For a brief moment, the space had been lit by artificial light, but with the explosion the light was snuffed out, and darkness swallowed everything once more.
In that darkness, the tall man and the young girl hurriedly took cover behind the nearest obstacle, preparing for a possible counterattack.
"Phew! We actually pulled it off."
At any rate, that was one down.
He had landed a proper hit, right on the money.
With the surprise attack succeeding exactly as planned, Welf let out a small sigh of relief and released the tension he had unknowingly been holding in his body.
By contrast, Lili still could not relax her stiff expression at all.
"Hey! You okay, Lili-doll?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. I'm fine. I'm fine, Welf."
"Really?"
Her companion looked at her with concern.
Then, as if trying to reassure her, he brought their achievement back into the conversation in an intentionally bright voice.
After all, their plan had succeeded without a hitch.
"Anyway... I caught a glimpse earlier, and that explosion was pretty big. If it was that strong, wouldn't it have been a pretty serious injury? What do you think, Lili-doll?"
"Who knows."
At Welf's question, Lili kept her words to a minimum and avoided giving a clear answer.
Indeed, as far as she knew, during the last expedition with Loki Familia, the Magus had returned with terrible injuries.
Without his personal specialized healing method, everyone agreed it had truly been a life-threatening situation.
And now, on top of that, even that treatment had been interrupted partway through.
It went without saying that the aftereffects were still tormenting the Magus's body quite severely.
"This was a plan I came up with by banking on that, but whether it'll really work... honestly, Lili herself is full of doubts."
The Magus's skill, methods, and potential were so absurd, bizarre, and boundless that no one could possibly predict them.
No matter how much Welf's magic boasted the best possible matchup against a mage, they could never afford to let their guard down.
So Lili kept glaring hard beyond the burst of smoke, refusing to relax for even a second.
"At the very least, with An-sama's condition right now, close combat should be impossible. Surely he wouldn't make the game that brutal, would he? He hates physical labor more than anything, whether he realizes it or not.
"And An-sama's magecraft can definitely be countered by Welf-sama's magic. Fast, no-chant stuff like Gandr would still be a problem, but that spell's power is on the weaker side, so if we handle it carefully..."
That was when it happened.
"Heh heh heh..."
Someone's laughter drifted out from the darkness.
Well, of course. He was the Magus.
Who else could possibly be there?
"Pfft, kahahahahahahaha!"
His small chuckle grew and grew, until it turned into outright laughter.
No, that was not merely laughter.
It was a roar.
The rough cry of a ferocious beast standing at the very top of the food chain.
"Amazing! What is this? Huh? What the hell is this, Lili?"
As the smoke cleared, the Magus revealed himself.
This was a space enclosed on all sides by walls, but it was not a perfectly lightless place where you could not see an inch ahead.
Light from outside seeped in through some crack somewhere, enough to provide just enough illumination for the interior to remain barely visible.
That was why Lili, who had been watching the front, and Welf beside her could both clearly see the Magus's condition with their own eyes.
And if one were to describe that sight in a single phrase.
A blood-soaked walking corpse.
That was how effective Welf's magic had been against the Magus.
Not only the skin on the outside, but apparently even his internal organs had been affected, because his upper body was completely drenched in blood.
And yet, Welf still could not bring himself to let his guard down.
Because even in that state, even looking like that.
"So that's it. You forcibly interfere with the other party's magical energy and make it run wild at will. That's your magic, isn't it, the Crozzo brat?"
How could anyone possibly relax against someone laughing so happily, so joyfully, like a madman?
For anyone else, maybe.
But at least for Welf and Lili here, it was impossible.
"No way... it didn't work?"
"No, that's not it. That last one was pretty big. It was very effective. Even now, cough! ...ptoo! I can clearly feel my insides being shaken to pieces in real time. My healed organs feel like they've been torn apart and tangled up again. This is really something.
"And that's not all. Maybe because you used my magical energy as the catalyst? You blew up not only me, but the workshop resonating with me through my circuits too. Thanks to that, the temporary workshop I painstakingly prepared ended up completely useless. What a waste.
"At this point, if we add in the whole 'mage killer' thing... no, with that magic sword in the mix, maybe it's closer to an elf killer? Either way, that was truly amazing!"
"Ha, ahahaha... Hey, mister. That doesn't sound like something you should be saying while laughing."
"Why not? If something makes you laugh, then laughing is only natural!"
After tossing out that light reply to Welf, the Magus turned his gaze to Lili.
