/
All of us returned to the first floor and came to the place where the entrance was.
Her monsters waiting there all went on top of Alice’s shoulders.
The monsters told Alice the entrance had disappeared.
“It’s really gone, what does that mean?” (Alice)
“I have a hypothesis, let’s try that out.” (Ryouta)
“That means you want to go out once?” (Alice)
“Yeah.” (Ryouta)
I nod and forcibly open the entrance with a normal iron wall bullet.
If it’s just my friends, the normal amount is fine.
“Let’s go outside and reset the entrance” (Ryouta)
“Yoda-san, Eve-chan is still down there desu.” (Emily)
“Now that you mention. We didn’t see her when we were coming up, where is she hiding?” (Ryouta)
“Even if we go out, there would be no point as the entrance would remain close.” (Alice)
“Alice, can you find Eve?” (Ryouta)
“Hmm, maybe I should find a location where the monsters are gone?” (Alice)
“Makes sense.” (Ryouta)
She can’t detect Eve, but Eve would be at a place where there are no monsters.
“It’s okay, we don’t have to go in such a convoluted way.” (Celeste)
Celeste stopped Alice; her face is full of confidence.
“You thought of a better way?” (Ryouta)
“Yes, leave it to me” (Celeste)
Celeste said so and took out the carrot from her luggage.
She gently dropped it on the ground.
Since carrot = Eve, she’ll do something about the carrot, so I kept silent and watched over it——Celeste did nothing more.
What’s going on? I wondered.
Do Do Do Do Do Do—–Eve has appeared!
She ran with tremendous momentum, kicked the ground with such strength and head-sliding from 10 meters away.
She slid here and picked up the carrot as if attracted by it.
“Hey.” (Eve)
“Don’t hey me.” (Ryouta)
“Aaaah !? You can’t just eat carrots from the ground nanodesu.” (Emily)
“It’s okay, if it’s a carrot, bunny can follow the 300-second rule.” (Eve)
“Not even three seconds!” (Ryouta)
Celeste dropped the carrot and she arrived in a split second.
“Also, how did you even know where the carrot was?” (Ryouta)
“Whenever there’s carrot, there’s bunny.” (Eve)
“I’ve heard similar lines a long time ago!” (Ryouta)
The third popular series, the Great Demon King.
“Well, let’s go out first.” (Ryouta)
Instead of playing along with her, let’s just drag the summoned Eve by Celeste.
We went out one after another accordingly.
The entrance was restored because everyone went out.
I entered the dungeon that had returned to its original state again.
Eve stood still with a carrot bite.
“Then let’s do the same. I’ll need your help Alice.” (Ryouta)
“OK!” (Alice)
Alice’s fellow monsters jumped off her shoulders again.
“Everyone, you can stay at the entrance. If something makes it to close, please look at the moment when it closes.” (Ryouta)
“Okay, something might happen.” (Celeste)
“I’ll do my best desu!” (Emily)
“…” (Eve)
After asking Celeste, Emily, and Eve, I went to the back of the dungeon with Alice and Vanadium.
Alice guided us to proceed without an encounter.
“Even so, we don’t know anything about what Eri-chan is afraid of. She’s so calmed even after being trapped.” (Alice)
“I think humans are scary creatures.” (Ryouta)
“Is that so” (Alice)
“And I think it’s even safer in the dungeon. Even in someone else’s dungeon.” (Ryouta)
“Oh, I understand that. I’m relieved even if it’s not the dungeon I was born in. Maybe I’m the happiest in my life now with Eri-chan’s dungeon as a mansion.” (Alice)
“Glad to hear that.” (Ryouta)
I hadn’t been concerned about it until now, but the current situation may be a heavenly environment for Alice, who is born in a dungeon.
Thinking about that, we came to the stairs leading to the second floor.
“Alice” (Ryouta)
“Yup!” (Alice)
Three people went down to the second floor.
