"We… we finally reached…!"

    Finally reaching the end of the stairway, Persia gave a happy shout.

    I don''t really feel touched or anything of any sort. After all, this is only the beginning.

    Persia then controlled her ball of light into the basement, where it lit up the entire basement.

    Naturally, she wants to enter the basement…

    "… Don''t go any further, Persia."

    …and was stopped by Kuroyuki, where Kuroyuki grabbed the back of her collar.

    "Eh— what''s wrong…?" Persia murmured. "Didn''t you destroy most of the traps…?"

    "It''s better to be safer," Kronos said. "We never know when would those traps kill you before you knew it— now step aside, please."

    "Kronos?" I asked. "What are you doing—"

    "Hmm…" Kronos murmured. "Hmmmmmm……."

    Kronos then squats down and places his right hand on the floor, seeming to have a feel on it.

    …He didn''t bother to answer. So what on earth is he doing…?

    "Kronos—"

    "Don''t bother Kronos." Rumelia stopped me before I could stop him. "He''s concentrating."

    "Concentrating? Is he trying to alter the landscape of the basement?" I asked Rumelia, since she''s the closest to Kronos.

    "………………"

    However, she didn''t bother to respond. She wasn''t even looking at me.

    What''s with them…!?

    "Altering the landscape would make this almost unrecognisable to Kuroyuki." I raised my voice on Rumelia. "And if there''s a mistake with Kronos''s alteration— the traps might activate, and someone would suffer!"

    """""…!" ””””

    Hearing my remark, everyone but Rumelia and Kronos was worried.

    "………………"

    But Rumelia had her eyes on me now, despite the fact that she was still expressionless.

    "Please don''t be harsh on her, Luc," Kronos told me as he stood up, facing me as he nudged his glasses. "…So you were thinking that much for us. I''m terribly sorry for doing this on my own without letting everyone know forehand."

    "…What did you do to the basement?" I uttered.

    "I altered the floor and wall, disabled the traps and pitfalls and reinforced the pillars," Kronos replied. "As for the black sword that was stabbing on that platform— unfortunately, I can''t alter that part because something is stopping me from changing its properties."

    I make my way past Rumelia, Kuroyuki, and Persia to reach Kronos so I can grab his collar with my hands.

    "How sure are you?" I asked him with a glare. "Could you one-hundred percent guarantee that it''s absolutely safe for everyone?"

    "Yes." Kronos calmly replied. "With my life ?ssured."

    "…!"

    He did not show any sign of hesitation nor he was brimming with confidence. It''s as if he fully understood that a single mistake would leave terrible consequences.

    "Calm down, Luc. Come on, let go of him."

    When I realised, August was just right behind me, tapping my right shoulder.

    Accepting August''s conciliation, I threw Kronos to him.

    "Kuh…! What are you doing…!?" Kronos had to nudge his glasses so that he could look at me.

    "…None of you enter the basement until I say so," I uttered.

    It would be fine if I were the only one taking the risk. But… if anything happened to them, that would be my fault. Even if it''s not my fault, I would definitely suffer from guilt.

    That''s why, the best option— is to take this risk myself.

    "Try me, Luc. You won''t get even a single scratch."

    As if Kronos knew what I was going to do, he looked at me with a grin.

    …The floors were altered with stone marble, the pillars were reinforced with heavy metal, with extra supports for the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with steel bars.

    Facing the fully refined basement with a heavy feeling, I took a deep breath.

    Then, I took a step into the basement.

    Then, I walked around and even ran around the entire basement.

    Seeming everything is okay, I sprint all the way back to the entrance.

    "It''s safe to enter now!" I yelled.

    SLAP!

    As soon as I yelled, Kuroyuki threw a slap on my face.

    It''s a harmless light slap.

    "… Don''t ever do this again. It''s foolish and dangerous." She told me coldly.

    Even though Nightmare is the cause of her uneasiness, it would be better if she said she''s worried about me.

    "…Sorry," I replied.

    With that, Kuroyuki walks past me.

    "You dummy…! Do you know how worried I was…!?"

    Persia, who was behind Kuroyuki, immediately yelled at me while hitting my ?h?st repeatedly with her fists— with tears seeming to fall at any moment.

    She really… was that worried about me…?

    "…Sorry," I replied, once more.

    With that, Persia pouted and walked past me, catching up to Kuroyuki.

    "It''s okay to be a hero, Luc."

    When I knew it, August pats my shoulder with a sombre smile.

    "Just… try not to die like my friend, okay…?"

    Leaving those words behind, he walks past me.

    "…Hmph. For a human… you had guts." Blaze muttered as he walked past me.

    Which, I found Rumelia standing in front of me when I came to.

    "You should trust Kronos."

    She spouts those words to me without any expression or sort, then walks past me.

