SPLASH!
KABOOM!
Great tremor shook the entire space, no, the entire «Guryuu-en Great Volcano», and the ocean of magma began to rampaging, accompanied with a terrific, roaring sound.
"Uoh!?"
"Nnah!?"
"Kyaa!?"
"Nuoh!?"
Suffering from the sudden shockwave from below, Hajime's party got on all fours and screamed, while desperately trying to balance themselves. The great tremor was gradually becoming even more intense, and could be said to reach seven in the richter scale. From the ocean of magma, numerous fire pillars, no, magma pillars began to spout.
"Hajime-san! The magma level-!"
With Shia's words, the magma surrounding the foothold, where Hajime's party were, was indeed rising in level.
"What did he do?"
Hajime squeezed his words and asked the obvious culprit behind this situation, Freed. Having moved to the ceiling above the middle island, Freed answered the question.
"I only destroyed the keystone."
"Key... stone?"
"That's right. Didn't you think it was strange when you saw the magma? «Guryuu-en Great Volcano» is obviously an active volcano. However, there's no record of it erupting until now. What I mean, is there must be something controlling the activity of the underground magma reservoir."
"That's the "keystone," huh... Don't tell me!?"
"It is. I have destroyed the gigantic keystone that calmed down the magma reservoir. Thus, this Great Dungeon will soon be destroyed. And although I deeply regret that I can't give my kins the Age of Gods magic of this dungeon... it isn't that regrettable if it means I can kill you here. Be destroyed along with this Great Dungeon."
Coldly looking down at Hajime's party, Freed held a pendant on his neck towards the ceiling. Then, the crack on the ceiling began to be open. Along with the circular hole on the ceiling, several doors above it also opened.
Apparently, Freed had opened the shortcut to the outside using the proof of having conquered «Guryuu-en Great Volcano». For the last time, Freed glared at Hajime's party then turned on his heel along with the white dragon, disappearing into the passage on the ceiling.
With the surrounding magma rampaged like the sea influenced by a hurricane, the number of spouted magma pillars kept increasing. The magma began to swallow the edges of the foothold where Hajime's party were. It was a spectacle worthy to be called the end of world.
In a short while, Hajime closed his eyes and was thinking of something. Having decided on something, he stood up despite his injury. Immediately, the Ash Dragons left behind by Freed and the white dragon began to simultaneously fire small beams. They seem to want to kill Hajime's party here by all means.
While Yue was intercepting the small beam attacks using "Absolute Calamity," Hajime put his hand on the "Treasure Box." Then, he put his hand on the hard dragon scale covering Tio's cheeck, who was firing Breath towards the Ash Dragons overhead, to make her face him.
"Tio, listen. Take this and you alone must escape from that ceiling to the outside."
For a moment, Tio was blinking, not understanding what was said. Then, she realized it in the next moment and raised a voice which mixed with sadness and anger. Hajime's words were as if telling her to let herself survived, casting him and the other two away.
"Master, is this one, is this one not worth spending the last time with thee? Art thou discarding this one? This one..."
"That's not it, Tio. I will say it just once because there's not much time left. I am not giving up anything at all. I will get the Age of Gods magic and I will someday beat that bastard. Also, I am going to fulfil my promise to bring back the "Serene stone." However, it is impossible to do it alone. That's why I want you to lend me your power. If it is not you, it is impossible to break through everything and return to Ancadi... Please, Tio.