After the raid battle was over, I received a call from Lace-kun.

''Mm........That boy, has he not yet given up on joining Leme's party?　But still, even I haven't received my reward yet...

　As we leave the house, Mila says with one cheek puffed out, and I laugh.

'They said it would be quick over there.

　When I say that, Mira-san rolls her eyes for a moment and then gives me a fascinating look.

''Oh, so that means I can have plenty of dates with Reme-san, right?

'Oh, haha...'　

　Mila had a great battle in the third tier. We were going out together to celebrate, but she had to wait until the raid battle was over.

"I'm really, really looking forward to your escort, Reme-san.

I'll do my best.

　While chatting with them, we exchanged a "goodbye" and "yes, I'm off" and I left the house.

　I headed to the same coffee shop I used last time.
　Like last time, the number of customers is moderate, but I think the atmosphere is good for talking in a relaxed atmosphere.

"Oh, here, here.

　A boy waves his hand from his seat in a fluttering motion, so I approach him.
　It's a table for four, with two seats on each side filled.
　It's Wraith-kun, the brave man of the lake, and Fran-san, the destroyer.
　I sat down on the opposite side.

''I'm sorry to call you out on such short notice. Thank you for coming.

It's okay.

　And to be honest, I was curious.
　I've reviewed the footage after the fight, but I'm still more certain of meeting him in person.
　I look at him. Ten years old, whose 【Position(Job)】 was just revealed. Blue hair and eyes that remind me of the deep sea. The boy who is looking at me with a friendly smile on his face.

　.........Yeah, it seems to be okay.

　What Wraith-kun was trapped in was a guilty conscience. He cursed himself that because he had arisen into this world, the best and bravest of the brave couldn't regain the first place.
　The only way to free himself from that curse, Wraith-kun thought, was to prove his father right.

　I have no right to interfere with his way of life.
　However, he was approved by the spirits.
　Even if you aim to be an [indomitable hero], what's important is not the superficiality of not using spirit magic.
　His father wasn't chosen as a spirit, but he respected his friends, honed his cooperation, and never gave up no matter what kind of predicament he was in. He did his best and everything he could.

　I'm sure Wraith-kun already knows that.
　Slowly, that heart-clenching, painful atmosphere is clearing up nicely.

'Fran-san is here too, isn't she? 'Hello.'

... hmm. Hello.

'Oh, I just came along to say thank you to Reme for something or other.

And make sure Wraith doesn't get lost.

Yeah, that's right. Here, ahhh.

Uh-oh.

　That's right. Since a while ago, Lace has been scooping up the parfait with a spoon and feeding it to Fran-san. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Aren't I completely disturbing you already?　The relationship and the space is so complete that it's almost as if the relationship and the space are complete.
　Is it because they are still young men and women that they seem to be smiling?

'Are you thanking me?'

Hmm. Thank you for helping Wraith out... thank you. I couldn't have done it myself, so...

　By the looks of it, did she notice it too?
　For someone who knows about Lace-kun's situation, that response from me and Benou may have been too easy to understand. It's not the same as leading, but it's true that I tried to make her notice it somehow.
　Fran-san is his childhood friend and I know that Wraith-kun was meeting with me. If something like that happened there, it wouldn't be surprising if it was a pin drop.
　It's possible that Lace-kun talked about it, but I somehow didn't think so.

'I'm glad you're here. Really, very much.

Yeah.

　Lace-kun said that while scratching his cheek, and Fran-san turned over with no expression on her face. She is embarrassed........is she?
　Lace-kun returns his gaze to me.

''From my end too, thank you. I understand why Leme-san refused your invitation. When you have that many good friends, you can't team up with a misunderstood kid.

"...Mr. Wraith is a good and brave man.

"Ha-ha, do you think I deserve to be brave?

　Wraith-kun laughs jokingly. I had told him harshly that he didn't deserve to be a brave man during Remegeton.
　I smile and nod.

'Ah, he was a good-looking brave man who would do everything he could to win.

Heh, heh, heh, heh.

　His embarrassed grin looked appropriate for his age.

'So, Leme,'

Hmm?　What is it?

　As Fran-san flattens the last bite of the parfait, Lace-kun leans in.
　He looks at me with a smirk.

'Once again, I need to ask you for advice, will you join my party?

... hahaha.

　Maybe I'm like my father in this way.
　You don't give up just because you've been rejected once or twice.

You're a good person, Leme. Let's come first together with us. Leme-san is the best [Black Mage]. I, we, we don't care about silly noise. Let's win and win and win and win and win and let's drop Uncle Air to second place.

