Step, step—
"You said you found Viene here last time?"
"Yeah, I found her being chased right here."
"Wait... chased?"
'Could it be... monster smuggling...?'
Akumo, Bell, Welf, and Lili arrived back at the Garden of Large Trees on the 19th Floor, where Viene had first been discovered. They navigated through the forest, which was currently draped in a thick, heavy mist.
Akumo, however, was unsettled by Bell's words. The fact that a Xenos like Viene had nearly been captured was a significant variable.
"This might be a larger issue than I anticipated."
'I need to confirm this quickly and return immediately...'
"You think so too, Akumo-san?"
"Yes. The discovery of a unique case like Viene isn't the only thing that matters here."
"Then—"
Rustle—!
"""!!"""
In that moment, they sensed a presence.
They caught sight of a mysterious figure watching them from a distance through the trees.
"...Everyone."
A sharp nod.
""...""
Step, step—!
'Are they the ones who tried to kidnap Viene, or just tailing us?'
Faced with the sudden appearance of a stranger, Akumo's group decided to conceal their true objective. They ceased their conversation, intending to pass by the figure in silence. However...
Slide—
"I smell the scent of my kin."
"""!!!!"""
'Kin...?'
The moment the woman's low voice reached them, the three immediately put distance between themselves and the stranger, taking a wary combat stance.
"Are you the ones kidnapping my kin?"
"No."
"Indeed, I smell no blood on you."
"If you mean kin—"
"But you are not the ones Fels spoke of."
Slide—
'She's wary...? But why...'
Akumo processed every word the woman uttered.
'Kin,' 'kidnap,' and 'Fels.' These keywords confirmed that the mysterious woman before him was a Xenos. He intended to make contact, but stopped his advance when he saw her retreat further into the shadows, her guard clearly raised.
"I wish to ask one thing."
"Do you believe we can coexist?"
Bell and Welf were visibly bewildered by the question, but the woman continued, unperturbed by their confusion.
"You kill us. Therefore, we kill you."
Slide—!
""!!""
"I want to feel the sunlight."
"Wait...!!"
"Not in this closed-off abyss, but in a world filled with light... I want to spread my wings."
Flutter—!!!!!!!
"You seem different from the others, so I shall harbor a small amount of hope."
Before they could offer a proper response, she took flight with incredible speed and vanished from the area.
Slide—!
"A feather....?"
"You've got to be kidding me."
"She's just like Viene..."
".....Let's head back."
'As long as she remains this wary of me, there's no point in chasing her.'
While Bell and Welf stood frozen in shock, staring at the feather she had dropped, Akumo watched the exact trajectory of her flight. Knowing he couldn't force a conversation in this state, Akumo gathered the confused duo and led them out of the Dungeon.
".....Tell me, Akumo-kun."
"If you know something, please tell us. Akumo-dono."
"Please, Akumo-san."
"Akumo-sama, Lili asks this of you as well."
Upon returning from the Dungeon, Akumo found himself cornered by Hestia and the members of the Hestia Familia.
"...Where is Bell?"
"He went out for a walk to clear his head."
'Of all the times...'
"Sigh....."
Ultimately, Akumo decided to reveal the truth. Looking at these people who had accepted Viene, and considering the 'hope' Ouranos had mentioned, he chose to bridge the gap.
"Xenos."
"They are monsters possessing a will of their own."
""""!!!!!""""
"Viene is one, and that woman Bell, Welf, and I encountered is also a Xenos."
The revelation that monsters could possess intelligence hit them with the force of a physical blow. The shock was palpable.
"Since when have you known...?"
"I've only been aware of them for a few years."
"Then does that mean Viene is the child of monsters!?"
"No. Xenos occur naturally."
'Even though they were discovered years ago, no entity that could be called a 'parent' to the Xenos has ever appeared...'
As Akumo finished, Lili, who had been struggling with the confusion, clenched her fists tightly and spoke up.
She brought up the fragments of memory Viene had mentioned—scenes of adventurers falling and dying before her eyes. Memories from before Viene became a Xenos.
