The distance from the road to the Dior ruins was about 1,000 meters (1 km).

　By the time I reached it, the light in the sky had disappeared.

(This is the Dior Ruins....)

　It was an old structure on a grassy slope.

　It looked like a Southeast Asian temple?

　Its stone structure is more than half buried in the earth. Even the outer walls are covered in grass, and from a distance, mixed in with the surrounding rock, it would surely go unnoticed if you weren't careful.

(Pretty old, huh?)

　Maybe it's older than the tower in the Great Forest of Aldoria, where I lived.

　Thud.

　Something hit my foot.
　I looked at it and saw that there were several Buddha-like objects with missing limbs lying in the grass.

　I stared at them, and in my ears.

The one who fired the signal can't be far. We'll split up and look for him.
Uh-huh.
Yes, sir.
Okay.

　At Mr. Kilt's words, we disperse.

　Mr. Kilt goes into the ruins.
　Mr. Illtimina comes around from the left side of the building and Solstice comes around from the right side.

　I thought for a moment and examined the grass near the ruins.

(Assuming we leave the ruins, if we need help... the street?)

　From here, we could see the road in the distance.
　On that side of the road, we made our way slowly through the grass.

(Hmm?)

　I had gone about 20 meters when I spotted a black shadow in the green carpet.
　It's a person.

"I see him!　This way!

　Calling out to the three of them, I ran over to the figures.

　The one there was a dark elf girl with white hair and brown skin, with cuts all over her body.
　The blood that had been shed was staining her clothes red.

　In her right hand, she held a metal tube with a trigger.

(This person........Ryuta-san?)

　He was the one who was with Mr. Asbell.

'Are you alright, get a grip!
Um...

　At my call, she opens her eyes, dimly.
　Her light blue eyes look at me.

"...the child of the 'bloodless' you came, didn't you?
Yes, sir.

　I nodded.

'I'll have it fixed soon. Wait for me.
'It's not about me....it's about Asbel and Garion.... Please, hurry up and get them both.........!

　A bloody hand grabs my arm.

(Ouch...?!

　It's a lot of power.
　As I endure it, I ask.

'What's wrong with you two?　What the hell is going on?
That's....

　The moment she was about to speak, Ryuta-san moaned in pain.

(............Shouldn't we let him speak yet?

　Just as we were troubled, Illtimina and three others arrived at us.

　Solstice immediately tries to use her recovery magic.

　But the three of them didn't seem to see the three of them in the eyes of the dark elf girl.　
　She says to me desperately.

'On the fourth level........there were more than 100, skeletons....... We decided that we couldn't do it so we ran away. .....but
But?
But.........the road leading from the first level to the ground has suddenly collapsed.......

　...What?

　All four of us turned pale as we realized what that meant.
　Luta was crying.

'I made it through the rubble!　But, but the two of them are still........trapped in that Diol Ruins!

　A mournful cry echoed to the sky.

　In the grassland where we are, it seems that the wind of despair is blowing from the ancient ruins of Dior.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　With Solstice's magic, Luta was cured.

　Then the five of us were guided by Ryuta-san into the interior of the Dior Ruins.

(.........Is this the inside of the ruins?)

　The interior of the old temple was very dark.
　And the air was humid and a little musty when I breathed in.

　Broken pillars.
　Fallen Buddha statues.

　Sunlight shining through the crumbling ceiling.

'Here we are,'

　Luta indicated the stairs at the far end of the temple hall - behind the altar.

　Ten steps down and it's completely dark.
　We light our lanterns.

　But it soon became a dead end.

　Huge piles of stone debris were piling up, blocking the stairs.

(...really, it's crumbling.)

　There must be tons of that stuff down there.
　There's no way we're going to be able to move it.

　Mr. Kilt squints his golden eyes.

"Hmm. And where have you come from?
Yes. Here.

　Luta-san answered the question of the 'Golden Mark Demon Hunter' with nervousness.

　He pointed to a gap in the rubble near the ground.

(Eh....?　(Here!

　There is a black hole there, about thirty centimeters long, indeed.
　But how did you manage to get through such a narrow place?

　Perhaps they had the same impression, but Kilt-san, Illtimina-san and the other sisters were all staring at that black hole with the same expression as me.

'Asbel told me,'

　Luta muttered pensively.