　Wraith talks about the future with his sparkling eyes.
　It's so dazzling and very exciting. I'm honored and I'm really, really happy.
　But.

"I like my job, now.

　That's my real intention.
　Lace was not surprised.

"I'll take that as a no-brainer.

　And then he leans back and slumps his shoulders.

'But,'

　He quickly revived, and he continued with a great deal of confidence.

''I won't give up. I'm the son of the [indomitable hero].

　His words are proud and I don't feel the anguish that has been consuming him.
　Oh, thank God, I think.

"I make a great party. It's just me, Fran and Undine, but we'll find the rest of the guys. You can stick around as long as you want, but we'll keep Leme's slot. One day, we'll have an adventure together.

　◇

　About the participants after the raid.
　I'm going to excerpt some interviews I've watched from each party.

　First up is the World Rank #5 Skaha Party.

'-- How do you feel about looking back at the raid war?

''I regret that I fell in the first layer... Although the Demon King's Castle is such a high level dungeon, I still wanted to contribute more to the party.''

　[Magic bullet shooter] Karina-san says, her mature-looking face twisted in frustration.

''In a bad way!　It was a thrilling battle!　I was proud of my yarn as a weapon with good applications, but I had the impression that the enemy was prepared to counteract its various applications!''

　Theo-san talks happily.

''Me?　I was, you know, super active. I had a great time. I think Hamill fans around the world would have loved this movie!　Hey!'

"...haha, the fight on the tenth layer was so cool.

"Karina-chan, stop your serious sighs?

"I, too, was very impressed by your performance on the tenth layer, Lord Hamil.　Especially the way she dragged her body, which was sure to die, to rush to the leader's side after sending Lord Yuan off with a smile on her face, brought tears to my eyes!

Theo, you promised not to tell us that!　It's been cut, right?　It's not going to flow, is it?

　Hamil-san, the [Far-Edged Swordsman] Hamil, who is blushing. .........flowed firmly.

''.........d*mn.''

"Karina?　Is that a copycat?　'Are you copying me?'

"I'm the leader of the pack, and I'm gonna go get him.

'That's the one you didn't tell me!　That's a very selfish thing to say!　It's not good to fake it!'

'I'm just kidding. But if you're always like that instead of spinning your wheels, people will like you more, Hamil-san.

"Carina-chan?

"...huh.

Deeper sighs than before!

　The Skaha party is close.
　The air of buzzing is settled, and the camera turns to [Faceless Archer] Suri-san.

''........The enemy has exceeded my expectations. The cause of defeat is clear. We will correct it.''

　He hid his face that day as well.
　Then, [Xuntachi's] Skaha-san's turn came.

''I have a lot of things to reflect on. There are a lot of things that I will think more about later, 'I should have done this, ah, then the result might have been different. If I hadn't been killed by Lord Fulkas the first time, I could have used my resurrection rights on someone else. It's also frustrating that I couldn't revive Karina, because she's a great [hunter]. I ask myself if the several decisions I made in the tenth layer were right even now. We just did our best and lost. We just have to admit that and move on.''

"Are you going to challenge the Demon King's Castle again?

'My guys are all amazing guys. In addition to these guys, I had members of the raiding team, but we didn't win. I'll take that and devote myself to it. We'll try again, but not right away.

　With straight eyes, Skaha said.

'Thank you, leader. I can't believe I'm ... the most amazing swordsman in the world.''

I didn't say that much.

"Uh, that's right. Here's the big announcement!

　Hamill-san is truly free.

''It's the true face of our Suri-chan, one of the seven great mysteries of the adventurer's industry,''

I've never heard of this.

　Karina is dumbfounded.
　I've never heard of the phrase "the seven great mysteries" either, but there are certainly several adventurers who have mysteries that even fans don't know about.

'And what a surprise, I'm announcing it here and now!　Yeah!　Click, click, click, click!　Enter the sound of applause and thunder!　

　Karina-san held her forehead, Theo-san laughed out loud and Skaha-san laughed slightly too.
　From the looks of it, it looks like it wasn't Hamil-san's idea, but something that was decided within the party. I wonder if the way the announcement was made was ad-libbed, since she doesn't seem surprised by the announcement itself, so I guess that's about it.

''Now, look at Suri-chan's true face!

　Before I knew it, it was Mr. Hamill who was holding the microphone.
　Despite his high spirits, Suri is calm and collected.

