Tsuna and his Familia had reunited with Wiene on Daedalus Street, only to find her driven to madness after having her forehead gem ripped out. The arrival of the Loki Familia brought immense relief to the terrified citizens, but to Bell and the others, it was an absolute nightmare.
What do I do!? Use an illusion to… No, it won't work!!
Tsuna quickly considered using Mist Flames to disguise Wiene as someone else to smuggle her away, just as he had done previously. But because she was in a mindless frenzy, communication was impossible. Furthermore, her massive, seven-meter-long body made physically carrying her out of sight unfeasible.
Even if he altered her appearance, an illusion couldn't mask her erratic, monstrous movements. He might be able to fool the civilians, but he could never deceive the eyes of the Loki Familia veterans who had fought alongside him in the deep floors. Even without hard evidence, they would see through the deception.
Should I try to explain everything to Finn…!?
He considered taking a massive gamble and explaining the truth to Finn, but he knew the odds of that succeeding were astronomically low. Monsters were the sworn enemies of humanity. Wiene had already destroyed multiple buildings and injured citizens. Furthermore, because she was consumed by a mindless rampage, claiming that she possessed human-like intelligence lacked even a shred of credibility.
Tsuna's mind raced at lightspeed, searching for a solution, but he couldn't find a single viable path that didn't involve resorting to brute force to stop the Loki Familia.
Bell…?
Suddenly, Bell stepped forward, spreading his arms wide and placing himself directly between the pinned Wiene and the Loki Familia. Tsuna, along with everyone else present, stared at the boy in confusion.
"…S-She is my prey…"
Bell…!!
In the midst of absolute despair, Bell glared up at Finn and the executives. Trembling violently, he forced the words from his throat. Tsuna understood Bell's intent, his face contorting in a bitter grimace.
"This Vouivre is my prey…!! So stay out of this…!!"
It was an unwritten, absolute rule among adventurers: never steal another adventurer's prey. Bell was desperately trying to invoke that sacred law to prevent the Loki Familia from executing her.
However, in the face of an unprecedented crisis threatening the lives of civilians, an adventurer's honor code meant nothing. The hopeful gazes of the citizens rapidly warped into glares of hostility and disgust toward the boy protecting the monster.
Exploiting the distraction, Wiene ripped herself free from the spear and slithered away into the maze.
"There is no need to humor a child's tantrum. Pursue the Vouivre."
Ignoring Bell's desperate plea, Finn issued the execution order. The Loki Familia elites mobilized to hunt her down.
It was then.
『────OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!』
A thunderous, collective roar of monsters suddenly shook Daedalus Street. Lyd and the rest of the Xenos—who were also supposed to be on the 18th Floor—burst onto the scene, launching a desperate assault to block the Loki Familia's pursuit.
Seeing a highly coordinated, fully armed horde of monsters assault the city's strongest faction, the Loki Familia executives were momentarily stunned, while the citizens plunged right back into screaming panic.
Seizing the chaotic opening, Bell bolted into the maze, chasing after the rampaging Wiene.
Lyd…
Lyd and the others stepping in to protect Wiene was a massive help. However, their presence on the surface implied a horrifying possibility: Shakti and the Ganesha Familia, who had been dispatched to safely capture and tame them, had likely failed. The thought that Shakti and the others might be dead cast a dark shadow over Tsuna's heart.
But…
Having witnessed the true power of the Loki Familia during their expedition, Tsuna knew the grim reality. No matter how hard Lyd and the Xenos fought, they could not defeat the Loki Familia. If this continued, they would be systematically slaughtered.
Exactly as Tsuna feared, despite their fierce resistance, the Xenos were rapidly cornered. At one point, bizarre, heavily armed stone golems erupted from the streets to assist the Xenos, but they were effortlessly pulverized by the executives.
"Let go of me, Lili-suke!! If we just stand here, they're going to…!?"
"No, Master Welf!! We barely managed to gloss over Master Bell's actions, but if you step in to protect them now, the Hestia Familia will…!?"
Welf tried to draw his greatsword to save the Xenos, but Lili desperately clung to his arm with her entire body weight, fighting to hold him back.
If they joined the battle to protect the monsters, the Hestia Familia would face the unforgiving wrath of the entire city. They would be branded as traitors to humanity and banished from Orario—or worse. Lili was willing to play the villain to protect her family, desperately trying to stop Welf from making a fatal mistake.
In truth, Tsuna wanted nothing more than to ignite his flames and fight to protect Lyd and the others. But he knew that if he actively obstructed the Loki Familia—who were currently risking their lives to protect the city from a monster invasion—Lili's fears would become reality. The Hestia Familia would be ruined. Paralyzed by the impossible dilemma, he stood frozen.
"…It's fine. Go."
"Lady Hestia!?"
"We'll just say it was an absolute order from your Goddess. You couldn't defy the will of your patron deity. If the city writes it off as the eccentric, foolish whim of a God… the backlash against you children should be minimized."
"Hestia…"
She was trembling. Her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. Her face was twisted in an agonizing grimace. Yet, despite knowing she was sacrificing her own reputation and divine standing, she chose to absorb all the hatred to allow her children to save the Xenos.
Seeing Hestia's unwavering resolve, Tsuna and Lili finally made their choice.
"…I will use my gravity magic to restrain the adventurers' movements. In that opening, secure the Xenos."
"Lady Mikoto…"
"And please cast your [Level Boost] on Master Sawada."
"…Understood!!"
Spurred by Mikoto's resolve, Haruhime steeled herself and prepared to chant [Level Boost]. The rest of the party drew their weapons, shifting into combat stances.
"────Everyone, do not move!!"
"W-What the hell, Tsuna!? Why are you stopping us now!?"
Just as they steeled their resolve to clash with the city's strongest faction, Tsuna abruptly threw his arm out, ordering them to stand down. Welf yelled in frustration and confusion.
"Something is coming!!"
Tsuna's Hyper Intuition was screaming at him, warning of an approaching entity of incomprehensible power. Seeing the stark terror in Tsuna's eyes, Welf and the others realized that an unprecedented catastrophe was about to strike.
『OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!』
An apocalyptic, earth-shattering roar erupted through Daedalus Street.
The acoustic pressure of the roar knocked the terrified citizens unconscious. Everyone else—save for Tsuna, Hestia, and the Loki Familia executives—was paralyzed, their bodies locked in place by primal fear.
That is…!?
The devastating roar brought absolute silence to the battlefield. The only sound remaining was the heavy, rhythmic thud of massive footsteps approaching their position.
A hulking monster standing over two meters tall emerged from the smoke. Its body was clad in heavily battle-scarred armor. In one hand, it gripped a massive double-edged axe (Labrys), and a colossal Great Axe was slung across its back.
A Black Minotaur…?
The monster was unmistakably a Minotaur. However, unlike standard Minotaurs which possessed crimson fur, this beast was entirely pitch black. Tsuna stared at it in bewilderment.
But it wasn't just Tsuna. Even the veteran executives of the Loki Familia, possessing decades of Dungeon exploration experience, were stunned by the existence of a highly armed, black-furred [Irregular].
This is the Xenos Lyd told us about!!
Noticing the advanced weaponry and armor, Tsuna quickly connected the dots. He realized this was the legendary, strongest Xenos who had been training alone in the deep floors—the monster Lyd had summoned to save Wiene.
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