The forests outside Sword Smithing City Solingen often saw monster activity. Without the nourishment of a Dungeon, these creatures had undergone generations of mutation, their abilities weakened considerably.
Bell and Lefiya moved slowly through the woods. A single strike was enough to bring down the diminished monsters.
"Something feels strange..."
Lefiya whispered, her voice trembling.
This place was completely unlike the forests where Elves lived. The dark, damp air was filled with an uncanny sense of fear.
"All sightings related to the missing persons lead back to this forest. The guards of Solingen have investigated before, but every attempt ended in failure."
Bell stayed alert, listening to every sound as he cautiously scouted ahead. If the disappearances continued to escalate, Astraea Familia—whose mission was justice—would inevitably be thrown into the center of it.
Where exactly were the enemies hiding? And how had they avoided the guard patrols?
Just as Bell pondered this, a scream rang out behind him.
"Aaaaaah!"
The ground he had just stepped over suddenly collapsed into a massive pit.
"!"
Seeing Lefiya fall helplessly, Bell didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat—he jumped after her.
Soil, flowers, leaves—everything on the surface was swallowed into the gaping hole. Bell kicked off a rock, speeding up as he caught Lefiya in his arms. The next moment, darkness swallowed everything.
"A trap?!"
Caught in the chaos of the situation, Lefiya forgot her shyness and quickly pulled away from his embrace.
"S-Sizzle—Hot!"
The instant she touched the ground, she sensed something was terribly wrong. A pale purple liquid reached up to her ankles, splashing as more viscous droplets fell from above. Simply touching the strange liquid caused Lefiya's clothing to slowly melt away. The steaming corrosive reaction sent waves of scorching heat across her skin.
"This is corrosive fluid..."
Bell took out a small Magic Stone lamp, illuminating their surroundings. They were in a sealed cavern, the walls covered in pale red flesh like the inside of a monstrous stomach. There was no foothold to climb upward. The corrosive liquid mixed with suffocating heat, and the smell of decay filled the entire space.
Under the white lamp light and the faint reddish phosphorescence, the two finally saw the bottom of the chamber.
"These... these people are all dead?!"
Lefiya's heart trembled as fear overwhelmed her. Countless skeletons floated in the fluid, creating a hellish display that chilled the soul. Armor, shields, swords, axes, staves—only these belongings hinted at who they once were. Those who had fallen into this cavity had their flesh and skin completely dissolved. Not a single one survived.
As Lefiya covered her mouth in panic, Bell wrapped an arm around her and leapt upward.
"...!"
The spot where they had just stood was swept apart by a yellow-green tentacle, sending bones and corrosive liquid spiraling through the air like a storm.
"It's a monster similar to a Viola!" Bell warned.
Had they not reacted instantly, that blow would have ended them.
Bell had been fixated on how the cavern seemed to intentionally avoid the guards' search patterns. Thanks to that suspicion, he immediately noticed the monster's true form.
Perhaps angered by its failed ambush, the sealed ceiling above them began to shift and ripple, revealing a grotesque figure. Its yellow-green and iridescent body hung upside-down, fused completely with the surrounding flesh walls. A horrifying single eye extended from its neck, ringed with protrusions like a twisted crown.
"A Venenthes."
Both of them spoke at the same time, identifying the creature's origin. It looked almost identical to the Viola they had once encountered, yet its grotesque and horrifying physiology clearly marked it as a strengthened special variant. The monster that had once become Lefiya's nightmare appeared before her again, and her face turned deathly pale.
Bell's thoughts raced. Why did a creature like this appear near Sword Smithing City Solingen? How could it have been transported such a long distance? Did Evilus exploit a loophole in the Monsterphilia? There were no Evilus members present in the forest, which meant this trap was only one part of their plan.
They were in danger.
"Lefiya-san, we have to defeat this monster immediately!"
Bell made the decision without hesitation.
"I want to… but this kind of monster reacts to magic power!"
Lefiya gripped her wand tightly, unable to hide her shame and helplessness.
Massive tentacles slammed down with violent force. The two of them only had time to jump or dodge; there was no room for a counterattack.
"I can dodge by reading its eye. You don't need to help me…"
Lefiya stared into the enormous, hideous eyeball, explaining the evasion method even as she urged him to abandon her. The monster's attacks were brutal, but its movements were simple and predictable. As long as one followed its line of sight, its next strike could be anticipated. Lefiya could avoid being a burden—yet she had no way to attack.
She had never mastered Concurrent Chanting. If she began casting, the monster would concentrate its assaults on her, turning her into a sitting target.
Bell dodged another downward slam of the tentacle and sprinted toward the wall's edge. The tentacles lashed down like a storm, each impact shaking the cavern.
He tightened his grip on the Hestia Knife and slashed into the flesh wall. The sharp blade sliced through the purple liquid and tore deep into the wall—but he couldn't reach the end. It was simply too thick.
Feeling heat and pressure shoot up his arm, Bell immediately pulled back the dagger. If he forced it further, he would be the one to die. More importantly, the monster didn't react at all. Even with a large wound torn into its inner wall, the upside-down Venenthes showed no response. Its bodily structure defied human logic.