　Quietly, she pulls down her hood.
　Gold hair, blue eyes, white skin, a beautiful face, and - pointed ears.
　The face of an elf was there.
　After removing the hood and mouth cloth, Suri slowly opens her mouth.

''This is why I've been hiding my face. I'm willing to accept any kind of criticism. But I will continue to be an adventurer for the sake of my friends who have accepted me and to make our brave man the best, and I will continue to be an adventurer. No matter what happens, I will not just give up. ........That's all.''

"The real face hidden under the hood is an extremely handsome elf!　Well, we knew it, but I'm sure it's a surprise to you all. From now on, we're going to have a Skaha party with four handsome people and one beautiful woman.

"Don't say it yourself, it's embarrassing.

　Skaha takes the microphone away from Hamil-san.

'Suri made the decision to hide her face, considering the way she treated the sub-human adventurers at the time. We agreed to it. But I could have been wrong. No matter what anyone says, Suri is a wonderful [hunter] and a proud companion. There's nothing to hide. This is the Skaha Party. Nice to meet you.''

　Naturally, this interview was a huge topic of discussion. There were too many topics related to raiding battles, but all of them had fans in a tizzy.
　It wasn't all favorable, but I'm sure the Skaha party would be fine.

　I heard later on that Suri's female fans had a surprisingly large surge afterwards.
　........A handsome [hunter] who is quiet and excellent and can kill himself for his friends.
　It's no wonder why so many people are attracted to him.

　◇

　The interview with the world's third-ranked Helvall Party was a refreshing one.
　That's because [Light Warrior] and [Crumbling Flash Swordsman] Eloise, who fell at the second level, said, "Frustrating, I wanted to do more! He remarked.

　The other three also showed remorse for not being able to play much of a role in the next third layer, as they were eliminated, including the leader.
　The ones who revived with the resurrection right were Helu and 【Senpai Summoner】Margrette. Margrette-san was very active in solving the riddle of the seventh layer, but he was humble about it. Perhaps he was concerned about the fact that he was immediately dismissed by Agares-san in the ninth layer.

　Leader Helu was in a good mood, encouraging his companions, "Just win next time! He laughed boldly.

''--You've done a great job since your resurrection.

"It's good to have you back. 'Thanks for the help. I got to fight Haggenty and Carmilla twice. I'm inclined to give it a shot right now, but you know what?　Since the aerial old man and Remeghton destroyed it, you can't go to the tenth level for a while, right?'

　........that's right.
　It's called Fenix, and when the four great spirit contractors get serious, the magic space can't hold up.
　No, this time it was me and Benou too, but........well, it was broken anyway.
　It needs repair again, and the tenth layer will be closed for a while.

''Let's go as soon as it's fixed, sister!

"Shut up, Elo. Miss, please give us time to retrain. I'll give you a new lease on life.

"I couldn't let go of him at all, and he'll be a great success next time.

'You're all wonderful. I have work to do, so it would be nice if you could open up some time for the rematch.

　Eloise-san, 【Hagan Fist Fighter】Amelia-san, 【Gougeki Gunner】Emrine-san and Margrethe-san spoke in that order.

''Hey Amechan, you said not to call me Elo, right?''

"My Eloi was the first to fall, but they're so loud.

"You little b*tc*!　It would be malicious to separate them there!'

"Calm down, Master Eloise.

"Mal?　If you say that much, will you put on Zu?

　The Helvall party also had a good relationship with their friends.

''The Demon King's Castle was great. We'll capture it next time, we will.

　After saying that, Helu laughed as she bared her fangs.

　◇

"Uh, it's kind of lonely out here with just the two of us, isn't it?　No, there are spirits, but the others can't see them.'

"...when you're with Wraith, you won't be lonely.

'No, I don't mean that... well, you know.'

The two of you have been doing a great job so soon after we found out about the [position (job)], haven't you?

　【Brave man of the lake】Wraith-kun and 【Destructor】Fran-san did not participate as a party.
　Exceptionally, they participated as a duo.

''It's because our friends are all top-notch. They're the kind of people that if you ask for ten, you'll definitely get more than ten back. When we support them, it works, and their support is super helpful. It's guys like that that got us to that point, I think.

''--I see. By the way, Mr. Wraith had repeatedly stated that he would never use spirit arts before the tenth layer battle...''

"Yeah, yeah, that one. I was wrong. I'm really embarrassed to admit it, but I was wrong about being a brave man. The really cool heroes are the ones who let their friends win. I was stubbornly stonewalling my friends, the spirits that are so important to me, and that was a childish act. I regret that. But''

But?

　Lace-kun says with a dazzling smile.