I saw Alice and nodded.
This time, I climbed the stairs and returned to the first floor.
Looking again, after all I was shaken.
And trying to go back upstairs again—–
“Ryouta!” (Alice)
Alice shouted the moment I went down the stairs.
“Is it closed?” (Ryouta)
“Yup!” (Alice)
“So it really closes when we try to return up.” (Ryouta)
“Return up?” (Alice)
“It’s just for convenience. Usually, when we want to return, we’ll have to climb stairs right?” (Ryouta)
“Yeah, usually everyone stays on the same floor all the time.” (Alice)
“So going upstairs is [returning]” (Ryouta)
“Ah, yeah, I kinda understand. Sometimes I think,”I’ll do it a little more,”” (Alice)
“That’s right. Okay, let’s join with everyone—–” (Ryouta)
At that moment, the scenery changed.
The ceiling, walls and ground that had been shining pale until then disappeared at once, and it became a pitch-black space.
Meanwhile, only one lane of the road can be seen at our feet.
It wasn’t shining, but it was clearly visible in total darkness.
“What is this? Ah are you alright?” (Ryouta)
“… (Shake shake)” (Vanadium)
It wasn’t pointed towards Alice, but Vanadium holding hands.
Vanadium seems to be scared, and her hands are trembling.
“It’s okay, we’re together” (Ryouta)
“… (Nod nod.)” (Vanadium)
“Let’s move on, there’s no point in staying here.” (Ryouta)
While holding hands, I started walking along the road.
It’s a strange feeling.
There is nothing around, the road is too beautiful to compare.
I was walking, but I didn’t know if I was moving or not, as if feeling slightly drunk.
Vanadium’s hands remained trembling. I walked slowly, holding her hands and following me one step behind.
I hold it as strongly as possible so that it does not hurt.
The message showing that I would not let her go.
I want to remove fear as much as possible.
After walking for a while, a light suddenly appeared in front of me.
“It looks like an exit, it’s okay …” (Ryouta)
Turn around to reassure her——-the moment I stopped moving.
The reason is that it can only be thought of as a guess. I felt a great sense of discomfort and danger.
After the movement stopped due to intuition, my head searched for a reason.
A feeling of strangeness.
Vanadium was trembling in fear.
Vanadium is scared, but of?
She was … wasn’t she scared of humans?
Of course, it is possible that this space is related to the death of her previous life———–Erythronium.
But … my intuition was screaming that it wasn’t.
“…” (Ryouta)
I stopped turning around and proceeded with Vanadium’s hand pulled.
When I came to the shining place, there was a stone statue there.
There are many stone statues that have decayed and are broken.
I understood at a glance.
All of them were stone statues of the “moment when I turned around”.
“It’s a nasty trap.” (Ryouta)
I mumbled and passed by the stone statue.
A mysterious sensation sprouted.
I feel something.
It is a feeling similar to the five senses, which is far clearer than intuition.
For example, hot air blows on the skin and it is dangerous because it is hot.
That’s a clear sense of the five senses.
I proceed while being invited by that feeling. And stop on the endless road.
Stopping——–more than a dozen seconds.
The scenery flew away. It shattered like glass.
“Ryouta!” (Alice)
“…!” (Ryouta)
Immediately after the flash of light shines in front of me, Alice’s voice and Vanadium’s impatience come from the connected hands.
Looking around, we’re near the stairs on the second floor.
Alice and Vanadium were anxiously looking into my face there.
“… So only I was there.” (Ryouta)
“What are you talking about? Are you alright?” (Alice)
“Oh, I’m alright. More than that.” (Ryouta)
I look around, and as a result of looking around, I point to the direction that my “sense” leads.
“So it’s there, the stairs leading to the third floor.” (Ryouta)
“Eh? Yeah, that’s right.” (Alice)
“Really” (Ryouta)
It was at that moment when I started to understand Alice’s feelings.