At that intensely focused stare, with its strangely chilling hint of madness, she instinctively looked away a little.
"Yes, Lili. So this is what you prepared. You really are trying to stop me."
"Ugh, I'm sorry. But An-sama, you should understand by now. In your current condition, any more fighting is impossible. So please, just stop here... "
"So, what's next?"
"...An-sama?"
No, this was never something you could mistake or avoid just by looking away.
And as if he had read her thoughts, the Magus stepped forward without hesitation.
"What did you prepare next? What did you come up with? Don't be stingy—show me quickly and plainly."
"D-Didn't you hear what I just said?! Or is your head still spinning from the shock a moment ago? Pull yourself together!"
"Hmm, I can't exactly say no to that. Still, I'm pretty close to my senses, so don't worry about that, Lili. Right now I'm speaking to you with complete sincerity. To put it another way, I'm like someone who drank but didn't get drunk."
"What kind of nonsense is that!? In that condition, you're really in danger! You can't keep pushing yourself any further! If you keep going like this, you'll really..."
"That kind of thing has nothing to do with anything here!"
His voice rose sharply at last.
Lili inhaled slightly before she could stop herself.
Could it be that he was angry because he thought she had betrayed him?
No, that was not it.
That was her own misunderstanding.
Contrary to her frightened assumption, the emotion the Magus was holding right now was not anger.
Rather...
"Lili, you! My disciple! A mere porter who used to be so weak, so weak! Right here! You're trying to stop me!"
You're trying to beat your master!
From that desperate, heartfelt shout, both Lili and Welf understood.
The emotion the Magus held right now was absolutely not anger or feelings of betrayal, as they had assumed.
It was more like a cheer.
Pure, unadulterated joy itself.
He was truly delighted right now.
Truly delighted, and shouting in triumph.
The cause and subject of all that was none other than Lili.
This was a master's exclamation of admiration toward his young disciple, who had just found her resolve and determination.
"If you inherit everything from your master, if you receive every lesson, can you truly be said to be that person's disciple? No, not at all."
For her sake, the Magus began explaining why he was so happy.
But it was nothing special, nothing rare, nothing strange.
For him, it was an entirely ordinary story.
"The role of a disciple is to surpass the teaching! That principle is only completed once you go beyond the master who taught you!"
Humanity had grown by overcoming countless trials like that.
That will, in the past, in the present, and even in the future yet to come.
Would continue endlessly, all the way to the final end.
Even if it were to be ruined by failure.
It would never be defeated by despair.
That was the will of human civilization.
Human strength, the praise of mankind.
"So how could this situation not be enjoyable? How could I possibly not be thrilled!"
In truth, Lili had carried it out and, in the end, made it real.
It might have been a tiny thing, something utterly insignificant.
It might have been nothing more than a meaningless step in a losing battle.
And yet she had somehow, in the end, surpassed the Magus's expectations and predictions.
She had, however slightly, stepped outside his calculations and dealt him a meaningful injury.
She had proven her own growth.
That made the Magus deeply, genuinely happy.
"Come, Lili."
"An-sama..."
"As your master, I command you. Give it everything you have, stake everything on this, and come at me. Here and now, prove what you possess—your soul... prove yourself."
Even if only a little.
Just like that surprise attack a moment ago, surpass the trial before you with your own wit and potential, and go beyond the Magus's expectations and predictions.
"Surpass me... surpass the wall of trial that is me, in style."
The madman's laughter stopped.
What followed was the Magus's smile, and it was quite a fine one.
As always, he wore a confident, stubborn expression, but now there was also the face of a man looking at her with firmer-than-usual expectation and trust.
"L-Lili..."
"Cut out the 'I can't do it,' the 'it's impossible,' all of that. The Liliruca Arde I know is small, yes, but she's stronger and smarter than anyone else."
"Lili... an adventurer...?"
"That's right, you're an adventurer. Not some shady Magus like me who spends every single day shut away in a corner doing nothing but experiments and research, and not some ordinary Supporter who pointlessly complains about the world every day while letting life drift by in boredom."
You are Little Rookie, Bell Cranel's first companion.
An adventurer, Liliruca Arde.
"This long prologue ends here. Forget all of your unhappy past, your pathetic self, your weak self, the you that was nothing at all. Crumple it all up, stuff it into the corner of your mind, and throw it away! From this moment on, your real life, the adventure of Liliruca Arde...!"
It starts here, today!
"..."
And with that, his grand speech came to an end.
A strange silence drifted through the air around them.
