"Coexistence."
"""!!!"""
"To be precise, it is liberation to the surface."
"But..."
"The Dungeon, which is a place of adventure for us, is a prison for them."
Akumo spoke calmly to the shocked Bell and Lili.
"As Akumo-san says, that is our wish."
"...I often have dreams. Dreams where a brilliant red light sinks beneath a massive rock."
"....."
"A sky that doesn't exist here, dyed so red it's beautiful enough to bring tears to one's eyes."
Bell and Welf realized that what they were describing were the sun and the sunset. Ray also understood what Lyd was saying, having heard descriptions of the surface from Fels and Akumo.
"Have you ever been to the surface?"
"...No, not even once."
"Then how..."
"That's why I wonder... perhaps in a previous life, I lived on the surface?"
For Lyd, that dream was utterly foreign yet profoundly familiar. Such emotion and deja vu were more than enough to spark that question within him.
"Bell-chi, Wiene learned our language very quickly, didn't she?"
"Ah, yes!"
"Among us, there are those who can speak and those who cannot. For some reason, those who can speak realize it almost instantly, as if by instinct."
"....!!"
"As if they have done it before."
At his words, Bell recalled the dreams Wiene had described. The realization that her words were based on reality sent a wave of confusion through his mind.
The sunset Lyd saw, the images of people Wiene spoke of.
Step—!
"Vivid imagery. The sentiments they hold in their hearts vary."
"But there is a common thread, isn't there?"
"An intense longing for humanity and the surface. That much is identical in all of them."
"Whether it be for the scenery, the emotions, the strength, or the adventure."
Akumo and Fels spoke softly in unison, looking over Lyd, Ray, Gros, and the rest of the Xenos alongside Bell's party. They looked as though they were speaking to the burning desires residing within everyone present.
"I want to see that sunset once more."
"I want to spread my wings in a world filled with light."
Flutter—
"Instead of wings that no one can embrace, I want to be held by someone I love."
Lyd and Ray voiced their desires, their voices tinged with bitterness.
"We know. We are beings that live in the shadows."
"Half-baked things, hated by both humans and monsters alike."
"Perhaps this place was prepared for us by Mother?"
Welf voiced a question at that.
"Mother?"
"She refers to the Dungeon that gave us birth."
"We are attacked by our own kind, our lives constantly targeted."
"But at the same time, we owe our sense of purpose to the Mother Labyrinth."
Ray was grateful to the Dungeon for providing their home and their lives, but simultaneously, she wished to forge her own reason for existing.
"That's why I was so happy when I met Bell-chi and Akumo-san."
"You didn't ask for cooperation first; you accepted us purely for who we are."
"That made me so happy. I'm so glad we met!"
**
"Well then, I'll leave things in your hands."
"Of course, Akumo-san."
"Please take care of Wiene. Lyd-san, Ray-san."
"Leave it to us!"
After the banquet ended, Akumo and Bell's party said their goodbyes to Ray and Lyd, preparing to return to the surface.
In the process, they formally handed Wiene over to them, telling her that she must now live as one of their kin.
"Akumo.... Bell....."
Grab—!
"Whoops, there now..."
"Wiene...."
Naturally, Wiene was not yet ready to part with them. She clung to them with a somber expression as they prepared to leave, and the two of them warmly stroked her head.
Pat, pat—
"This isn't a final goodbye."
"We will definitely meet again."
".....Really?"
""Yes, we promise.""
As Akumo and Bell spoke with bright smiles, the gloom on Wiene's face faded, and she was able to see them off with a smile of her own.
Step, step—
"....."
".....Brother, as I thought, the Xenos are..."
"Yeah. I'm likely thinking the same thing you are."
'The memories of the Xenos, and even their language....'
On the way back to the surface, Akumo and Bell, lost in thought, eventually had to share their conclusions with each other.
"Resurrection.... no, reincarnation..."
"The souls of monsters..."
"The world is truly full of inexplicable things~"
He had known the gist from Ouranos, but after speaking with them directly, a certain hypothesis became even more certain. Akumo fell into another deep thought.
'Then what exactly is that guy who took my form?'
'Is he a Xenos as well...?'
"..."
As he pondered the existence that looked exactly like him, which continued to weigh on his mind, Akumo recalled a fact a certain Goddess had told him.
—'Your soul is different from the souls of ordinary children.'
".....Could it be?"
Akumo thought of the magic from the Pleasure Quarter incident, Lefiya's [Elf Ring] on the Rakia battlefield, and the testimonies of the Xenos.
Questioning what the truth could possibly be, he continued his long walk back to the surface.
**
"Heh, so they've been hiding in a place like this.... those monsters."
"Let's hurry up and catch them, Dix."
Slide—
"No, why go through the trouble of chasing beasts?"
Inside the cave, Dix and his crew smiled ghastly as they looked at something behind them.
"Wiivells have good ears."
Clank—!
"It'll be very easy to catch them."
Holding cold, heavy iron chains, they approached a Harpy Xenos who lay bleeding on the ground. She realized what they intended to do and glared at them fiercely.
"....You bastards!!"
Thud—!!
"Gwaaaargh!!!!!!!!"
"Yes, scream like that, monster."
Dix's spear pierced her shoulder, and he looked satisfied by the sight.
"If we handle this job well, I won't have to worry about money for that damn thing for a while."
Slide—
"This eye... it gets quite quiet at times like this.... Ki-ki-ki!"
