DIE!!"
Thistle roared in rage, and the house began to morph.
After hearing Kairo Retsu's words, Thistle's fury peaked. He raised his staff high and cast his spell.
"If you love killing dragons and eating dragons so much—then eat until you choke!!!"
From the entrance, everyone could see the once-orderly house expand massively, a giant vortex opening in the ceiling.
From that swirling void, rain poured down—and countless dragons began to emerge.
"Momentum's still going…" Kairo Retsu muttered. "But it's about time to put an end to it."
"Hey! You guys better run too!" Chilchuck shouted in panic as he grabbed Kairo Retsu. "Those are dragons! Dragons! We don't stand a chance in a fight like this—"
"He just summoned that many dragons with a wave of his hand…" Marcille's face paled in fear.
In a dungeon, a sorcerer could wield nearly unlimited mana—that's what made this place so terrifying.
"I'd like to see you try now! Let's see you kill dragons! Let's see you eat dragons!!"
Thistle shouted in fury at the intruders who dared to challenge him.
But—
"This sure looks like a tough fight." The Shield Hero had already deployed his Heavy Bowgun and placed his hand on his Four Holy Shield. "Good thing… we had half a day to prepare."
Kairo Retsu broke into a radiant smile.
Thistle still thought that just because hunters had passed through, the dungeon remained his territory?
In the next instant, the Shield Hero aimed his Heavy Bowgun at the ceiling, firing rounds at bottles already positioned there.
A few Normal Shots later—those bottles shattered.
And from the ceiling, a dense cloud of mushroom spores filled the entire house.
"Time to draw your cards!!!"
Kairo Retsu spread his arms wide. "Let's see… what race everyone transforms into!"
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