Kelu let out a wail as he fell into the lava, then was slowly swallowed up...

Lonis knew the battle was finally over. There was no danger around them now, and at last she could breathe easy.

“Elucia, are you okay?”

Lonis went to check on Elucia, only to find...

Thump.

Elucia collapsed to the ground.

As if countless fine threads had sliced across her body, bright red blood welled from her skin and trickled down, little by little.

“Elucia?”

Her hands and feet went cold with fear, and Lonis hurried over to her.

But the black-haired girl only smiled faintly, as if it didn’t matter. “Hmph. Looks like this is as far as my power goes.”

“Huh?”

“Lonis, don’t worry about me. Just go back the way we came, using the stairs over there.”

“Elucia, what are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? Lonis, didn’t you want a gentle, considerate girl? Someone like me was never meant to be your partner.”

Elucia gave her arm a slight shake, refusing the hand Lonis held out to her.

But even that small movement made more blood seep from her skin. The bright red blood kept flowing, staining her clothes and black stockings a deep red.

“You’ve wanted to escape my control for ages, haven’t you? Well, here’s your chance. I can’t move, so you can take the opportunity to run away... Run far, far away, or I might catch you again once I’ve recovered.”

“!!!”

Lonis froze. From a rational point of view, this really was a perfect chance to get away from Elucia.

Didn’t she hate being treated like a slave?

Didn’t she want to be free?

So leaving Elucia—the sadistic girl who loved to torment her—was the best choice.

But...

...

『Lonis, I didn’t mean any of it.』

...

She had no proof, but Lonis had a feeling that Elucia was at the end of her rope. If she left her here, Elucia would surely die.

Just like that, quietly...

In the city where she had once lived,

in this dungeon, where daylight never reached,

she would slowly die, become nothing but bones, and be utterly forgotten by the world.

...

So...

Lonis clenched her fists and let out a roar with all her might:

“Elucia, don’t get it wrong! I’m the master here!!!!!!!!!”

“Huh?”

“You’ve tormented me and bullied me before... So don’t think you can just die that easily! I’m going to take advantage of you being unable to move and get my revenge, you know?”

“You... What are you saying? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

Elucia gritted her teeth and glared at Lonis with resentment... If she’d had any strength left, she probably would’ve punched Lonis in the face by now.

But Elucia had no strength left at all. All she could do was let the silver-haired girl help her to her feet.

“Besides, you’re that scheming silver-haired princess, right? Hmph. You tried to escape our wedding in our past life, too. This time, I absolutely won’t let you get away with it.”

“...!”

“I don’t care how sadistic, scheming, tsundere, or perverted you are. If you’re my wife, then you have to be sweet, kind, considerate, and responsible! Even if you fight back, I’ll keep reforming you!!”

With Elucia on her back, Lonis staggered forward.

But the girl behind her...

slowly closed her eyes...

...

...

『...』

『You...』

『You’re still the same as... back then.』

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Lonis thought her words and actions had been manly—real hero stuff!

But she hadn’t even gone a hundred meters...

before she realized her limits. A girl’s body was just too frail. Even carrying a little girl on her back had already left her exhausted.

Her legs trembled beneath her, and cold sweat kept pouring down her back, soaking her little skirt and stockings.

Her “chest muscles” were aching, too. She seemed to have strained them when she hit the ground to dodge Kelu’s bite.

Lonis didn’t know how much longer she could hold out, but her heart kept telling her one thing: she absolutely couldn’t abandon Elucia. She had to get her out alive.

...

Just then...

Elucia, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

“Lonis, are you an idiot?”

“Huh?”

Lonis couldn’t see Elucia’s expression. She could only feel the warmth against her back, which meant Elucia’s temperature was still normal.

“I’m seriously injured. If you take me out of the prison and into the snow, I’ll die anyway.”

“Y-You’re right...”

Lonis blinked. She’d been running on pure passion and hadn’t given a single thought to where she was going.

But now that she thought about it...

There was nothing but wilderness outside, and nowhere suitable to take care of Elucia.

“Hmph. You really are an idiot.”

“Don’t call me an idiot, Elucia. Where should we go?”

“Go left. When you see a red lotus symbol, reach out and activate the second switch. Then get into the elevator.”

“Huh?”

“That’s where I used to regulate the Flame Abyss when I was a princess... Only the power of the Flame Abyss can heal my injuries.”

“Oh... Okay!”

“Of course, you could also think of it as a trap. The moment you go in, a terrifying tentacle monster might swallow you up and ravage you, while I sit safely to the side and watch you get assaulted.”

“You’re seriously injured! Stop joking around like that!!!!”

...

Lonis, of course, didn’t think Elucia would hurt her.

Sure, Elucia was a little strange, but deep down... she was a kind girl.

Actually...

Ever since seeing Elucia’s past, Lonis had decided that this girl was her wife. No matter what happened, no matter how much others tormented her, Elucia was still her wife!

Lonis liked sweet, gentle girls, but she liked them even more when they were the ones being bullied~

Her pride as a Hero gave her a protective streak. She wanted to see Elucia smile!

...

Still...

Even the “Hero girl,” trying to act tough, ran into a serious problem.

“I-Is this the right way...? Why didn’t it start when I pulled the lever?”

“Hmph. It’s probably fallen into disrepair.”

“Huh? Then what do we do?”

“Dig a hole. That should do it.”

“Dig a hole—straight down to that place?!”

“No. Dig a hole first, then bury me in it. That way, you won’t have to feel guilty, right? You can put up a gravestone too, if you do.”

“Elucia, be serious!!! No more joking!!!!”

Realizing she’d been teased, Lonis flew into a flustered rage.

“All right, all right~ I should still have some fire crystals in my storage ring. Put one in the magic furnace beside you, and that should get the elevator running again.”

“If it’s that simple, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Huh? Simple...? I think digging a hole is simpler. You can just fall asleep like this without having to worry about anything. How nice~”

“Elucia!!!!!!!”