A colossal calamity is about to descend.
Do not approach the perilous white; do not step into the despairing green. The oracle of death shatters the sky, and blue-white light falls, bringing disaster. It crushes sobs, rends apart screams—amid hatred and despair, the feast of death begins.
When pitch-black darkness strikes the earth, the squirrel, frail, turns into a pool of blood and pulp. The laurel, steadfast, still ends with broken branches and scattered leaves. The iron hammer shatters; the warrior falls.
Monsters run rampant. Countless screams rise like towering walls, endless wails trapped within the dark. Elixirs dissolve into foam, and hope, too, meets its end. Natural gold is buried beneath a curse. Noble black plunges into the abyss.
The wings of justice snap in two; the budding shoots of love are utterly erased. Grief does not cease. A pure white blaze burns everything to ash before fading into darkness.
Never forget: only by safeguarding the secret potion can the wind of longing be set in motion.
Never forget: when life and death are overturned, only by standing at the brink of ruin will the light of hope appear.
Offer up the great sword and listen for the tolling bell. The Sacred Flame of rebirth will rise high, dancing with the storm.
The feast of death has already begun.
Struggle.
Let us see whether that love can withstand the song of tragedy—
...
"——?!!"
Cassandra shot upright in bed.
Her eyes flew open, lashes trembling as moisture gathered and spilled over, heavy tears falling onto the sheets.
"Huff… huff…"
She gasped uncontrollably, each breath scraping through her throat with a shudder. The terror from the dream refused to fade.
Her clothes were soaked with cold sweat, a chill seeping straight down her spine.
"That dream just now… what on earth was it…?"
Amid the confusion and fear, Cassandra slowly steadied herself. Beyond the stone walls came the noisy bustle of Adventurers. From the corridor on the other side drifted the voices of her companions in conversation.
"Lili thinks we shouldn't wake Cassandra-sama. She's probably exhausted, that's why she slept so long."
"Hunting on the eighteenth floor isn't that dangerous. Healing potions are enough. But… let's wait a little longer. There's still some time before we leave."
Lili and Daphne seemed to be preparing to head somewhere, waiting for Cassandra to wake up.
"…"
Cassandra recalled why she was here. Before setting out for the 24th Floor, Bell had given everyone a long list of instructions.
"Cassandra-san, did you have any strange dreams last night?"
Bell had deliberately stepped away from the others to speak with her alone.
"Well… I'm not sure if it was strange, or just something I can't bring myself to say… I don't think it's the kind of prophetic dream the Captain is hoping for…"
Cassandra answered haltingly.
As if trying to hide the flush on her face, she hurriedly added, "Captain, I could go lie down for a bit now. Maybe I'll dream something…"
"No need. The rescue has to leave immediately. We're out of time."
Bell looked thoughtfully toward the distant lake. "Wait… we still don't know Violas' movements. Since you're staying on the eighteenth floor, you can get some rest at the inn."
"Understood…"
Cassandra agreed at once.
"I'm heading out. If anything happens, I'm counting on you to look after Lili and the others."
The memory of the boy ended together with those words of trust.
Cassandra came back to herself and realized that a [Prophecy] had been born.
A dull ache pounded through her head, her thoughts murky and her vision blurred.
Each line of the prophecy was etched clearly into her mind, yet the scenes that accompanied them were unbearably gruesome.
Mountains of corpses, seas of blood, flesh crushed into pulp, fragments of bodies flying through the air…
Cassandra forced down the nausea rising in her throat and committed every detail of the prophetic dream to memory.
"I have to stay calm… I have to find a way to stop this tragedy…"
As if trying to steady her own fear and fragility, she spoke the words aloud, willing herself to believe them.
The Captain had entrusted everyone to her. She absolutely could not betray that priceless trust.
But…
What was she supposed to do?
Cold sweat clung to her skin, making her beautiful, delicate figure look painfully vulnerable.
Still deep in thought, Cassandra hurriedly dressed.
Not everything in a prophetic dream was set in stone.
More precisely, the calamity would arrive—but Cassandra was certain that her actions as a seer could influence the final outcome.
Because this [Prophecy] contained contradictions.
The first half pointed toward death and despair, yet the latter half hinted at a way to overturn everything.
It was the first time she had experienced such an ambiguous prophetic dream.
Could this, too, be connected to the Captain?
Cassandra forced herself not to dwell on it. She quickly stood and walked toward Daphne and the others.
"Cassandra-sama, you're finally awake. We were just about to head out."
Lili smiled lightly, a massive pack slung over her back.
"Head out…? Aren't we supposed to wait for the Captain to come back before returning to the surface?"
Cassandra's brows knit together at once.
Considering the dangers of the Dungeon, Bell had specifically warned them that the Floor Boss's respawn time was approaching. They were absolutely not to recklessly head to the seventeenth floor.
"Lili would never ignore Bell-sama's words. But aside from the seventeenth floor, we still have other places we can go, don't we?"
Lili raised her hand and pointed toward the distant plain.
On the green expanse of grass, faint silhouettes of monsters could be seen.
Monsters did not spawn on a safe floor, but they could wander in from other floors and roam around the eighteenth.
"Cassandra, I've already taken advantage of the terrain to observe carefully. There aren't many monsters over there, and they're all opponents we've fought before."
Daphne narrowed her sharp eyes slightly, as though she could see straight through her friend's unease. After a brief pause, she added,
"Besides, that grassland lies directly beneath the White Crystal. There are no other obstacles and the visibility is excellent. As a hunting ground, it's practically perfect."
Daphne had ruled out every possible risk. Compared to other floors, there was no need to worry about ambushes at that location.
"Does everyone… really have to go?"
Cassandra's lips trembled faintly.
"Cassandra-sama, chances like this for a good hunt don't come often."
Lili bluntly pointed out the very real financial benefits.
"I agree. We're not doing anything else anyway," Welf added quietly.
"Bell-dono is surely working hard to defeat monsters. I cannot allow myself to fall behind," Mikoto said, fully armed and brimming with determination.
"That's how it is. I don't think there's any need to worry too much. If you don't want to go, you can stay here."
Daphne delivered the final word.
Bell had followed Filvis and the others to the twenty-fourth floor.
Because of the [Banshee] title, everyone was worried about his safety. Rather than sitting anxiously in Rivira Town, it was better to throw themselves into battle—gain Excelia and earn a decent sum of money in the process.
"…"
Cassandra watched helplessly as they turned to leave.
She couldn't reveal the contents of the dream. It would only invite doubt, and under the invisible influence of the [Curse], it would instead stir up resistance in their hearts.
Clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, Cassandra recalled Bell's teaching and called out loudly,
"Please wait!"
"…?"
Daphne and the others turned around, confusion written across their faces.
Cassandra's cheeks were flushed bright red, but her green eyes were filled with unwavering resolve.
"Before the Captain left, he told me that if someone could serve him the most delicious dish when he returns…"
"He would confess to that person!"