'If it's just me, I can get through here. So, he told me to go get help.
..........
The child from the Bloodless Boys is there, no, no, I mean Merle. So I got a luminescent signal round...

　Her light blue eyes look at me.

　-- Her story was this.

　Chased by a hundred skeletons and trapped in the Dior Ruins, Asbel-san and the others missed only Luta-san through the cracks in order to call for rescue.
　Asbel-san knew that I was in the forest near the ruins.

　And I'm 'an acquaintance of the Demon Princess Kilt'.

　If you inform me, Kirto-san and others will make a move.
　Asbell-san took a chance on that possibility.



　Luta's voice quivered.

Please.........
Mr. Ryuta....

　Kneeling on the ground, she even bowed to me, the 'bloodless one'.
　Her white hair even fell to the dusty floor.

　But Ms. Kilt was silent.

''...........''

　With a grim expression, he touched the pile of rubble.
　Then he said.

'Are Asbel and the others still alive?'
What?
'How do you wait until a hundred skeletons chase you down and rescue you?　Didn't you hear something?

　He stared at her sharply, and Luta gasped.

'Nah, there are several rooms in the basement. Maybe that's where you're holed up...'
"Hmm.

　Mr. Kilt looked at the beautiful 'Silver Seal Demon Hunter'.

'Irna. How do you see it?
Five hours.
'Well, that's sweet.

　?
　All but two of them look like they don't know what they're talking about.

Um, what are you talking about?

　I asked.　
　Iltimina paused for a moment and replied.

'It's time for Asbell and the others to get on with it.
..........
''The strength of the ruins, two blue markers and a hundred skeletons... that's probably the limit.

　Luta is pale.
　His hands are clasped tightly together in front of his chest.

(Worse, just for two hours...?)

　It's taken a long time for us to get here.

Then we have to hurry!

　At my words, Ryuta-san has a surprised look on his face.

　But the two amazingly skilled demon hunters do not move.
　Solstice remained silent and looked up at them as if she were peering into their faces.

　Kirt-san looked at Ryuta-san.
　And.

I'm afraid I can't help them.

　He told them coldly in an iron voice.

(.........what?)

　Me and Mr. Ryuta have the same look on our faces.

Why?
"There is no way to help. The straws cannot pass through this gaping hole.

　Ah.........

　Luta-san was a very slender girl, like an elf.

　Kirt-san was petite.
　But she wasn't as thin as Luta-san, rather, she had good flesh on her chest and buttocks.

　Not to mention the tall Illtimina-san.

　It was impossible for the two of them to go and help her.

''Oh, no........''

　Ryuta-san stumbled back.
　I panicked and steadied him.

"Can't you two just blow up all that debris?

　I look at the white spear and the great sword of thunder and listen.
　But Illtimina shook her head painfully, scattering her beautiful hair.

''If we do that, it will probably cause the top to collapse further down.
Really?
'Yes, sir. Maybe in the aftermath, all the lower levels will crumble as well.

　That's no good.
　Mr. Kilts stared at the debris in an evasive manner.

'We'll have to be very, very careful about what we do. It could take a whole day to do it. -that is, if Asbell and the others are still alive.
"...against a hundred skeletons?　You can't, can you?

　Solstice's expression clouded over.
　Luta bit her lip.

''........So we have no choice but to leave Asbel and Garion to die?

　His voice trembled.
　Mr. Kilt's expression was grim.

'Of course I'll do my best. But be prepared.'
..........

　Mr. Luta did not answer.
　Kilt looked back at Illtimina.

'We're going to start clearing the debris now. Iltimina, let's check the strength of the ceiling here first.
Yes, sir.

　They start to move.
　But Mr. Ryuta, completely, sat down on the stairs.

"..........
..........

　Me and Solstice looked at each other.

(What do we do...?)

　I ask with a look.
　Solstice glares at me for some reason, her lips twitching.

'Huh ... I can't help it.'

　Eventually, I sighed heavily.
　Hmm?

'Kilt, sister Irna?　There's just one more way.
What?

　The two men stopped.
　Luta looked up.

　Solstice's young hand tugged at my collar with a yank.

"Me and Marle can go through that hole. So, with Marle protecting me, if I use my magic, I'll take out every skeleton, whether it's a hundred or a thousand, I'll beat them all.

　The White Seal Demon Hunter confidently said so - and then he said so.