The surprise attack came far too suddenly.
Lefiya had already overcome the fear in her heart. She had firmly believed that under Bell's command, the party would safely reach Floor 58.
But in a single instant, everything plunged to the bottom.
The boy's shouted warning rang out together with a piercing crash. Before Lefiya could react, emerald hair flashed before her eyes.
Riveria had been on guard, but Juggernaut's approach was soundless, far beyond the reaction speed of a Level 6 Mage. At that critical moment, the crimson scarf blocked the fatal blow. Sparks burst out with the sound of impact, and Riveria's body was thrown forward by the violent force.
"Rive...?!"
Alicia, like Lefiya, was in the middle of the formation. Her words cut off halfway, and she suddenly froze.
Her body trembled on instinct.
Fear consumed her thoughts.
The instant Alicia turned her head, time seemed to stop.
"Bell!"
Ryuu screamed until her voice tore.
Her sky-blue eyes shook. Her composed expression shook. Heaven and earth seemed to turn upside down, and all color drained from the world.
It was gone.
On the boy's right side, there was nothing.
The light armor made by her strong junior (Cecil) was gone.
The warm palm that had given her comfort was gone.
A part of the boy who had brought justice to countless people and smiles to countless girls had vanished completely.
The red bracelet snapped in two.
The [Lunatic Light] and the small ornaments strung on it also fell to the ground.
Ryuu's world turned black and white.
Only the liquid pouring from the boy's body remained a glaring red.
"?!"
The moment Lefiya turned around, her mind went completely blank.
No.
This could not be real.
If she had held everyone back and kept them from reaching Floor 58 quickly, then the one who deserved punishment should have been her!
Why?
Why had this happened?
Medicine.
Elixir.
Healing magic.
She had to react quickly.
There was still time. There had to be!
Lefiya lied to her own heart, as if hammering at her sluggish thoughts, forcing her chaotic body to move as fast as possible.
Ryuu and Lefiya could not accept reality. It was not that they were not worried about the boy. In that instant of disaster, the nightmare before them had shattered their defenses.
The same was true for Riveria.
"Cough...?!"
Riveria spat out bright red blood.
The [Goliath Scarf] was extremely tough, but it did not have enough [Strength] to withstand the monster's claw strike. Though she had avoided the worst outcome of instant death, Riveria's body had still been badly injured by the impact.
Her emerald eyes were filled with shock.
She had been saved.
Riveria had resolved to protect the boy without leaving his side for even a moment. That was precisely why she had stayed so close to Bell.
But the result was the complete opposite.
The one who had been saved was her.
And the price Bell paid was horrifyingly heavy.
Riveria looked at the hero who had protected her, and her heart, one that had weathered countless storms, trembled uncontrollably.
"Be... ll...?"
Ais's voice shook like a kite with its string cut.
She had sensed Calamity's attack and turned around the instant it happened.
Virga were tearing at her Wind Armor, but Ais paid them no mind. She poured all her speed into returning to defend them.
But in the end, she was still one step too late.
Only Ais had clearly seen the whole sequence.
Before the lightning-fast claws struck, Bell stepped forward and used the crimson scarf to protect Riveria. But the boy had only reacted faster than the others. His own ability could not withstand the monster.
Ais watched helplessly as Calamity opened its fangs and devoured the boy's right arm.
As blood sprayed out, time began moving again for everyone.
"Hiss...!"
A burning pain sank deep into the marrow of Bell's right arm.
He clenched his teeth, refusing to let himself black out.
His crimson eyes were bloodshot, and everything in his mind seemed to be scorched by flames.
The pain was endless, yet Bell's thoughts were strangely clear.
Was this a lingering side effect from [Argo's Ship] borrowing Artemis's Divine Power?
Even with his vision dyed red by blood, even with pain drilling into every nerve, Bell stayed calm and did not let out a piercing scream.
His gaze fell on [Calamity].
The Destruction, Juggernaut.
It had a pair of forelegs and hind legs. Compared to its huge, terrifying body, its bone-like limbs looked impossibly thin. Anyone seeing that bizarre form for the first time would surely doubt whether Juggernaut could even walk properly.
But Bell knew this was a weapon born for slaughter. It was covered in an eerie blue-purple shell, while the rest of its body was made of dinosaur-like white bone.
Sharp fangs. Ferocious foreclaws. Those natural weapons, combined with its twisted body, let Juggernaut maintain its speed while wielding astonishing destructive power.
The surprise attack had failed.
Juggernaut used its claws as footholds and clung to the glossy black wall.
It looked down at them, its blood-red eyes flashing with a sinister light.
Plop.
As if mocking them, the right arm that had once belonged to the boy fell from between Juggernaut's fangs.
It was a mangled mass of flesh and blood.
Amid fragments no one could identify, dark red blood spread outward.
The next second, the wall erupted with a roar, and the blue-purple light known as despair attacked once more.
...
"Tempest."
Ais fixed her eyes on Juggernaut and called out to the wind.
This was all her fault.
Why hadn't she stayed closer to Bell?
Why was she so weak?
Bell was only Level 3. How could she have let him face something so cruel?
Ais did not want to think.
What would happen to the boy's injury?
Could his arm be restored?
Even the slightest thought made Ais's heart ache unbearably.
"Tempest!"
Ignoring her body's screams, Ais strengthened the air currents around her even further.
She could not face the boy.
Even when that horrifying nightmare entered the edge of her vision, tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
Worry, guilt, heartache. All those emotions mixed together and finally became surging fury.
Her golden eyes were fixed on that hateful monster.
"Sweep forth!"
Ais launched herself forward with the force of the wind, increasing its power even more.
The storm surged.
It was as if Ais herself had merged into the raging wind.
Monster.
This was an evil monster.
Monsters had to vanish from this world.
Kill it.
Kill it, kill it, kill it...
Kill it!
In the blonde girl's fury, the battle began.
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