Defense-oriented, and a moss-covered ruin.
Among the golems surrounding Pain, the one relatively on the outer edge crumbles into light within the inferno.
Pain and Crom turn toward that golem. There, a single girl, Mii, manipulates flames, accelerating as she fights the golem.
Golems rise around Mii as well. Combined with the golems generated by Pain and her group, the current number had accumulated.
Mii, too, senses their presence from the sound of battle. Kanade and Crom, and Pain’s gear—distinctive even from a distance—along with the two others nearby, allowed Mii to quickly determine the group’s composition.
“Two of them, then.”
Mii burns the golems from beneath with a towering flame. Golems surrounding Mii and those around Pain and the others are drawn into the blaze.
The golems staggered, though not quite fallen.
Pain and the others seized the opening, slipping beneath the golems’ feet to join Mii.
They followed Mii’s plan, as proposed by Mizari and Marx.
Mii glanced at Marx and Mizari, then called out to Mizari.
“Mizari!”
“Yes, I understand!”
No need for detailed instructions. Mizari acted immediately.
She transferred her excess MP to Mii.
“Here we go…!”
The skill’s name was lost beneath the clatter of golem footsteps and impact, but the effect evoked a powerful spell.
In an instant, a wavering wall of flame formed on both sides of Mii and the others. Inside, a single path emerged, straight and unbroken, isolating the golems.
【Hidden Bloom】
When Markus murmured the words, a slender vine wrapped around each person present, blooming with a white flower at its tip.
The skill, usable only when unseen by monsters, cost a considerable amount of energy to render the target invisible to monsters for thirty seconds.
The duration was clear—when the effect ended, the flower withered and fell.
"Golems vanish if they lose sight of a player for even a moment."
Mii began to walk along the newly formed path of flame.
"We should go now. The flame walls won’t last long."
Mizari stepped close to Mii and whispered into her ear.
"Will you come with us?"
"Please… it’s unbearable alone…"
After Mizari discovered Maple’s secret, Mii relaxed slightly and immediately revealed her true self. Mizari saw through her performance as well.
Still, speaking easily with Mizari made it simpler to endure life within the guild.
Hearing Mii’s words, Mizari turned to Pain and spoke.
“Mii will come with us. A valuable addition to our strength.”
Mii’s rigid persona required someone to interpret it—Mizari fulfilled that role.
“My magic attacks are unreliable. I’ll be glad for the help.”
Mii accepted without hesitation. Only Mizari noticed the quiet relief in her breath.
“Then let’s go. Time is short.”
Crom ended the conversation and began walking.
They escaped the golem’s encirclement before the stealth effect faded.
It was a relief to Mizarie that the jungle did not ignite.
They advanced together, all six without missing a single soul.
"Visible now."
Having passed through the guardians—the golems—the next thing ahead must be something guarded in turn.
Before Pain, a ruin of moss-covered stone stood.
Deep within the ruin, a single large structure exuded strong presence.
No monsters surrounded the ruin. They moved forward unimpeded toward the large building at its heart.
Before the six, a long, endless staircase descended into the earth.
No reason to hesitate. All stepped down into the depths.
To claim the unknown, the guarded thing still undiscovered.