The 18th Floor, Under Resort.
Having entered the Dungeon for the first time in a while, Akumo stopped by Rivira Town. However, the restless, agitated atmosphere permeating the settlement immediately gave him pause.
"What is all this commotion about?"
"Akumo? You descended as well?"
"I came down to kill some time and see if you lot needed a hand, but..."
'Something is wrong. The air in this town is far too thin with tension.'
After receiving a briefing from Finn and Riveria, who had arrived earlier, Akumo learned that a murder had occurred within Rivira. The 18th Floor was a designated Safety Zone; thus, conflict between adventurers was strictly prohibited by unspoken law. That law had been shattered.
"Have you identified the victim?"
"Hashana Dorlia. A member of the Ganesha Familia."
"Hashana? He was a Level 4...!"
"Precisely. That is why we are conducting a rigorous investigation," Finn replied, his expression grave.
"To dispose of a Level 4 so effortlessly in a place like Rivira... the culprit must be at least a Level 5 powerhouse."
Processing Finn's data, Akumo instantly calculated the severity of the situation and the reason for the town's volatility.
"...Realistically, the suspect is likely among the newcomers who arrived recently."
"Which leaves only one possibility..."
'An unidentified traitor is lurking within these walls.'
"So, you're in the middle of a sweep?"
Finn and Akumo combed through the town for leads, but found no definitive evidence. Ultimately, Bors—the town's rough-edged leader—concluded that the suspect might be among the female adventurers and ordered them to gather at the center of the plaza.
His command was predictably blunt.
"Every single woman gets a full strip search! Now!"
"Wow... Bors really never changes, does he?" Akumo muttered dryly.
"Shut it and help us out, Akumo!"
"Absolutely not."
'I value my life too much for that...'
Riveria, who had been watching Akumo closely to ensure he didn't pull any reckless stunts, allowed a faint, satisfied smirk to grace her lips at his flat refusal.
"That's insane!"
"Die!"
"Go crawl in a hole and rot!"
As the female adventurers' fury exploded at Bors' suggestion, Lefiya and Riveria stepped forward, offering to conduct the inspections themselves to de-escalate the situation. However, the women's eyes drifted toward a different pair.
Finn Deimne, the Captain of the Loki Familia, and Akumo, the legendary veteran of Orario.
"Finn! Akumo! You two do the search!"
"I don't mind if you check every... single... corner of my body~"
"I've wanted a piece of—I mean, I've admired you for so long!"
Akumo and Finn, who consistently occupied the top three spots in Orario's 'Most Popular Male Adventurer' rankings, were suddenly swarmed. The women cooed at Finn's youthful, cute features while looking at Akumo's powerful, well-honed physique with predatory hunger.
Finn offered an awkward, pained smile at the unwanted attention, while Tione's temper finally flared.
"These hags...!!!"
"Wait, Tione!?"
THWACK—!!!
"Kyaa! Tione's blocking us!"
"Then, over to Akumo—!"
A sudden, glacial chill swept through the plaza.
"Ho? And just what, exactly, did you intend to do? I am very. curious."
Tione sent several adventurers flying to clear the path to Finn. Simultaneously, Riveria stepped beside Akumo, her gaze cold enough to freeze the air itself. She radiated the terrifying aura of the Nine Hell, her fingers twitching as if ready to weave a spell on the spot.
"Ahaha... Thanks, Riveria..."
'Though I think she just made everyone even angrier...'
"That's not fair, Nine Hell!!"
"Are you that desperate just because you're getting older!?"
"Don't hog him for yourself!!!"
Despite the interventions of Nine Hell and Tione, a tide of women surged toward the two men. Bors, Billy, and the other male adventurers watched with jealous rage, while the other female members of the Loki Familia looked on with weary sighs. Then, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
"That person!"
"Ais-san!?"
'There she goes...!'
Ais spotted a trembling Chyanglerope woman attempting to use the chaos to flee. She and Lefiya immediately gave chase. Akumo caught sight of them and tried to break free from the crowd.
"W-Wait!!"
"Kyaaa! Those serious eyes are so hot!!!!"
Drowned in a sea of admirers, Akumo was pinned down, leaving Ais and Lefiya to pursue the mysterious Chyanglerope alone.
**
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!
"Damn it...!! Everyone, evacuate!!"
'Dozens of monsters attacking the town all at once...!?'
"A trap...!"
Slash—!
Splat—!
Akumo moved with lethal efficiency, his dagger carving through the Plant Killers swarming Rivira. A few hours after the murder investigation began, night had fallen, and the monsters had struck in force.