"Then... those memories Viene-sama spoke of...!"
Grip—!
"...They likely actually happened."
"Then all the more reason!!"
Thud—!
"Calm down, Lili."
No matter how calmly Akumo explained the situation, they were adventurers. They were beings who killed monsters and were killed by monsters; their lives were inextricably linked to the Dungeon, for better or worse.
Akumo tapped his finger against the table before applying pressure to steady Lili.
"Lili believes we must stop protecting Viene-sama."
"Lili-dono, what are you saying!"
"Mikoto-sama, you must feel it too. This is no ordinary matter."
"But if we do that, Viene-dono will—!"
"Don't you realize that eternal protection is impossible in the first place?"
Mikoto tried to defend Viene in her panic, but Lili pressed on relentlessly. Viene was a monster. Keeping her in the Familia indefinitely was an impossibility. It wasn't just a matter of reputation; it was a gamble involving their very lives.
"You're not wrong, but as for her living arrangements, you don't need to worr—"
Thump—!
"'""!!""""
"Could it be...!!"
The sound from outside told them everything. Viene had been listening to the conversation. Hearing that she couldn't stay with them, she had bolted.
Dash—!
'Why... why...!'
'Why can't I stay with everyone... with Bell...?'
Viene ran through the night streets of Orario alone, trying to escape the internal conflict tearing at her. She didn't want to be separated from the people who had shown her warmth. That was all.
"..."
'I suppose it can't be helped.'
Alfia had been watching Viene since she left Hearthstone Manor. She intended to monitor her movements and naturally guide her to reunite with Bell. She knew better than anyone that the confused girl needed someone to comfort her right now.
Snap—!
"!!"
'That sound...!'
Then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, the sound of a rope snapping reached Viene's ears. She saw a cart loaded with heavy cargo, its restraints failing, and a young Chienanthrope girl standing directly in its path.
Creeeeeak—!!
"It's dangerous!"
"!!"
Boom—!!!!!!!!!
The snapped rope sent the cargo cascading toward the child. Driven by instinct, Viene lunged toward the falling weight to save her.
"What happened!?"
"The cargo fell!!"
"There was a child there just a second ago...."
"W-Wait! Look at that!"
The crowd, thrown into panic by the accident, rushed forward to check on the girl, only to find a woman standing at the center of the wreckage.
"Good grief, I wonder who she takes after."
'Trying to save a child even if it means revealing her wings...'
"A... lfi— mmmph!?"
"Quiet. Do not speak my name."
"Mmmph!"
Viene nodded vigorously. Just as she had been about to spread her wings to shield the child, Alfia had intervened. She held back the cargo while simultaneously pressing down on Viene's back, preventing her wings from unfurling and keeping her identity hidden.
Though startled by Alfia's sudden appearance, Viene realized the woman had saved both her and the child. She smiled and turned toward the little girl, but...
"Hic—!"
"!!"
"Damn it...!"
Whoosh—!!!
The Chienanthrope girl, having caught a glimpse of Viene's monstrous features, burst into tears of pure terror. Viene froze in shock. Sensing the danger of the situation, Alfia immediately scooped Viene up and vanished from the scene in a blur of motion.
"Viene, do not act so recklessly in the future—"
"Viene... just wanted to save her....."
"....."
"Can't Viene.... stay with everyone....?"
".....Let us return to the Home for now."
Unable to answer the girl's question, Alfia could only carry her back toward Hearthstone Manor, where Akumo and Bell would be.
'This child is....'
—'You are not an incarnation of talent. You are not a monster of calamity.'
"Viene."
"Alfia?"
—'You are simply an adventurer who cherished her sister and loved her family.'
"You are not a monster."
"Huh?"
"....Just keep that in mind."
Recalling the day her own hero had defined who she was, Alfia looked down at Viene in her arms with a bitter, somber gaze. She saw her past self—the girl who had once viewed herself as a monster—reflected in the trembling Xenos.