    "I didn''t get those six doctorate certs for nothing," Kronos told me with a smug.

    "Indeed, you definitely deserve it," I said to him. "It''s just that… why are you even here?"

    "I was fired from my job." So he told me as he nudged his glasses, seeming to have a vein popped on his forehead as he walked.

    "Hah…?" I was dumbfounded. "What sort of boss would be that dumb to fire you?"

    "My dad."

    "…I take that back." I instantly replied. "So why did he fire you?"

    "For not having a high school graduation cert."

    "Haha, now this is truly the most ridiculous reason I''ve ever heard," I replied.

    "That old man is interested in machines more than his own son anyways. He even prepared everything so that he could send me here." Kronos heaved a short sigh.

    "Do you seriously have that kind of idiotic mindset, Kronos?"

    "What did you just say…!?" Kronos agitatedly turn his head to face me.

    "He may have put his machines in the first place— but who knows? This doesn''t mean you wouldn''t come in second place."

    "That''s not your dad. What do you know about it?!" He uttered.

    "I don''t have parents anymore ever since I was ten," I murmured. "You don''t want me the say the rest, do you?"

    "…I apologise." Kronos then looks away, seeming despondent of his childish actions.

    "But hey, even if you don''t have your dad… don''t you still have her?"

    I pointed at Rumelia.

    "Rumelia…?" Kronos became even more depressed as soon as he muttered her name. "… It''s my fault that she becomes like this."

    I inadvertently recalled my conversation with that bastard.

    "You mean… her inscrutable face?"

    "No…" Kronos murmured. "What I robbed from Rumelia is her emotions…"

    "Huh…? But wasn''t she''s still able to feel some irritation, uneasiness and restlessness?" I replied.

    Kronos was stunned the moment he heard my remark.

    "How is this possible…?!" He murmured. "Her brain had suffered damage that was beyond repair—"

    "Don''t give up, Kronos," I replied. "Miracle would happen on her."

    That''s what uncle Raphael— the best doctor I''ve known told me such words.

    "…I don''t believe in such a thing that could not be explicable by natural, scientific, or magical laws," Kronos said to me.

    "Then why not you make a bet with me?" I suggested.

    "A bet? That would depend on the probability."

    "It''s simple. You and I, one turn each, will touch Rumelia''s ?h?st for five seconds. If she gives the slightest reaction, then it''s my win."

    "…!?" Kronos was dumbfounded. "H-Her b??bs…!?"

    "A girl during her adolescence had a very susceptible body. They would find men touching their body to be disgusting." I told Kronos. "Of course, I would get her permission first."

    "You are even asking for her permission…!?"

    Kronos was utterly in shock.

    "What''s wrong?" I asked. "Are you perhaps, doubting on your probability…?"

    "…No. It''s a probability of 100% my win." Kronos murmured.

    "Very well."

    With that, I caught up to Rumelia— who was walking in front of us.

    "Rumelia— sorry to bother you, but I need a slight bit of your time and permission," I said to her.

    "………………"

    After two steps, Rumelia stops and stares at me with her usual emotionless look.

    "…What do you need?" She asks me.

    "I need your permission to touch your br??st with my right hand for five seconds."

    The moment I spouted those words, everyone at the front immediately turned to look at me.

    Especially Persia and Kuroyuki. They were staring daggers at me with their bloodshot eyes.

    And I was expecting a slap to come to my face at any moment now.

    But it didn''t happen.

    If it did, it was my win.

    "…This is s?xu?? harassment," Rumelia told me emotionlessly, without attempting to put herself in a defensive posture like Kuroyuki.

    "Not unless I got your permission," I replied.

    "Why do you want to touch my br??sts…?"

    "… I''m sorry," I told her. "But if I tell you now… then there''s no point in it anymore."

    "...Very well," Rumelia told me, while grabbing my hand.

    When I came to, Rumelia had already placed my hand on her ?h?st.

    It''s bigger than Restia''s and Ruby''s... and softer... oh, my fingers are sinking in.

    BAM.

    After about a second, I was pushed away by someone from Rumelia, which then I tripped on my own foot and fell to the floor.

    It was Persia.

    She took advantage of that moment and sat on top of me at my abdomen.

    "I knew it…!" Persia told me with her face redden. "You really are interested in Rumelia instead of me! It''s because of her b??bs, right? Right?!"

    While spouting those words, Persia shook me back and forth with her hands on my clothes.

    However, I ignored Persia and set my sights on Rumelia.

    "It''s— my— win, Kronos," I muttered.

    """"…Eh?" ”””

    Kuroyuki, Persia, August and Blaze set their eyes on Kronos the moment they heard me.

    "…This… can''t… be…"

    …Kronos was awestruck.

    A girl, who was said to have lost her emotions… was now blushing red like an apple, despite having a poker face.