''From now on, I'm really going to work together with my friends. I'll become the strongest [Lake Brave] of all time, and I'll be ranked number one in the world.''

　From there, he chuckles. Oh, I've seen this smile recently.

"Well, here's what I need to talk to you about.

Really?

'Yes!　We're looking for someone to come first with us!　Two. The only requirement is that you aim for first place. Naturally, it doesn't matter what race you are!''

"Huh, eh, yes...?

'There are two of us, I've already picked the last one. I'll give you the e-mail address, so if you want to contact me, write it down and let me know. Let's see...

"Mr. Wraith?

　It's a very free-spirited idea that is typical of him.
　If you recruit your friends in a place where many people are watching, the message will reach that many people.

　.........The last person to be recruited is me, after all.

　As I felt the horrific look of Mila-san, who was watching the video board (TV) next to me, I was looking forward to seeing what kind of party he was going to throw.

　◇

"To forge your soft spirit.

　[Samurai] Masamune said and crossed her arms.

''Haha, did you get scolded by Pana-san?　You were tricked by a young girl's s*x appeal and cut down by your friends, right?''

　[Red Lotus Wizard] Michelle laughs happily.

''A lifelong blunder........!

"That's how much of a threat they thought of Masa. After all, all of the [Dream Demons] in the Demon King's Castle have cast a charm on one Masa.

　[Sword Alchemist] Lui-san followed up.
　In fact, Masamune-san, the top [samurai] who tended to have high mental strength, was hit, if it wasn't for someone who could secure a large amount of magic power for resistance (resist), it would have been impossible to resist.
　I'm sure Michelle knows that and is teasing you about it.

The actuality of this is that I don't remember cutting off aerials...!　I saw the video and what the hell was that? I can do more!'

"Haha, there?

''Oh, if Masa's spirit had remained sane and hostile, he would have dropped a few people right there.

　Aerial-san nodded.

''It seems like this time the Demon King's Castle had a lot of clear 'who's coming' plans in mind. If there are just strong demons, we will never be defeated. But I think they even thought about who they were going to kill and when and how they were going to kill them.

　Mr. Lui says admiringly, stroking his beard.

''Ah, there's that. As for Mr. Liu, he was beheaded by [Time Devil] before he could make anything. I was myself, and I was hit by [Ridiculous Knight]'s amazing spear. That branching thing, that was the first time you saw it, right?　In that respect, our new guy did a super job, didn't he?''

"Oh, thank you...!

It's cute how cute she looks at the beginning. I think everyone has recognized you during this raid.

　Masamune and Liu Yi nodded, and Yuan-kun's face turned red.

''Thank you........''

'Yes. That's good. It was also a good decision to go and help the Wraith at the end. You thought about the damage you had done, and then you moved on to see who you needed to win. Good job.'

　Mr. Aerial complimented him in passing, but continued.

'Don't be satisfied with that. Lose, help your friends, and don't fall. Win, help your friends, and bring down your enemies. Isn't that kind of bravery cooler?'

"....!　Yes, I'll do my best!''

''Okay......... Well, I've lost, too.

No, it was a tremendous battle!

'Haha, thank you. However, you can't agree with what I did. I honestly don't know if it was the right thing to do, either. It was just ... it was fun (...). It was a really, very, very exciting fight.'

　No one said anything to Mr. Aerial, who was laughing like a child.
　However, all of his companions were laughing somewhat happily.
　After a while, the interview resumed.

''-- Is there any reason why you didn't challenge the Demon King's Castle for more than twenty years until the raid battle?''

Ah, I get asked that a lot. Well, at the time, I couldn't win no matter how many times I tried, and since I was posting videos of the Demon King's Castle all the time, the viewers said, "Not again". I thought, 'This isn't good.

"...and if you don't have money, you can't eat.

'I'm sorry about that time........ ''I'm really sorry about that time.......I was really surprised that I ran out of money. I stubbornly challenged the Demon King's Castle and everyone followed me, but I knew I was about to run out of steam, and I knew I needed to train, so I headed to another dungeon. Up to this point, many of you may have heard of it.''

''--After that, you didn't try again even after the party became stable. Is the retirement of Demon King Lucifer the reason, after all?''

''It was indeed a shock that the strongest enemy I had ever sought was gone. How could I be proud that I ended the battle between adventurers and demons by capturing the Demon King's Castle without him?''

Since then, powerful demons have been disappearing from the Demon King's Castle.

　This is also connected to the current state of the Demon King's Castle, which is now filled with young people. In fact, there were some more pull-outs by Mr. Ferro, which led to the current situation.

