A few days passed after the incident. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred; Akumo simply moved through his daily routine, dipping into the Dungeon for amusement and exiting when his boredom was sated.
Finding himself with more leisure time, his visits to Bell became increasingly frequent.
"...Did you go out and get beaten half to death by someone recently?"
"It's nothing...!"
"Hmm... Training, I assume?"
"How did you...!?"
How do I know? It's written plainly across your face...
"Looking at the state of you, it seems to be live-combat style training."
As Akumo surmised, Bell had been undergoing rigorous training sessions with Ais ever since the incident where he lost his protector during Lilly's ordeal.
The training was, of course, authentic. It was only natural that he would be overwhelmed by Ais. However, when it came to dagger techniques—an area where she was relatively unpracticed compared to the well-drilled Bell—the gap between them narrowed significantly, leading to surprisingly tense bouts.
"Well, that's good then! Experience is exactly what you lack right now."
"Yeah! I'm giving it everything I've got!"
"Then I suppose I don't need to worry. If you had started whining, Alfia would have put you through hell, wouldn't she?"
"Eek!!"
At the mention of her name, Bell's face turned pale, and his head dropped. For some reason, the weight of his posture seemed laced with a specific type of anxiety.
"Is she really that terrifying to you?"
"No... It's not that she's scary, exactly..."
"Are you afraid of disappointing her?"
".....Yes."
Akumo reached out and ruffled the boy's hair.
"You little brat!"
Akumo gave a bright laugh, patting Bell's head. Watching Bell grapple with the internal conflicts common to all adventurers made Akumo realize how much the once-tiny child had grown. He felt a swell of pride.
"There's nothing to worry about. Or perhaps I should say, you should worry?"
"Huh...?"
"It is only natural for an adventurer to doubt themselves."
But the most vital thing in that process is...
"If you continue to march down the path you believe is right despite that doubt, you will become strong."
Bell steeled his heart at those words, refocusing on the height he wished to reach. His spirit surged with the desire to overcome any trial and carve out his own future.
—ROOOOOAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!!!!
Simultaneously, a trial for the boy was being readied elsewhere.
In front of Twilight Manor, the home of the Loki Familia. Most of the members had gathered there for a deep-floor expedition.
The three pillars of the Familia—Finn, Riveria, and Gareth—stood at the fore, surrounded by the elite core of the faction.
"Attention! We begin our expedition to the deep floors of the Dungeon now!"
"As before, we will divide into two groups to prevent congestion during movement."
"Group 1 will be led by me; Group 2 by Gareth. We rendezvous on the 18th floor and descend to the 50th floor in a single push!"
"Our ultimate objective is the unreached territory: the 59th floor!!"
""""""UOOOOOHHH!!!!!!!"""""""
The roar of the members was even more vibrant and thunderous than usual.
This was likely due to the man standing among the rank-and-file as if he were a common soldier.
The man heralded as Orario's hero and strongest adventurer, the one bearing the epithet [Pioneer]—Akumo. He had signaled his intent to participate in this expedition.
"Akumo-san is actually coming...!"
"If we're lucky, maybe we'll get to see his new weapons in action!"
"It's been ages since he last joined an expedition!"
As the target of the Familia's intense expectations, Akumo merely let out a soft chuckle. He remarked with an air of mild bewilderment that if the situation forced him to actually draw his weapons, they would likely be in grave danger.
"I heard your new weapons are daggers, sir!"
"Yes, Raul. I've forged a fairly decent set."
"Ohh! Do they transform like Lævateinn by any chance!?"
"....Who knows?"
"I'm dying to know! Give us a hint!"
"Doesn't the very need for such a revelation imply a catastrophic turn of events?"
"Ah! That's true too!"
Akumo traded jokes with Raul about his gear, keeping the atmosphere light. As they spoke, Riveria and Tsubaki approached him.
"Akumo, I'll be relying on you for the first time in a while."
"Sure. It has been quite a while since I've gone deep~"
"Heh. Personally, I'm quite eager to see your new craft in action."
"Not you too..."
Do I really need to hunt a Monster Rex to satisfy everyone?
"If the opportunity arises, I'd love to see them myself!"
"I understand, Big Sis."
It hadn't been long since they entered the Dungeon for the expedition. Yet, a roar that should never be heard in the upper floors echoed through the tunnels.
Adventurers fleeing for their lives spotted Akumo and the Loki Familia and hurriedly began to describe the nightmare they had witnessed.
—BURUOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
"Pioneer...!! Are you on an expedition...!?"
"What happened?"
"A... A Minotaur!!"
"!?"
A Minotaur in the upper floors...?
"That monster was prowling right here in the upper floors!"
"....."
"We saw a white-haired brat being attacked, and we just... we had to run for it...!!"
