High above the 58th Floor, Firebolt and raging winds intertwined, sweeping through countless Wyverns.
The "liking" Ais had spoken of was by no means a confession of romantic love, but warmth still filled her heart as she savored this brief moment that belonged to the two of them alone.
Thanks to Bell and Ais's efforts, Riveria and Ryuu seized their chance to leap from the ground of the 57th Floor and landed safely at the bottom of the Dragon's Vase without a scratch.
"Ais-san, forget about the Wyverns. Just head straight down."
Seeing that the rest of the party had reached their destination, Bell quickly gave the order.
"Mm..."
Ais did not cling to their time alone. She adjusted her posture and swiftly descended to the ground of the 58th Floor.
"Ais, Argonaut-kun~!"
Tiona waved her arms excitedly.
In stark contrast to her angelic smile, the Amazoness was covered in monster blood, with the remains of a Valgang Dragon beneath her foot.
Judging from the monster corpses around her, she had been clearing out the monsters spawning from the black steel walls to keep Bell and the others from being engulfed by the Valgang Dragons' fireballs.
"Are you two okay? I was going to run up and find you, but the Captain told us to take out all the Valgang Dragons first."
Tiona raised her massive double-bladed sword as she joined them.
"We're both fine. How about you?"
Bell realized they had descended at exactly the right time. In the distance, Finn and the others had just finished off the Valgang Dragons. Throughout the entire 58th Floor, aside from the Viola flowers and Virga monsters, only a handful of Wyverns remained.
Had they arrived even a little later, Finn and the others would certainly have headed back up through the huge hole to rescue them, and the two groups might have missed each other entirely.
"There were tons of monsters, but I just kept killing them nonstop~"
Tiona flashed a bright smile, seemingly waiting for the boy to praise her.
"Mm, Tiona-san really worked hard."
Bell responded warmly.
"Bell..."
Ais watched their exchange, a trace of displeasure on her face.
"Let's meet up with the others first. We can talk afterward."
Bell caught the faint resentment in Ais's voice.
Before long, the entire elite squad had regrouped. Under Finn's calm command, his team had also managed to avoid any serious casualties.
The monsters' roars and dying cries gradually faded until an unprecedented silence settled over the floor.
Thick layers of ash covered the ground of the 58th Floor, marking the deaths of countless monsters.
The Dungeon seemed to have entered a period of exhaustion. It stopped spawning new monsters and began repairing the enormous hole above.
At last, the entire party had a chance to rest and replenish their supplies.
"Juggernaut... So its strength changes depending on the Floor. I never expected such a troublesome Calamity to appear... Bell Cranel, thank you for your command and for risking yourself to help us. The Loki Familia will remember this debt."
After exchanging information with Bell, Finn openly expressed his gratitude.
He had originally handed command over to the boy simply to help him grow. Even Finn had never expected the situation to become so dangerous.
Without Bell, the other team would undoubtedly have been wiped out.
For a moment, Finn did not even know how to express the overwhelming gratitude surging through him.
"Although we can't make it public, isn't it only natural for a man to protect his [lover]?"
Bell deliberately raised his left hand, bringing the pale blue ring into Finn's view.
During their journey through the Dragon's Vase, he and Riveria had discussed the matter. They both agreed that certain people needed to know about their relationship, and Finn was one of them.
Riveria herself had once stressed that the two of them were only dating with romantic intentions, not actual lovers.
To be honest, even Bell had not understood what distinction she was trying to make.
Only after a somewhat embarrassing conversation did Bell finally understand that Riveria meant they were dating with marriage in mind. Rather than ordinary lovers, they were closer to betrothed partners who shared feelings for one another.
They would call themselves lovers in public, while privately taking their time getting to know each other and gradually growing closer. Riveria's uniquely shy way of approaching the relationship made Bell realize once again that she, too, was simply a cute young woman in love.
"..."
Finn understood the boy's implication and froze for a moment.
Never in his wildest imagination had he expected that proud Elf princess to enter into a secret romantic relationship with the boy so quickly.
But after giving it some thought, Finn found the development perfectly understandable.
Riveria had lived through a great deal and witnessed countless partings and deaths. When the Juggernaut incident occurred, she must have experienced unbearable anguish.
The fear of losing someone could take hold of the heart and teach a person to treasure what they still had.
Riveria had already held feelings for the boy that were impossible to ignore. It was only natural that she would take the initiative and fight for more time by his side.
Finn understood better than most that some important feelings had to be spoken before it was too late. Otherwise, once the person was gone, regret would be all that remained.
"Bell Cranel, I'll help keep this secret. And when necessary, I'll make sure the two of you have opportunities to spend time alone."
Finn answered candidly.
He had originally expected Lefiya to be the first one to officially become the boy's lover, but now that Riveria's relationship with him had been confirmed, the Loki Familia was undoubtedly in for quite a storm...
Finn was actually looking forward to seeing it. Matters involving a harem and an entire race were problems he himself would have to face eventually.
Their conversation ended there.
Both of them were intelligent enough to understand that these matters were minor compared to the far more pressing problem ahead.
Lefiya, Tiona, and the others were enjoying the relief of being reunited, while Tsubaki took out her tools and began maintaining everyone's weapons.
With help from the support team, the members of the party used the brief respite to restore themselves with potions and food.
The 59th Floor.
It was a region the Loki Familia had never reached before.
Bell and Finn simultaneously turned their gazes toward the entrance of the southern passage.
"Bell Cranel, if the situation becomes critical, I may hand command over to you. Be prepared."
Finn made his trust in the boy clear.
"Mm."
Bell answered without hesitation.
"So... what will appear?"
Finn stared into the distance, his quiet murmur fading into the glossy black walls.
...
Inside a cavern somewhere in the Dungeon.
Revis chewed on a Magic Stone as she stared coldly into the constantly writhing darkness.
"I wonder how capable that [Calamity] really is. With [Aria] there, it'll probably only manage to kill a few of them."
According to the male Cat Person, the Calamity was an assassin-type monster specializing in speed and brute force. In a direct confrontation, it might not be able to defeat the Loki Familia.
But as long as its surprise attack succeeded, killing the mage and that detestable boy should not be much of a problem.
Revis felt somewhat disappointed that she could not be there herself to witness the boy's miserable death.
"Still, even if they survive, they won't be able to stand against [that thing]."
"A month ago, they might have been able to win. But [that thing] has already devoured enough Magic Stones... I never thought the Dungeon's rampage would actually help buy us more time..."
Revis crushed a monster corpse beneath her foot before disappearing into the darkness.
"Heh. How ridiculous."
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