Placing a hand over his red left eye, Dix laughed as if some internal pressure had been released while looking at the fallen Harpy. His face held no emotion other than relief and satisfaction.
"I heard Dix found a good way to make money this time~?"
".....Is that so?"
"We're just in a contractual relationship, but I'm somewhat interested."
"....."
Inside Knossos, Akumo stared at a mural on the wall.
Looking at the mural depicting Nidhogg in the center surrounded by holy maidens, he silently listened to Thanatos talk about Dix.
'Monster trafficking.... making money....'
Swish—!
"Oh? Going out again?"
"Yeah, I'll be back in a bit."
Step, step—
Deducing something from those keywords, Akumo began to walk away.
"Dix.... so that is your life."
'I won't particularly criticize you.'
Rumble—!!!!!!!
The gates of Knossos opened, revealing the path to the Dungeon. Akumo, with eyes shining coldly, quietly began to head somewhere.
"In exchange, do not regret your own life either."
Thud—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As if in response to his words, the gates of Knossos shut firmly.
**
Boom—!!!!!
"No...! No....!!!"
Wiene was in tears, shocked by the sight before her eyes.
"Gwoooooh!!!!!!"
"I've been burned before trying to capture a big guy like you."
Clang—!!!!!!!!!
"I have no use for you!"
Squeltch—!!!
The massive Fomorian Xenos, 'Pou', who was attacking Dix's group with a giant club to protect his kin, and the Arachne Xenos, 'Rane', who was using her legs to defend Wiene and the others.
"Pou!!!"
"Is this the time to be looking away!"
Slash—!!
"Gwaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
They were all being hunted by Dix's group, pierced by spears and slashed across their bodies, bleeding and dying.
"No...! No...!!!"
Step, step—!
"Don't worry, monster. I won't leave you alone."
Crack—!!!!!!!!!!
The Xenos could not overcome Dix, a Level 5, and his subordinates, who were all at least Second-tier adventurers. Eventually, they all fell, covered in blood.
"Wiene...!!"
Thwack—!!!!
"Kh...!?"
"You made me waste strength for nothing!"
Rane reached out in concern for Wiene, who had collapsed after being attacked by Dix, but she was kicked by a man wielding a massive greatsword and sent rolling across the floor.
"....."
Whish—!
"You're making it too obvious, aren't you?"
"!!"
Even as she fell, she tried to attach a thread she had produced to Wiene so that Gros's group could track them later, but Dix's spear simply sliced through that hope.
'Spider silk....'
Slide—
"Is this supposed to be Ariadne's Thread?"
'Troublesome monster.'
"Ah~ this one's a lost cause."
"Kh...!!"
"Kill her before taking her along becomes a nuisance."
Step, step—
At Dix's command, the man with the greatsword walked over slowly and was about to strike her down when—
"H-Hey... Dix!"
"Hm?"
"If you're going to kill her anyway, can we have a little fun first...?"
They were the low-ranking members of Dix's crew.
Their eyes were filled with filthy desire and vulgar lust, and their gaze was fixed squarely on Rane.
"Do as you like."
"Hmph! Weirdos."
Monster-philes—a term for those who feel sexual desire toward monsters. In society, they were treated as lunatics and disgusting criminals of the worst kind.
"It's revolting, but money is m—"
Shiver—!!!
"...Gran."
"Y-Yeah...."
A fierce killing intent suddenly struck Dix and Gran as they watched the scene with amusement.
To Dix, it was a monstrous killing intent unlike anything he had ever felt before. Even as a Level 5, his body trembled, and a warning screamed in his head that he needed to leave this place immediately.
Crunch—!
"You guys, enjoy yourselves!"
Dash—!!!
'First, the ones that'll fetch a price...!'
Grab—!
Dix and Gran immediately crushed a magic stone to intentionally leak their location, then grabbed Wiene and fled in a hurry. Seeing this, the other comrades—excluding the trio—sensed something was wrong and followed them out of the cave.
"Hehehe...!! I'm first~"
"T-Then I'm next!"
"Idiot, it's me!"
Slide—
"Just stay still~"
As the oblivious trio approached Rane to lay hands on her, Rane felt a surge of humiliation and prepared to attack them with the intent to die.
'I'd rather die than be defiled by such scum....'
Splat—!!!!!!!!!
"Gwaaargh!?"
"I-It's hot!!!"
"P-Poison!! I'm melting!!"
The three men hit by Rane's poison recoiled, feeling a searing pain where the poison touched them. She watched them with a sneer.
"Heh-heh-heh...!! As if... I'd let you defile me!!"
'I am a warrior....! One who protects my kin...!!!'
"Y-You... monster bitch!!!!"
Whoosh—!!!
Recalling a certain man who had taught them the mindset of a warrior, Rane forced her creaking body to rise, determined to die fighting. As they swung their swords at her in a rage—
Thud—!!
"!? What was that just..."
Thud—!!!
"Hieee!? Why is it..."
Thud—!!!!
"It's only us here, right....?"
Thud—!!!!!
"What is it...?"
'Who on earth....'
The vibrations and noise coming from the depths of the cave reached the ears of Rane and the trio, and the bodies of the three men began to tremble.
"You fought well."
"!!"
"Truly, you fought well."
"Ah... ahhh...."
The one who appeared, praising her will to fight, was—
A single warrior who had given the Xenos courage and accepted them without hesitation.