We burst through the entrance’s Grand Hall and scrambled up the final spiral staircase.
As the world spun around me, the explosive roars—like constant peals of thunder—and the sickening grind of stone against stone hammered against my eardrums.
Below us, something massive gave way.
It felt as though the labyrinth itself were being ripped apart from within.
"Hurry!" I shouted.
At my command, everyone gritted their teeth and pushed for more speed.
The red flashing that had signaled our intrusion had already gone dark; in its place, the labyrinth's death-throe tremors shook the spiral staircase. Spiderweb cracks raced across the walls. I could hear the stone steps we had just climbed shattering and plunging into the abyss behind us.
We lunged upward in a desperate frenzy, and the moment we cleared the final step—
"…!"
The world suddenly opened up.
Sunlight from the sinking western sun stung my eyes, which had grown accustomed to the gloom. The world was bathed in a soft, hazy glow—an indistinct, bleeding wash of color somewhere between crimson and amber.
The sky still held onto a vestige of blue, but at the horizon, the colors were already beginning to melt away.
"Are we… are we safe?" Yuu wheezed.
"Haah… haah… It appears so…"
Yuu sank into a crouch while still cradling the girl, and Ciel followed suit, her knees hitting the dirt.
I let out a ragged breath, a wry smile tugging at my lips. The fresh, dry outside air filled my lungs, a stark contrast to the stagnant, dust-choked atmosphere of the dungeon.
The wind stroking my cheeks felt impossibly gentle.
It felt like proof of life, and a sudden warmth swelled deep in my chest.
But the silence didn’t last.
"They're out!"
A shout tore through the twilight.
I looked up and saw a crowd gathered in front of the temporary base a short distance away.
Along with the students who had escaped earlier, there were members of the faculty and a group of adventurers who had clearly been mobilized for an emergency.
Standing at the very front was Dietrich, the Headmaster.
Everyone watched us with bated breath. I could see the staff in Dietrich’s hand trembling ever so slightly.
"…Is everyone safe?" he asked, his voice low and strained.
I turned back to look at my companions.
Everyone was there. Elysia, Lene, Yuu, Ciel—and even the white-haired girl, breathing quietly in Yuu's arms.
"Yes. We’re all safe."
The moment I spoke, the atmosphere at the temporary base shifted violently.
"Uoooooooooh!"
An explosive cheer erupted into the sky.
All that suppressed emotion was released in an instant. There were shouts of joy, people sobbing, and figures pounding the ground or grabbing each other's shoulders. It wasn’t just the students; even some of the faculty broke down in tears where they stood.
Amidst the cacophony—
"Rai."
A calm voice reached me from close by.
I turned to see long, lapis-lazuli hair swaying in the evening sun.
Then, a soft impact hit my chest.
"…!"
Elysia had thrown herself into my arms without hesitation.
She wrapped her arms around my back, holding me with surprising strength. Her hair glowed faintly in the sunset, and from behind her bangs, her deep purple eyes stared straight up at me.
Her brow was furrowed, and tears were already welling at the edges of her eyes, ready to spill.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you." The apology slipped out before I could stop it.
"You certainly did. Do you have any idea how much I worried about you?"
Her voice was thick, as if she were fighting back a tremor.
Whether she was angry or about to cry—or some volatile mixture of both—Elysia whispered as she looked up at me.
"I understood the logic. I knew that by acting as a decoy, you would maximize the survival rate of the group and ensure the success rate of the labyrinth conquest skyrocketed. But…"
She knit her brows in distress and let out a small, shaky breath.
"Before I am the Student Council President, I am your fiancée."
Elysia spoke with absolute, unwavering clarity.
"I don't care about rational judgments or what percentage the success rate increased by. How could I possibly remain composed knowing you were standing at the center of the danger?"
Her grip on my back tightened.
As if pleading with me never to leave again, she pressed her forehead against my chest and whispered, "I’m so glad… you’re safe. I truly am…"
Elysia stayed there for what could have been seconds or hours. When she finally raised her face, her deep purple eyes caught the sunset, and the tears that had gathered finally rolled down her cheeks.
"That said… you certainly put my heart through the wringer."
There was no malice in her voice, but there was a heavy, undeniable weight.
"As the Student Council President, I can endure it. But as your fiancée… honestly, it was a bit much to bear."
Her cheeks flushed slightly as her fingers slid from my back to my neck.
She caught my tie, pulling me toward her with gentle but firm intent.
"You’ve put my heart through so much today. I think I’ve earned the right to be a little selfish."
Her voice maintained its usual grace, but it carried a trace of heat.
The shadows of her eyelashes fell across her pale skin. Her features—so perfect they almost seemed artificial—drew closer and closer to mine.
"Surely it isn't a sin to ask for a small reward…?"
Her eyes half-lidded.
Just a fraction of an inch more.
Her fingers tugged on my tie, our lips were about to touch—
"Lord Rai!"
A full-power human projectile slammed into me from behind.
Judging by the voice, Lene was the culprit.
"Guh!?"
She lunged at my waist with such momentum that I nearly toppled over.
Elysia’s lips stopped just short of mine, and her forehead bumped lightly against my chest.
"Lene…?"
Before I could even turn around, the arms around my waist tightened even further.
She clung to me with desperate, unrestrained intensity, burying her face into the small of my back.
"When I found out Lord Rai had entered the labyrinth alone… I, truly… I thought my heart was going to stop!"
She squeezed me harder, her voice trembling.
"I thought I’d been left behind… I was so scared, so lonely… Inside the labyrinth, I was thinking about Lord Rai the entire time! Every single second!"
She choked on her words. I heard a small, wet sniffle.
"I’m so glad… you’re safe… truly…"
She gave me one more fierce squeeze.
Elysia, standing in front of me, let out a small, exasperated sigh.
"Honestly," she muttered, shrugging her shoulders.
The heat she had been directing toward me cooled as she looked down. There sat Lene, refusing to budge, her arms locked around my waist.
Seeing Lene’s tear-filled eyes and her desperate grip, Elysia’s expression softened ever so slightly. With a look of "it can't be helped," she slowly stepped away from me.
For a brief moment, her gaze lingered on my lips with a hint of regret.
"We’ll save the rest… for later."
After that meaningful parting shot, Elysia moved away completely.
She straightened her back, wiped her tears, and adjusted her expression. In the blink of an eye, she had fully donned the mask of the Student Council President.
"Everyone, listen!"
Her voice rang out across the camp, commanding and clear. The boisterous students fell silent immediately.
"The labyrinth conquest was a success. However, our work is not yet finished. We must confirm the status of the injured and maintain a perimeter—there is a mountain of work to do."
Instructions flew out in rapid succession.
Her commanding presence was so absolute that it was hard to believe she was the same person who had been clinging to me moments ago.
"Coordinate with the faculty and respond accordingly. Each squad leader, report your status!"
Responses began to bark back. The site was once again a hive of organized activity.
Amidst the noise—
"…Lord Rai."
Lene, still clinging to my waist, whispered softly.
"Yeah?"
"…Can I… stay like this for just a little longer?"
Her voice was weak and fragile.
I smiled softly, reaching down to pat her head. "Yeah. It's fine."
At my words, Lene’s grip tightened just a little more.