BOOM—!!!!!!
"Phew..."
Intervening in the chaos, Akumo surveyed the state of the battlefield. He immediately activated his magic, channeling the intent of a veteran who had witnessed countless massacres.
'I need a spell that can save them all, right now!!'
"[O Darkness that veils the night sky and the world, grant Thy embrace.]"
As the hero's chant resonated, the mangled bodies of the fallen Astraea members were shrouded in a void-like darkness.
"A-Akumo!?"
"How are you here!"
Ryu and Kaguya were momentarily stunned by his arrival. Their shock turned to bewilderment as they watched the darkness coil around the bisected torsos of Noire and Neze, and the stump where Kaguya's arm had been severed.
"[O Light that illuminates the world and life, bestow Thy blessing upon those who survive on the edge of dawn.]"
'Please...!!'
SHUUUU—!!!!!!!!
A brilliant flash flickered from within the darkness. Noire and Neze, whose lower halves had been obliterated, were restored to their original forms, though they remained unconscious. Kaguya's severed arm had also been perfectly reattached.
"My arm..."
Feeling a wave of relief, Akumo approached the kneeling Ryu.
"Ryu, are you okay?"
Grab—!
"Akumo...!!"
Plunged into the depths of panic, Ryu clung to him as if he were the only solid object in a dissolving world. As she leaned against him—using him as a pillar to support her crumbling psyche—Akumo could immediately sense how close she had come to a total mental break.
"Kaguya! Take Ryu and the fallen girls and get out of this combat zone!"
"Understood!"
"....Yes!"
With a commander's cold precision, Akumo moved to evacuate those incapable of combat. Following his orders, Kaguya grabbed Ryu and hoisted the unconscious Noire and Neze onto her back, beginning their retreat.
SWISH—!!!!!!!!
The Dungeon's cleaner would not allow them to flee. The Juggernaut launched itself toward the retreating girls like a lethal projectile. Its speed exceeded the reaction time of any Astraea member; it was a strike meant to execute them once and for all.
CLANG—!!!!!!!
"Akumo!!"
"Don't look back! Just keep running!!"
The hero's blade intercepted the monster's claws, carving a path for their survival.
"Pant...! Pant...!"
Ryu Lion fled the battlefield alongside Kaguya, carrying their fallen comrades. Alise and the rest of the Familia followed close behind. From their rear, the discordant sounds of a brutal engagement grew increasingly violent.
CRASH—!!!!!!!
"Akumo is...!!"
"Don't worry about him, just run!"
"But...! He used a high-tier healing spell like that! There's no way he can fight properly after such an expenditure!!!"
Kaguya was well aware of that fact, but they had no choice but to trust him. In their current state, they were only obstacles who couldn't hope to parry that monster.
BOOM—!!!!!!!
"Akumo... San?"
Suddenly, the Juggernaut lunged, slamming Akumo into a wall. In the same motion, it unhinged its maw and swallowed him whole.
"Ah....?"
Ryu nearly spiraled into despair again at the sight of her benefactor being devoured, but she quickly recalled the miracles he had performed and his nature as a Pioneer.
SLICE—!!!!
Answering her faith, a green blade erupted through the Juggernaut's chassis. The monster's body was bisected from the inside out, and Akumo stepped through the viscera as the creature's corpse collapsed.
THUD—!!!
"Is everyone alright!?"
"Yes...."
"Yeah... we're fine..."
Ryu and Kaguya could only stare with blank, shell-shocked expressions. Iska, Mary, Lyra, and the other members also stood frozen, burned by the image of his survival.
Regardless of their stares, Akumo only cared for their safety, his voice laced with pragmatic concern.
"What the hell happened here?"
"And what exactly was that monster...."
Collapse—!
"Ryu!? What's wrong with everyone? Are you poisoned!!?"
Having been yanked from the heights of terror into sudden safety, the adrenaline evaporated, leaving their legs useless. They were in no condition to move under their own power.
"Ah... well..."
"Can you... help us move...?"
Ultimately, Akumo shouldered the burden, carrying them one by one to a secure location at high speed. As Ryu felt the uncanny stability of being carried by him, she was too overwhelmed by a strange sense of security—and embarrassment—to speak. The others likely felt the same.
"Everyone is stable, right?"
"Yes... we're fine."
"If you feel any symptoms of poison, tell me immediately."
"No! We're really okay!"
"Still, just in case, have Amid take a look later. Ryu, Alise."
"Right...! Understood..."
Akumo established a temporary shelter where the group could rest. Noire and Neze, who woke up late, were initially disoriented by the residual trauma of death, but they regained their composure once Akumo reassured them.
"But... Akumo, how did you find us?"
"I was purging Evils nearby when I felt an ominous surge from the Dungeon's depths. I came as fast as I could."