That's right. After that, we sought out those who had moved to other dungeons and asked for a rematch. We were defeated by them as well. We also felt that we had to surpass them to truly capture the Demon King's Castle. It doesn't matter to the kids of this generation, but we have experienced losing to them directly.''

'--The demons from the former Demon King's Castle that once defeated them were defeated one by one by the Aerial Party. While there were many activities outside of dungeon conquest, there were always a certain number of fans who wanted to conquer the Demon King's Castle, but why did you achieve this in the form of a raid battle?

'There are many reasons. We were planning to do it a little later, but it looked like fun to team up with another party, and Pana's departure reminded us that we can't stay young forever either, and then there's still...'

I knew it?

"I wanted to fight a man who could kill the Four Spiritual Contractors.

　I could feel the interviewer gasp.　

''--........... How did you feel about the fight?''

''That was great. It wasn't just him, all the demons in the Demon King's Castle were amazing. There were several demons that could kill even the bravest of them. He was the one who came close to that life. Even those who were inferior to us in terms of individual strength, 'dropping the adventurers in the end,' were the cornerstone of the defense that was so obvious.'

Do you have any plans for the next assault on the Demon King's Castle?

'I don't know. I said earlier that I wasn't young, but the loss reminded me of that. Defeat is such a frustrating thing, isn't it? Now I want to train right away. To be honest, I'm desperately trying to hold on to the fact that I want to run out of the studio.'

''--Sorry, just a little more. Some fans have expressed fears that he's about to retire...''

　Mr. Aerial laughed.

'Adventurers are strange creatures. 'They are happy when they win, but soon they will have to win the next one too. And the next and the next and the next. We don't want to lose, but if we keep winning, we feel empty. I think we want to be excited. We want to be excited. We want to be on the edge. I think we want to be adventurous until we die. This world is huge and there are so many dungeons. Even if you had a lifetime, it would surely not be enough. The Demon King's Castle, a symbol of eternal battle, is still alive and well. Retirement?　I won't. It can't be done. 'Because,'

　Mr. Aerial looked at his mate, and then at me.
　Wrong. His gaze was so strong that I almost forgot that he was looking through the camera.

"...we haven't had enough adventure.

　◇


　As we knew in the Fenix Party game, many viewers want the adventurer's side to win, but celebrate the good fight because they know it's a serious game.
　Some of them are harsh, but that's part of the feedback.
　We have no choice but to work day in and day out to achieve our goals.

　The raiding battle was a great response.
　There's a lot to talk about. The appearance of our current Demon King, the appearance of the mysterious Demon Benou and the tag team tournament winner Belito, the appearance and struggles of Ellie's party, the assignment of three bodies under the direct control of the Demon King's military general staff, the health of the demons in the "Beginner's and Beginning's Dungeon", which has recently been rumored to be an "all levels" dungeon, and the [Lake Brave] Spiritual arts, Helu's spirit arts after a long time, Aerial's all-out effort, and so much more, even if you focus on the final area.

　If you look at the entire tenth layer, there are so many highlights that it's almost annoying.
　From Suri's true face to Aerial-san's declaration that she won't retire, even after it ends, the next topic of conversation keeps coming up.


　There are challenges and problems. But we can tackle them one by one.
　Aerial-san is right. I totally agree with you.

　The [Position (Job)] that woke up was [Black Mage]?　I don't know.
　Are you going to leave the party?　There's no way I'm going to give up on that.
　Fighting your best friend, rebuilding a crumbling dungeon, a tag team tournament with a brave man who is struggling to be, and a raid filled with the best and most talented players in the industry are all on the road to a distant destination.

　My dream is to be the best hero. To be the bravest of the demons.
　The outcome will be known in the far future. And it's not up to me to decide.
　It's up to the people who have seen our past and future battles to decide.

　Even after they decide, I will continue to fight. There are many hardships, but even so, I'm sure I'll enjoy it and won't stop fighting.

There she is, my staff.

　The Demon King's Army's conference room. A space that only the Four Heavenly Kings, their chiefs of staff and the Demon King can enter.
　Already, 【Vampire Queen】 Carmilla, 【Demon of Love】 Citry, 【Reeding Knight】 Fulkus, 【Time Demon】 Agares, and 【Demon King】 Lucifer had gathered as well.

　The impregnable Demon King's Castle is my workplace.

　A lot of things will happen in the future as well.
　But no matter what happens.
　I'm sure it will be forever.
　Our adventure will never end.