"Which floor?"
"Floor 9! The 9th floor!"
SWISH—!!!!
At those words, Ais bolted toward the source of the roar. She dashed off, consumed by worry for the white-haired boy she had been training.
Akumo followed suit, moving with a speed that matched hers as he sprinted toward Bell's location. After a brief sprint, they encountered a Pallum girl.
"....Lilly?"
"Ad... Adventurer-sama....!"
".....Ais, I'll leave her to you."
"Please... please help him....!!"
"The location?"
"The regular route... the room at E-16...!"
"..."
"Adventurer... sama?"
"Wait just a moment."
Lilly felt a flicker of hope. One of the heroes who had saved her that day had appeared before her once again.
However, Akumo's expression hardened. He had sensed something—a formidable aura radiating from the other side of the cavern. It was a pressure he knew all too well... the aura of his close friend.
"Akumo. I request a duel."
"Is this another whim of hers?"
"Indeed."
"Then step aside for now."
"..."
Despite Akumo's request, the King, Ottar, did not move. Instead, he thrust his greatsword forward. It was a declaration of absolute resolve—either an intent to block their path or simply the manifestation of a desire to clash with his old friend after so long.
CLANG—!!!!!!!!
"Are you really going this far!?"
".....Come."
WHOOSH—!!!
"...! Ais, no!"
"[Ariel]!!"
CL-CL-CL-CLANG—!!!!!
A flurry of strikes surged like a tempest, targeting Ottar. Yet, despite the suddenness of the ambush, not a single scratch appeared on the King's body.
Before Ais could succumb to her confusion, Akumo grabbed her and immediately widened the distance.
"Ais! I'll handle this. You go on ahead!!"
"....Got it!!"
WHOOSH—!!!!!!
"Hmph!"
CLANK—!!!!!!!!
Akumo pivoted instantly, intercepting Ottar's sweeping greatsword with his two daggers, allowing Ais to slip past. Ottar paid the girl no mind, focusing entirely on Akumo, who was managing to parry a heavy blade using nothing but daggers.
"Is that your new weapon? Its name?"
"Crimson Flame and Shadow Blade."
"....Why daggers?"
CLANG—!!!!!
"I simply forged what came to mind!"
GRRRRIIIIIIIIIIND—!!!!!!!!
Dozens of exchanges between the two titans aimed for each other's throats in mere seconds. The storm of continuous strikes intensified, and in that instant, a crimson flash erupted from Akumo's Crimson Flame.
ROAR—!!!!!!!!
"A magic sword!"
"The name 'Crimson Flame' should have been a hint, shouldn't it!?"
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!
Ottar raised his greatsword like a massive shield, absorbing the incinerating heat. He then identified a precise opening and swung, dispersing the flames with pure kinetic force in a perfect defense.
CRASH—!!!!!!!!
"Are you going to keep this up? You're going to tear the floor apart!"
"It is the Goddess's command."
"And did that command specifically tell you to fight me?"
"...."
Ottar remained stoic, meeting every strike and countering with methodical precision.
BOOM—!!!!!!!!
THUD—!!!!!!!!!!
SLASH—!!! SLASH—!!! SLASH—!!!
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As the combat reached its zenith, the remaining members of the Loki Familia arrived to support Akumo.
BOOM—!!!!!!!
CLANG—!!!!!!!!
"What are you doing here, Akumo?"
"Why the hell are you suddenly fighting Ottar!?"
WHIRL—!!!!!!!!
""!!""
Tiona and Tione launched a surprise assault on Ottar, but the greatsword swinging back to punish them was intercepted by Bete's forearms.
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!
"[Amazones], [Jormungand], [Vanargand]... Do not interfere in our duel."
"Who are you getting angry at!? You damn boar!!!"
Bete had briefly been mesmerized by the clash of titans, but his anger flared at Ottar's senseless aggression. He lunged at him alongside the Amazon sisters.
Finn and Riveria stepped forward, questioning the King's intent.
"Should we interpret this as the consensus of your faction—or rather, the will of your mistress?"
"....This is my own discretion."
"I have no chance of victory against Akumo and all of you combined."
"Then why do this? I assume the Minotaur in the chamber is also your doing..."
"....It is simply the Goddess's will."
Not fully satisfied with Ottar's flat response, Finn followed Tione and Bete as they moved toward the tunnel leading to Bell.
However, Akumo alone looked his friend in the eye and asked for the Goddess's true objective.
"Is it a trial?"
"An adventure."
".....Then I suppose I should make sure no one else interferes?"
Ottar gave a faint smirk.
"I would appreciate it."
Offering a small, rare smile, Ottar concealed his presence and accompanied Akumo to watch the boy's adventure unfold.