Within it, Lili fidgeted and could not quite find the words to continue.
But she could not stay like that forever.
At last, her mouth opened, and she said,
"An... sama."
"Why... why are you doing this for Lili...? Why go this far...?"
Lili truly did wonder—truly, sincerely wonder—and asked him.
Why did he trust her so much?
How could he trust her this much?
To that natural question, the Magus gave an equally natural answer.
"Because you're my disciple."
And I am your master.
"I chose you. So don't trust the you that doesn't trust you. Don't trust the you that you remember either. Trust only me, the one who trusts you, and the one who remembers you."
So believe in yourself!
Hearing those words, Lili's eyes widened.
That was the Magus's answer.
And with that, the exchange between the two of them ended.
But in the end, that was all that mattered.
And that alone was enough for Lili.
"Honestly... both Bell-sama and An-sama are just..."
Before she knew it, Lili's eyes had turned red.
It was a tear that did not suit the situation at all.
And yet, not a single person here pointed it out.
There was not a single man here who would do something so unromantic.
Though in the end, there were only the two of them.
"Lili-doll."
Welf gently patted her shoulder from beside her, then drew his sword.
There was no mistaking the fighting spirit in his expression.
"Get ready."
"Welf-sama?"
"Your so-called master has gone and said all that, hasn't he? Then wouldn't it be the proper thing for a disciple to answer sincerely, after tossing aside all the annoying extras?"
Let's land another proper hit, just like before.
With that, Welf flashed a broad, manly grin.
Seeing him like that, Lili went blank for a moment before rubbing the corners of her reddened eyes hard with one sleeve.
When she lowered her arm again, her expression had changed.
"An-sama, thank you very much for everything until now."
The face of a brave adventurer, once again steeling her resolve.
Beneath it, the radiant smile of a human being.
"And Lili wants to keep thanking An-sama from now on too."
So.
Let's adventure.
Here and now, the girl had truly made up her mind.
To repay the man before her, the Magus, for real!
"I'll overcome you!"
For the sake of this overwhelming feeling she dared not ignore.
Today, for the first time, she would go on an adventure.
Yes, from today onward, this was truly day one.
The beginning of Liliruca Arde's true adventure, her true story.
"Good resolve!"
The Magus answered her heartfelt confession—her declaration of war—with joy of his own.
With genuine happiness.
With a truly delighted expression.
"Then as your master, I'll steel my own resolve as well."
Just a little.
Just a tiny bit.
"Now then, this was neither announced nor planned in advance, but let's use 'this.'"
He too had decided to give the two of them his "sincerity."
And so he made his decision.
Clack, clatter
"Hm?"
From the darkness.
A strange sound came from behind the Magus.
Clack, whirr, clatter
"Eh?"
And then it was...
Kiiing, vwoom... crunch, krrrrrriii!
Simply by appearing, it shattered the warm atmosphere and the cool, stylish mood in an instant.
It shook Liliruca Arde's brave resolve from the ground up.
"A-An-sama?"
"Now then, Lili."
"The test begins."
The moment those words ended.
Boom!
Krrrrrrrr!
Four tentacles shot out of the darkness toward the two of them.
Behind the Magus's back.
Four steel snakes—hands—smashed through the surrounding cover as they lunged at them.
"R-run, Welf-sama!"
"W-whoaaah!"
Bang!
Krrrrrrrrrrrr!
The four steel tentacles moved smoothly, making noise as if to mock the two of them.
Watching that, the Magus wore a deep smile at the corner of his mouth.
Magic got blocked?
Then he'd just fight without using magic.
His body was a patient?
Then he'd just fight without using his body.
"There's no end to my romance."
There were plenty of other ways, too.
This was the Magus's own brand of absurdity that Lili could never even imagine.
Another cheat that went beyond cheat.
Krrrrrrrr!
"Aaaah! I-it's coming!"
"An-sama, that's so unfairrrrr!"
"Heh, endure it strongly. I believe in you, Lili."
Despite his words, there was not a trace of sorrow in his expression.
On the contrary, his eyes and mouth were still full of laughter.
In any case, that was how Lili's test began, and Welf, who had been dragged into it by sheer accident, as well.
The subject of the test was survival and sparring.
The solution was either to run until the end and stay alive, or to fight and overcome it.
In other words.
Something like a slightly thrilling game of tag?
""Kyaaaah!""
"As expected, being a jerk is fun."
Truly, a renegade acknowledged by a goddess.
His romance—his wickedness—continued today as well.
And the number of victims was still set to increase.
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