We keep going down quickly, and reach the ninth floor.
There were signs of fierce battles along the way. This makes us a little more cautious as we advance, but all we find are monster corpses.
It looks like Arc has been beating them.
“This…”
“Hn? What is it?”
“Arc wasn’t the one who took this one down.”
Says Erie with a serious expression as she looks at a fallen monster.
Ceres starts investigating it too, and nods, having reached the same conclusion.
“Yes. It looks like it was cut with a sword, but it was a different weapon.”
“Then… Is someone else in this dungeon?”
It just looks like it was cut with a sword to me, but I’m an amateur.
These two fought on the continent for a long time, so they must be right.
“Yes… And this residual magic energy isn’t from a human. It looks like something Arc, me, and Ceres couldn’t beat even if we fought together…”
Erie’s expression leads me to believe this isn’t good.
So it’s not like he was with one of the seven great mages, and from what I can tell from the wound, it doesn’t look like it was someone I know either.
“Arc is a hero who was chosen by the divine sword. I’m sure he will be all right, but…”
“Let’s go. Orobas can see the future. Arc will be fine until the tenth floor, at the very least.”
Both nod and stand up.
They’re not hiding their worries, but show the strong will to save him.
Seriously, you shouldn’t worry them when you’re this loved.
We keep walking, leaving the dead monsters behind us.
We go down the staircase to the tenth floor, and find a few forked roads.
We follow the larger path that heads straight ahead, and find a door like the one that leads to Orobas.
“We didn’t find Arc…”
“There might be a floor boss on the other side of this door. Get behind me.”
“Yes.”
On the fifth floor, an armor monster immediately attacked.
I don’t know how strong Arc is now, but I’d have to say he’d have a tough time beating the monsters in this dungeon.
If he’s in there…
I can feel the nervousness behind me as I open the door.
There’s a wide space with blue flames, and a throne on top of some stairs, like on the fifth floor.
The difference is the strange-looking monster that’s sitting on it with his legs crossed.
And Arc is lying unconscious on a magic circle in the center of the room.
““Arc!””
Both are about to run to him, but I stop them.
The demon on the throne… Is definitely on par with the strongest people on the island.
It would be one thing if I was alone, but they probably won’t be able to handle the shockwaves of a battle like this.
That said, I can’t ask them to wait outside, because the monsters might sense them and attack.
“Stay close.”
“…Yes.”
I slowly walk to the center, and notice the demon on the throne grinning. But I don’t feel hostility coming from that grin, for now anyway.
I don’t let my guard down, but when I reach Arc, something like an invisible wall blocks me.
Is this that demon’s doing? I glare, but calm myself.
“…Ahh.”
I take a deep breath, and face the throne.
A black slender body, sharp claws, a thin tail, and curled horns like a sheep’s.
If it was just that, it wouldn’t have seemed out of place on this island, but the head is different.
It looks like a wide open mouth, with one eye embedded in it.
It looks strange… I can only describe it as more demonic than I expected.
But I haven’t met a bad person on this island, so…
I’m sure Arc is where he is because of this demon, but I don’t know yet if it was out of malice.
And if it really was a bad demon, he would’ve probably attacked us the moment we entered the room, like the boss of the fifth floor.
“Hum, my name is Arata! Mister demon! What’s going on here!?”
“…”
The demon grins again, slowly gets up, and then appears in front of me like he teleported.
““…!?””
The girls are surprised, but I guess I’ve grown numb, because something like this doesn’t surprise me anymore.
This demon is tall, and I have to look up even when it’s bending down.
The eye on the head is staring at me, and he slowly reaches towards me.
“You’re not scared of me, uh?”
“Someone I know told me I don’t really have that sort of emotion in me.”
My body is invincible, but I also think god messed with my spirit so I could live in this world.
Well, it doesn’t bother me, and it’s not like I’m completely incapable of feeling fear…
I’m really scared of making Reina angry.
“I can at least say I’m not scared of you.”
“Gahaha! I see I see! You’re not scared of me!”
The demon starts clapping, seemingly happy about what I said.
Then he grins and turns to the two girls behind me.
“But those two are scared.”
“…?”
“I-I’m not!”
“Stop that. I know.”
He shakes his head a little, and faces me again like he isn’t interested.
It feels a little awkward to be stared at like this, but I guess he isn’t bad.
“I see…”
“Hum, can you tell me your name?”
“Oh, I guess I haven’t introduced myself.”
The demon takes a few steps back, and introduces himself with a hand on his chest.
“I am Asmodeus. The leader of demons. And you’re Arata, right?”
“Yes. Arc didn’t return, so we came looking for him.”
I look at Arc again, but he doesn’t look like he’s in pain. It looks like he’s sleeping.
Now I understand why Wil’s magic didn’t trigger.
“Did you do something that caused him to become like that, Mister Asmodeus?”
“He wasn’t scared despite looking at me, and wanted to fight. So I indulged him a little.”
“Indulged him?”
“I got carried away. I was never too good at holding back.”
So he never meant to kill him.
Still, knowing Arc, something seems wrong about him wanting to fight…
“Well, don’t worry, soon enough he…”
“Buha!”
Arc interrupts him as he suddenly gasps and sits up.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
He puts his hand on his heart, and looks like he’s trying as hard as he can to calm himself, as he breathes rapidly.
““Arc!?””
Both rush towards him, and Mister Asmodeus snaps his fingers.
The two girls enter the magic circle, despite there being an invisible wall before.
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Thanks for the treat.