Kaori’s Healing Magic and Light Element Aptitude skills were at the extreme. Her healing magic in particular was in the highest rank possible. Just judging by the amount of skills, Kaori’s was at least amounted to four people. Furthermore, her current number of skills even exceeded the Hero, Kouki. With tit for tat, everything was definitely for her promise. Believing in his survival, this time, she would be the one to protect him. It was the result of her single-mindedly repeated the things she could do while spared little time for sleep.
“I think it’s about the time to leave… Is it okay now?”
Kouki timidly called out to Kaori and Shizuku, who were still looking at each other. Before, he had witnessed Kaori and Shizuku embracing each other in Kaori’s room, so sometimes Kouki’s attitude became suspicious, which had taken Kaori aback, but Shizuku knew what was in his mind and only quietly watched him. Her eyes were truly expressing, “Until when are you going to keep this strange misunderstanding, you fool.”
Pretending he didn’t notice Shizuku’s gaze, Kouki ordered the other members. They had explored 90% of the 89th floor, and the route they were to go now was the last place to explore. Thinking about the structure of the floors up until now, it was about time for them to see the stairs.
The prediction turned out right, and the party discovered the stairs 10 minutes after they moved out. They descended the dim, spiral staircase while confirming the existence of trap. After they descended for around 10 meters, Kouki’s party arrived at the 90th floor.
For now, Kouki’s party were looking in vigilance for anything that might happen since it was the starting point. However, just by its external appearance, nothing had changed from 80th-ish floors they had just finished exploring. They immediately began their exploration while mapping. Even if the structure was the same, but they could not let their guard down because the demonic beasts that would appear might be strong ones.
In vigilance, Kouki’s party explored the passages and rooms with the same structure as before. The exploration progressed easily. Or so it should be, because before long, one by one they made doubtful expressions.
“…What’s with this?”
By the time the party reached a deep inside broad space, the incomprehensible feeling reached its peak, and Kouki leaked a questioning voice with a perplexed expression. The other members were also perplexed just like him, so they halted when Kouki asked the question.
“… Even though we have explored it so much, why we didn’t encounter even one demonic beast?”
Their exploration had reached the latter half part, excluding the unneeded passages. Up until now, they would not have been able to advance this easily since they were furiously attacked by strong demonic beasts. Normally, they needed two days to reach the latter half of a floor. However, not even three hours had passed since Kouki’s party started exploring the 90th floor. The reason for this progress was simple. They didn’t encounter even one demonic beast in this floor.
In the beginning, they thought the demonic beasts were observing Kouki’s party from the shadows, but nothing popped up even when they used their perception skills and magic spells. It was strange for them not even feel the presence of a single demonic beast. It was obviously an abnormal situation.
“…How to say it, it feels eerie. Was nothing here since the beginning?”
Similar to Ryuutarou, the other members also talked about the other possibilities which remain unsolved. Their confusion only deepened.
“… Kouki, shouldn’t we return for now? Somehow I feel an ominous premonition. Meld and Knights might know something about this situation.”
Shizuku suggested to Kouki while she strengthened her vigilance. Kouki considered Shizuku’s suggestion because he also had a bad feeling about it, but they must keep advancing no matter what happens, and he thought they would be fine because they could take it easy in the 89th floor, so he hesitated on answering.
While Kouki was hesitating, the party members who explored the nearby surroundings unexpectedly raised their voice when they found something.
“This is… blood…, right?”
“It is hard to discern since the blood assimilate with the color of dim wall… They are all over the wall.”
“Oi, oi… this… this is quite the amount.”
Nagayama advanced from within the paled party members, and he touched the liquid they thought as blood with his finger. Afterwards, he confirmed the details by looking and smelling the blood stuck on his finger.
“Amanogawa… we should follow Yaegashi’s suggestion… This is demonic beast’s blood. Furthermore, it still fresh.”
“Well, if that is demonic beast’s blood, it means the demonic beasts around her have all been killed. Not only that, it also means there’s strong one who did it… But, won’t we be unable to advance unless we defeat it?”
Nagayama shook his head towards Kouki’s rebuttal. Even though Nagayama was the second biggest after Ryuutarou, he had a very prudent character unlike the other one. Nagayama watched the surrounding carefully while being prepared for battle, and told Kouki what he thought about the situation.
“Amanogawa… the demonic beast is likely not to go out of this room alone. We also haven’t even encountered one in the passages and rooms up until now. In addition, it is the first time we discovered traces. In other words…”
“… Something must have hidden the traces of the attacked demonic beasts, right?”
Nagayama nodded at Shizuku’s words. Even Kouki’s expression showed he realized something because of those words. Then, just like Nagayama, he raised his vigilance to the maximum with a stern expression.
“There’s also the possibility of demonic beasts becoming more intelligent… But, it was natural to think someone was here… In addition, for only traces in this room not to be hidden, either it means it didn’t have the time to do it, or…”
“Here is the last stop.”
What succeeded Kouki’s words was a never heard before voice of a woman suddenly ringing out. It was a man-like husky voice. Kouki’s party became pop-eyed, and they immediately entered battle state. They turned their gazes towards the source of the voice.
Sound of footsteps resounded, but what appeared from deep within the darkness of the spacious hall was a young woman with blazing red hair. The woman’s ears were slightly pointed, and her skin was darkish.
Kouki’s party opened their eyes wide in astonishment. The woman’s features were something they know very well. Though they have never seen it before, it was a race’s characteristics that always appeared inside the lecture from Ishtal and the others — the enemy of the Church of Saints’ God, and also the arch-enemy of human race. It was…
“…Demon race.”
Someone muttered, and the woman from Demon race revealed a faint, cold smile.