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“Whoaaa, it’s so pretty!”

Hannah’s exclamation rang out as soon as they set foot on the layer. Her eyes, wide with wonder, drank in the scene before her — a breathtaking array of jewel-toned flowers, their petals glistening in the soft embrace of sunlight. It was a vision plucked straight from the pages of a fairy tale, where peace and beauty reigned unchallenged.

For a moment, Tsutomu and Xeno stood in quiet admiration, the unexpected vista catching them off guard, though their reaction was more tempered compared to Hannah’s childlike delight. In stark contrast, Leleia and Amira observed the idyllic landscape with an air of unease, their faces betraying their distaste.

“…If I hadn’t read the news, maybe I could appreciate this more,” Xeno mused aloud. “Judging by Hannah’s reaction… she probably didn’t bother to even skim it, did she?”

“Probably not,” Tsutomu replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. “Let’s just… let her enjoy herself.”

Xeno cast a sympathetic look at Hannah, who was now fully absorbed in picking one of the jewel-like flowers. Tsutomu, his expression dancing with a mischievous smile, offered no further comment as they continued along the flower-strewn path, advancing deeper into the layer.

“Ooh! Is that one of Sylph’s friends?”

“It’s technically classified as a monster, but it’s harmless.”

“It’s sooo cute!”

Delicate, fairy-like Angels flitted about, hovering over the flowers. Hannah’s spirits soared as she chased after them, her joy as bright as the sunlight. Yet Amira’s expression remained one of barely concealed disgust, while the Salamander perched on Leleia’s shoulder clamped its jaws shut, signaling its unwillingness to engage in the spectacle.

The tranquility of the eighty-first layer, populated only by benign creatures, offered an oasis of calm. Hannah, who had initially approached the new environment with caution, soon relaxed, even going so far as to fashion a flower crown with the help of the Angels. She wandered along as if she were on a carefree school field trip. Tsutomu made no effort to curb her enthusiasm, while the others shared none of her enthusiasm, keeping their distance from the Angels and the floral tokens Hannah tried to share with them.

“Why aren’t you all playing with the Angels? I get Amira and Leleia, but Xeno, I thought you’d find them beautiful enough to want to take one home.”

“…I DO think they’re beautiful, yes. But saying I want to take one home makes me sound like a criminal, doesn’t it?”

“I’m preeetty sure camping outside your wife’s house after she kicked you out is a crime too…”

“What!? How did you–!?”

“Miss Ollie told me when I was chatting with her the other day.”

Hannah, now holding an Angel whose white wings fluttered delicately in her grasp, cast a sly sideways glance at Xeno. He brushed his silver hair aside with a somewhat embarrassed air. The God Eye silently recorded the visuals and audio of this amusing exchange, ensuring it wouldn’t go unnoticed by the audience.

Amira, carrying her greatsword on her back, sneered at Hannah’s obliviousness to the layer’s potential dangers as she chatted away.

“Tch, our evasion-based Tank sure has a lot of air between her ears.”

“You know, Amira,” Tsutomu interjected, “for a moment, I was surprised you knew anything about this layer. But I guess that makes sense since you DO read the newspapers. It just… doesn’t really suit your image, is all.”

“What’d you just say?” Amira’s voice dropped to a menacing growl, prompting Tsutomu to feign disinterest as he turned away.

“Nothing, never mind.”

Even Camille had been taken aback to learn that Amira kept up with current events, but there was no denying it — she read the news, and that was that.

“The Salamander seems less lively than usual,” Tsutomu observed, shifting his focus to Leleia. “Could this place have some connection to the Spirits?”

“It seems so, yes, but it won’t interfere with combat,” Leleia replied with a swiftness that took Tsutomu by surprise, her words almost too quick to be natural.

“O-okay…”

Her rapid response unsettled Tsutomu, who proceeded to avert his gaze. The red-and-green Dragonewt duo was clearly intent on securing a place on the main team, their determination manifesting in every exchange, every action. They were eager to prove their worth to their leader.

“My <<Dragon Form>> is perfectly stable now. I can use <<Dragon Union>> with no issue, too” Amira suddenly declared.

“Judging by what we’ve seen from Ealdred Crow and Silver Beast so far, this layer is crawling with monsters we’ve never encountered before — including a significant number of ghost-types. I think a Spiritualist like me, who can adapt on the fly, would be invaluable here.”

“Oh yeah? Ghosts or not, a skill can kill them all the same — just gotta hit them hard enough.”

“O-kay…? I wasn’t talking to you. Tsutomu, she is disrupting the party’s harmony. You’ll find that I, on the other hand, am causing no such issues.”

“What!?”

“Mm-hmm?”