Lefiya's boots had already dissolved, and much of her clothing was corroded by the splashing liquid. With every second critical, Bell resolved to use magic. It would provoke fierce resistance and draw attacks—but without magic, they had no hope of breaking through.
Before he could even raise his hand, the tentacles suddenly stopped.
In that instant, the creature's crown-like head emitted a bright blue glow.
"AAAAAAAH!!!"
A piercing buzz ripped through their skulls, vibrating their eardrums like they were being drilled open. Even with her hands clamped over her ears, Lefiya couldn't endure it—she collapsed to her knees immediately.
A sonic attack.
"Firebolt! Firebolt! Firebolt…!"
Ignoring the ringing in his head and the blurring of his vision, Bell fired off the rapid-cast spell exactly as planned.
A thunderous roar exploded. The Triple Firebolt streaked through the air, leaving a crimson trail before slamming into the monster's glowing blue point.
It all happened in a single heartbeat.
The monster's crown was incinerated by the blast, and the sonic attack ceased. But drawn by the concentrated magic power, it swung a deadly tentacle straight toward Bell.
Staggered and half-kneeling from the sonic assault, neither Bell nor Lefiya could react in time.
The whip-like limb struck Bell squarely. With a tremendous crash, he was launched like a cannonball, his entire body hurtling through the air.
"Bell!"
Lefiya, snapping out of the sonic assault, called out his name with concern.
Judging by its speed and power, this monster's Status was likely around level 4. For a teenager who had just leveled up, a single hit would probably be enough to kill him.
The boy crashed into the flesh wall, falling to the ground like a lifeless scarecrow, motionless.
Amidst billowing white steam, Bell coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"I'm fine..."
Luck, Welf's light armor, and the exceptionally high Status he had accumulated before leveling up—these factors combined allowed Bell to barely withstand the fatal blow.
But there was a price to pay. All the potions Bell carried had fallen into the corrosive liquid during the tentacle attack.
Though reserves remained at the Astraea residence, right now, he had no way to replenish them.
"How can you say you're fine...?"
Lefiya's heart twisted with panic.
Had Bell not reacted with lightning speed, the sonic attack would have continued and ended both their lives.
The boy surely knew that once magic was triggered, the tentacles would switch targets.
Bell Cranel had cut off that sonic assault for her, fully aware of the consequences.
These severe injuries were all sustained for her sake.
Lefiya rushed toward Bell, lifting him out of the purple liquid onto her back.
Ignoring the scorching pain eating at her skin, she dodged the tentacles' relentless strikes.
The whip-like appendages swept and smashed at her, over and over.
Lefiya's once-elegant clothes were in tatters, and her exposed skin burned under the corrosive spray.
"Firebolt!"
Bell fired upward, destroying the source of the sonic attack—but the suspended body itself remained unharmed.
This can't go on.
The Firebolt barrage was simply too weak.
"Lefiya, you cast the spell."
Bell forced down the pain and spoke quietly.
"But I still haven't mastered Concurrent Chanting..."
Lefiya bit her lip, furious at her own uselessness.
"It's fine. Put me down. I'll hold it off for you."
Ignoring the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, Bell proposed their only viable plan.
"...!"
Lefiya's eyes widened.
"You… you're hurt this badly!"
To her, the fact that Bell survived a direct hit from a level 4 monster was already a miracle.
Continuing the fight like this felt unbearably cruel.
"I've rested enough. And you know—we're both out of time."
Bell stated the situation with calm finality.
Tentacles kept crashing down around them. Corrosive mist and exhaustion gnawed at Lefiya's body.
She couldn't keep carrying him and dodging forever.
And considering this monster's habits, expecting rescue was a fantasy.
"I understand…"
Accepting the brutal reality, Lefiya stopped trying to dissuade him.
Seizing a brief opening in the tentacle barrage, she lowered Bell from her back.
Without a trace of hesitation, she began her chant.
"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree.."
A vast magic circle bloomed beneath her feet as her voice lifted into a brilliant, unwavering hymn.
The boy had saved the one she admired.
He had pierced through her cowardice and self-doubt.
He had promised to walk forward with her, noting each small step of growth.
Lefiya had once witnessed the miracle Bell Cranel created with her own eyes.
So now—she entrusted her life to him.
"You are an expert of the bow.."
The massive tentacle, drawn by magic power, crashed straight toward the slender, beautiful Elf maiden.
Bell snatched up the one great axe that had not yet been corroded. Gripping it with both hands, he swung hard from the side. The axe collided with the tentacle in a violent crash, the impact numbing Bell's arms. The tentacle's trajectory veered, plunging into the pale purple liquid and sending waves splashing upward.
Being attracted to magic power—this was a Viola's defining trait, and the key to Bell's decision. The tentacles would target only Lefiya, allowing the gravely injured Bell to predict their path with perfect accuracy and react in advance. He didn't need to defeat it. He only needed to alter its course.
Using that alone, Bell managed to block the tentacle's assault three times in a row. But in that short window, the borrowed axe completely shattered under the strain.