CRASH—!!!!
"Nice, Riveria!"
'That cleared the bulk of them... In that case!'
"Riveria! Finn! I'm leaving the town to you!"
Dash—!!!!!
"Akumo!? Where are you going!"
"Lefiya and Ais went after the suspect earlier! This attack is a distraction!"
"...!!"
Having read the enemy's intent, Akumo bolted into the darkness toward Ais and Lefiya's last known location. With the Plant Killers suppressed, he was free to break away from the main frontline.
He scoured the 18th Floor until, finally, he heard the echoes of combat. It wasn't the mindless noise of beast-slaying, but the precision of an interpersonal duel.
"Ais!!!!"
'A red-haired woman... and is that a mask of human skin beside her!?'
"[O streak of light, bow of the sacred wood, thou art a master archer. Snipe, Elven Archer, pierce with an unerring arrow]—"
"No!! Lefiya, stop!"
Akumo's voice rang out in warning as he saw Lefiya beginning her chant. Even knowing Ais's strength, the opponent was holding her ground and had orchestrated a town-wide raid. Using a large-scale spell in such close quarters was an invitation for a counterattack.
"[Arcus Ray]!!!"
BOOM—!!!!
"With her bare hands...!"
CRASH—!!!!
"Kyaaaa!!!!!!"
"Lefiya! Fall back! This thing is—"
Whir—
At that moment, a jewel-like orb tumbled out of Lefiya's backpack and fused into a nearby Plant Killer.
The monster's form distorted, warping into a humanoid shape far more powerful than any standard Floor Boss. It lunged at Ais and her group.
CLANG—!!!
"Ais! Get Lefiya out of here! Now!"
"Right...!"
—Graaaaaaagh!!!!!!!!
"Who said you could look away from me?"
Slice—!!!
Akumo's blade severed the monster's tentacles in a single, fluid motion. The creature retaliated, raining down a barrage of tendrils like a storm of spears.
Swish-swish-swish—!!!
"No matter how many times you try, those feelers are far too soft!"
Cutter—!!!
—Skreeeeee!!!!!!
'That takes care of one limb...'
"[O omen of the end, O white snow]—"
Suddenly, the resonant tones of Riveria's chant echoed through the cavern.
"Lefiya! Now!"
"[Noble warrior, forest archers, take up your bows against the encroaching plunderers. Respond to the voices of your kin and nock your arrows]—"
"Wait! I'm still right here!" Akumo barked.
'You're really going to let Lefiya blast me too, Riveria...?'
Zip—!
"[House the flames, lamp of the forest, fire the elven fire-arrows. Fall like rain and burn the barbarian hordes]—"
Observing the weakened monster, Akumo prepared to finish it himself, but the sound of the impending magic forced him to leap back. Riveria, watching him retreat, let out a slightly mischievous laugh.
"Fufu... I wish you had been that quick to flee the women this morning."
"Excuse me...?"
'You're seriously still holding a grudge over that!?'
"[Fusillade Fallarica]!!!!!!"
KABOOM—!!!!!!!
'...!!'
"It's still alive!!"
Thud—!!!
'Another explosion from the other side...!'
Caught between two combat zones, Akumo began to process the battlefield with cold logic. He had to choose: finish the monster rendered near-death by his strike and Lefiya's magic, or aid Ais against the unknown assailant.
'The monster is effectively retired. Ais usually wins her duels... but there was no magic signature in that last explosion...'
"Tione! Tiona! Pursue the monster!"
"You got it, Akumo!!"
Dash—!!!
Running toward the second blast site, Akumo found Ais slumped against a stone wall, buried in debris. As he had feared, she was being cornered by the mysterious red-haired woman.
"This is the end."
Whiz—!
"Is it?"
"[Pioneer]!?"
CRASH—!!!!!!!!!!!
"!?"
'She jumped just before impact? Was she aiming for the knockback...!'
Akumo's kick connected with devastating force, yet the woman had timed a jump to yield to the kinetic transfer, allowing the momentum to catapult her safely into the distance.
"Tch... she's using the distance to flee..."
"Akumo-san!!"
"Good timing, Lefiya. Focus on healing Ais."
"Ais-san....!! Yes, understood!"
Rush—!!
Leaving Ais in Lefiya's hands, Akumo raced to the spot where the woman had landed, only to find Finn and Riveria staring down into the darkness of the cliffside.
"Finn, Riveria!"
"We missed her. We gave chase immediately, but she threw herself into the waters below."