“Calm down, you two,” Tsutomu sighed, firing off a series of weak <<Medic>> shots like a machine gun, aiming to douse their rising tempers. The pale invigorating lights, though hardly effective, did their part as a reminder, causing them to recoil from one another as if they were magnets with opposing poles.

[Well, Leleia does have a point — she IS a good fit here.]

The eighty-first layer, and the set beyond it, presented a host of new challenges, populated by light-elemental monsters with notably low magic resistance. A Spiritualist’s abilities would prove crucial, especially against the boss awaiting them on the ninetieth layer. Leleia and Diniel currently stood as the front-runners for the two Attacker slots on the main team.

[Still, Amira’s <<Dragon Union>> sounds quite promising, and her <<Dragon Form>> has been incredibly stable lately. She’s really been showing remarkable improvement in all areas.)

Tsutomu’s instincts leaned toward Amira. The girl who had once been too stubborn to find her own way, trapped in the shadow of her mother and the path she had trailblazed, was gone. Their previous battle against the Winter General had revealed the change — Compared even to Camille from when she assisted Tsutomu’s party, Amira was stronger now, more reliable, her potential rivaling even Daniel as an Attacker.

Tsutomu knew that, during the battle with the ninetieth layer’s boss, he would not have the luxury of supporting everyone equally. There would be moments where he could offer assistance to only the Attackers — and even then, perhaps only a single one of them at a time.

Amira’s potential for high damage output made her an appealing candidate. There was something about her — a sense of untapped potential, a spark that neither Diniel nor Leleia possessed. Amira had the makings of a true ace Attacker.

[Amy works well with the team overall, but her individual strength falls just a bit short. She feels like she’d be most effective when paired with Diniel, too, which feels pretty limiting…]

Amy was undoubtedly a high-caliber Attacker. Her Job as a Dualblader granted her efficiency in dealing damage, and her instincts in battle were exceptional. But when compared to Diniel, the master Archer who barely broke a sweat, Amira with her unique <<Dragon Form>> skill, or Leleia with her mastery over all four Spirits and professional rapier expertise, Amy fell just shy of their level.

Of course, an Attacker’s worth wasn’t measured by individual prowess alone. Amy possessed a charm that captivated the audience, and her ability to seamlessly coordinate with the party made her a valuable asset. From Tsutomu’s perspective, she was easy to work with — always paying appropriate attention to his support skills, and always mindful of the bigger picture.

But when it came to deciding who would make the cut for the main team, the decision was far from easy. After witnessing Amira and Leleia’s performance during the Winter General fight, Tsutomu found himself leaning toward them. Moreover, the ninetieth layer boss’s high resistance to bleeding effects made Amy a less favorable choice. The decision had already been half-made in his mind — Amy most likely wouldn’t secure a main Attacker slot this time.

“Huh? There’s a big rock up ahead!”

Tsutomu had been lost in thought when Hannah, who had taken the life advice to “stop and smell the flowers” a bit too literally, pointed ahead at a large stone monument at the end of the flower-lined path.

“Hmm, I wonder what it is~~ Hannah, could you check it out for us~~?”

“Got it!”

“……”

Tsutomu’s overly theatrical request earned a half-exasperated shake of the head from Xeno. Leleia and Amira exchanged knowing glances, their displeasure with him evident, though they kept their thoughts to themselves.

“Hmm? Waaait, isn’t this…”

As Hannah approached, it became clear that the stone was no mere monument — it was more akin to a grave marker. The instant she touched it, the once radiant sky darkened, bleeding into a deep, ominous red.

“What…?”

The vibrant flowers withered and decayed in an instant, revealing the skeletal remains hidden beneath. Human bones, along with those of beasts and birds, began to surface from the now barren earth, and a crimson liquid began to rain from the sky like droplets of blood.

“Ow–!”

The flower crown that adorned Hannah’s head sprouted sharp thorns, pricking her scalp. With a quick shake of her head, she dislodged it and realized with horror that the Angels who had been fluttering so sweetly around her had transformed.

“HYAAAHHH!?”

Their Angels’ eyes had sunken into hollow voids, their once delicate wings now ragged and torn. Patches of their white hair had fallen away, revealing raw, exposed scalp. These creatures, now twisted and malevolent, continued to circle Hannah.

“W-W-W-WHAT IS THIS!?”

It was not unheard of for Explorers venturing into the eighty-first layer to find themselves in a realm of serene beauty, only for it to suddenly morph into a nightmarish landscape — from heaven to hell. Such phenomena had even been reported during Tsutomu’s absence for the Stampede, with tales and screenshots of the Explorers’ horror making their way into the newspapers.

Tsutomu and the others were well aware of this rare occurrence, having read about it in the newspapers back at the Clan House — everyone except Hannah. As she flailed in panic, her blue-feathered wings beating frantically, Tsutomu doubled over in laughter. The others allowed themselves a soft chuckle before readying themselves for combat.

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