"Shoot, sniper of the fairies—"
Lefiya's song never wavered.
Even when she saw the boy lose his weapon, even as the tentacle rose to strike again—Lefiya chose trust.
Adventurer and Mage. Warrior and Sorceress. Vanguard and Archer. Friends and rivals. The boy who stole her first kiss, and the girl who gave it. Their connection was something both already understood in their hearts. And the only person she could entrust everything to—was the boy before her.
A tentacle swept in from the right. Bell grabbed the last remaining shield, braced his entire body like a weapon, and charged straight forward. All the strength he had accumulated so far turned into courage, crashing head-on into the hurtling whip.
A deafening blast erupted. In the instant he was hurled backward, Bell unleashed his Magic again. Flame and lightning burst forth, stopping the tentacle closing in on the Elf maiden. His body hit the purple liquid, white steam rising instantly.
"—Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy!"
Lefiya fought back tears and continued her chant.
She could tell the boy had reached his limit. Inside that battered body was nothing but unbearable pain. Even if he collapsed, no one could fault him. Even if he cried out, no one would call it shameful. Bell Cranel's wounds had reached a truly heartbreaking state.
Lefiya despised herself—why couldn't she use Concurrent Chanting?! Why couldn't her chant be just a little faster?! Why was she this powerless?! This fragile?!
As guilt and worry tore through her, another tentacle moved. In the next instant—the boy raised his arm.
Lefiya's tears finally spilled over.
Bell's entire body had been burned by the liquid—his forehead, cheeks, shoulders, arms, legs… everywhere was covered with horrifying wounds. His sight and hearing had likely already left him. Yet Bell Cranel still gripped the weapon in his hand.
Whether by luck or intuition, he had fallen exactly on top of the severed tentacle. Bell refused to let this deadly threat move again. He clutched the daggers with everything he had—one embedded into the yellow-green shell, the other driven into the pink ground.
Blue-violet and crimson light flared together. Even as the liquid corroded his arms—even as crushing pressure bore down on every bone in his body—Bell did not let go. He held on like a giant nail, using his own body to pin the tentacle in place.
A moment was enough.
Orange magic light filled the whole chamber.
"Arcs Ray!"
A brilliant radiance shot forth like an artillery blast. The flash swallowed two tentacles and slammed directly into the monster's main body. The thunderous roar shook the cavern. Even though the blast vaporized most of its flesh, the sealed lid remained unshaken.
Blocked!
Lefiya raised her staff high, pouring every ounce of magic power into it. Bell's sacrifice could not be allowed to fade into nothing.
I'll get him out—no matter what!
The staff shone with pale blue light, resonating with the fired arrow.
"Break through it—now!!"
Lefiya poured her entire being into the spell.
The beam rammed into the monster's crimson lid—yet it didn't move at all. No miracle came. Lefiya could not become the hero who saved the boy.
The monster's roar shook the air, its grotesque single eye glaring down as if mocking the despairing Elf maiden.
The next second, the flesh walls began to swell. The rising corrosive fluid lifted higher and higher as the walls, once far apart, started squeezing inward. Even without its tentacles, the monster still had fangs sharp enough to kill.
Lefiya couldn't stop the tightening walls. She couldn't blast open that hardened lid either. All she could do was keep pouring in magic, letting tears blur her face.
If miracles truly exist, please appear now.
If heroes truly exist, please save that boy.
Please… I'm begging you.
He's worked so hard—why must he suffer something so cruel?
He's saved so many people. Justice, or even the Gods, should bless him by now.
I know I'm a coward. I shake the moment I face a monster and only ever cause trouble. But I want to change too. I want to stand before him someday, smiling as I tell him how I've grown… If this world is really so merciless, then I'm the one who should die instead…
Please… someone…
Anyone, please save him…
Lefiya's beautiful face was soaked with tears. Even as her heart tore open, even as pain hollowed her chest, no hand reached out to help. The hero did not arrive.
The flesh walls kept closing in with crushing force. The lid above was still as stone, like the door to death itself.
Just as Lefiya lost all hope in the Gods, the world, and heroes… a bell rang.
It was a sound that stirred the heart.
Ding.
Ding.
The solemn chime echoed through the whole cavern.
The hero did not appear, yet the one who longed to become a hero had never left her side.
Under Lefiya's wide-eyed gaze, Bell Cranel slowly lifted his arm. Longing ignited. His wish gathered form.
Pure white particles of light coalesced in his bloodstained right hand.
[Argonaut].
Lefiya's prayer brought forth a hero she had never dared imagine.
The bell rang loud. White radiance converged.
In the midst of that miracle, Bell shouted his Magic's name.
"Firebolt!!!"
Flame and thunder roared. Fire, entwined with arrows of light, slammed into the blood-red dome.
The moment they touched, the monster vanished without a trace. Flame lightning and the arrows shot upward, giving way to a blinding flash.
The pit collapsed.
Lefiya gathered the boy into her arms and leapt between falling rocks as she rushed back to the surface.
…
In the forest, the sun shone as warmly as ever. But to Lefiya, even the gentle breeze felt painfully sharp.