◇ ◇ ◇
Twilight Moonbow reached the entrance of the labyrinth that had suddenly materialized north of Daluane. As they were gauging the right moment to move inside, a series of thunderous explosions erupted from the direction of the city. A massive tornado followed, sweeping magic beasts up into the air along with the blast waves.
"Ooh! Look at that explosion!"
Seeing the spectacle, Caroline cried out in her usual high-spirited wonder.
"Is that Master’s magic?" Logan asked. "Just how far ahead of us is he? No matter how hard I try to chase him, I can't seem to close the gap at all."
Despite his self-deprecating words, Logan’s expression was joyful—and distinctly bellicose.
"I’d heard he overcame his inability to use A-Rank attack magic," Luna added, a wry smile playing on her lips, "but for Orun-san—a Swordsman—to pull off feats that I, a proper Mage, can't even dream of... well, it puts my professional pride to shame."
While the other three were captivated by the display of Orun’s power, Sophia was busy monitoring the movements of the nearby magic beasts, looking for a window to enter.
"Log, the swarm coming out of the entrance has thinned. I think now’s our chance."
"Got it," Logan said, switching gears immediately. He began constructing the formulas for the group's buffs. "Before we dive in, Sophia, could you send a Telepathy message to Master?"
"Yeah, leave it to me!"
While everyone present was currently under the effects of Selma’s [Mental Transmission] and could technically use it, Sophia was the most accustomed to the skill thanks to her daily communication with Selma. It was her job to relay their status to Orun.
『Orun-san, we’ve reached the labyrinth! We’re beginning our descent now!』
Orun’s response came back almost instantly.
『Understood. I’m praying for your success. I know you all can do this. Don’t worry about what’s happening on the surface—give the conquest everything you’ve got!』
The response was filled with a sense of genuine trust.
Feeling the weight of their master’s confidence in them, Logan and the others stepped into the labyrinth, their faces clear of any lingering anxiety.
『We will! We're off!』
The connection with Selma’s [Mental Transmission] would inevitably sever once they entered the isolated space of the labyrinth. In the final second before it cut out, Sophia’s resolute voice echoed through the minds of everyone still linked to the network.
◇
"...Is this a hilly area?" Logan murmured, scanning his surroundings.
The labyrinth Twilight Moonbow had entered was an expansive, open space, reminiscent of the lower floors of the Great Labyrinth. Gentle undulations in the terrain and trees growing at wide intervals prevented any sense of claustrophobia, but it also meant visibility was poor.
"I hate open-type labyrinths," Luna said with a grimace. "Finding the path to the next floor is always such a struggle."
While an open environment was usually a blessing for long-term exploration, it was the worst possible terrain for a high-speed conquest, as the lack of defined walls meant there were an infinite number of directions to take.
"We’ll just have to map it out as we go," Sophia suggested. "First, let's move away from the entrance, Log. If we stay here, we'll just get bogged down fighting endless waves of magic beasts."
"Right. We'll head this way for now."
Taking Sophia’s advice, Logan chose a direction based on intuition and began to lead the way. Sophia and Luna followed immediately, but Caroline remained behind, staring blankly at the landscape.
"Carol? What's wrong? We need to get moving."
"Hmm... Wait a second, Log."
Though she answered him, Caroline didn't move toward the group. Instead, she began pacing and muttering to herself, lost in her own thoughts.
"An open-type labyrinth with poor visibility... both are exactly the kind of things that man liked. If that's the case..."
Suddenly struck by a realization, Caroline began walking in a completely different direction.
"Hey, where are you going, Carol!"
"There’s something I want to try. Just give me a minute!"
She brushed off Logan’s confusion and kept walking. Though suspicious, the other three followed her. She stopped about fifty meters from the entrance and nodded to herself.
"Yeah. This is probably it!" she announced with satisfaction. She turned back to her teammates. "Does anyone have a magic stone?"
"U-Uh, yeah. I have one. Is this okay?" Sophia pulled a small magic stone from her storage magic tool and handed it over, a question mark practically floating over her head.
"Thanks, Sophie!"
"Seriously, what are you planning?" Logan asked again.
"I know this labyrinth."
"What!?"
"Well, to be precise, I know something very similar to it. This design is almost identical to the ones the 'Doctor' used to create. And if the 'Doctor' really is the one behind this..."
As she spoke, Caroline toyed with the magic stone in her palm. Suddenly, a magic circle began to glow beneath her feet.
"This is...!"
"Just as I thought. This magic circle is a shortcut that teleports you straight to the innermost area. The fact that it’s active means the 'Doctor' is definitely waiting at the bottom."
Caroline’s expression was uncharacteristically solemn. Her voice carried a level of absolute certainty that left no room for doubt.
"The 'Doctor'... you mean the executive from the Cyclamen Cult?" Luna asked. Unlike the younger two, who were stunned into silence, Luna had survived enough brushes with death to keep her composure.
"That's the one. [Cyclamen Cult: Fifth Seat], Ozwell McCloud. He's the man who kidnapped my brother and me and used us for human experiments."
Caroline’s knees were trembling—perhaps she was reliving her trauma. However, unlike the breakdown she’d had when she first reunited with her siblings, her eyes were now filled with a fierce, unwavering will.
"The man himself isn't that strong. Even I could probably restrain him. But he controls all sorts of magic beasts, so it won't be easy. Plus, the man I know is from years ago. I don't know what he's capable of now. He’s unpredictable, so... turning back is a valid option."
Caroline laid out everything she knew, fighting back her own terror to provide them with the facts. Looking at her, the others already had their answer.
"Carol," Logan asked, acting as the group’s representative. "What do you want to do?"
Caroline took a deep breath and looked her teammates in the eye.
"I... I don’t want to run away anymore. I think this is fate. Sophie faced her past without flinching. I can't keep looking away from mine. I want to settle this once and for all!"
The three nodded at her resolve.
"Alright! We’re with you," Logan said. "I don't care if he’s a Cult executive or what—let's go blow him away!"
"I'll fight with you, Carol!" Sophia added.
Luna smiled. "Leave the support to me. You just focus on doing what you need to do, Carol."
"Thanks, everyone! All right! Let's go kick the 'Doctor's' ass! And then—"
◇
In the deepest area of the labyrinth, a magic circle suddenly flared to life on the ground.
"The teleportation circle is activating?! How?!" Lueria cried out in shock.
Frederick, standing beside her, narrowed his eyes at the glowing runes. Almost no one knew about the hidden teleportation circles that linked the entrance to the boss room. Even other executives within the Cult were kept in the dark about the "Doctor's" personal labyrinth designs. Only the Doctor himself and his experimental subjects were privy to that knowledge.
And since all of those subjects—aside from Lueria and Frederick—had already been disposed of, the circle shouldn't have been able to activate. The Doctor was briefly surprised, but a smirk spread across his face the moment he saw who emerged from the light.
"I'm delighted to see you remembered my teachings, Caroline. Welcome, members of Twilight Moonbow."
Seated upon a massive, gaudy throne that looked entirely out of place, Ozwell McCloud—the "Doctor"—gestured toward them. Several magic circles floated lazily in the air around him.
"Doctor! And... Big Sis Luella, Big Brother Fred..." Caroline’s voice wavered as she saw her siblings standing beside the man.
"It's been quite a while, Caroline. You've grown so much."
"Don't...!" she spat, her face twisting in disgust. "Don't you dare act like you're my family! I don't want to hear that from you!"
"My, my. I was the one who looked after you after your parents were gone, wasn't I? I’m practically a father to you."
"You're the one who murdered Mom and Dad! How can you... how can you even say that?!"
Caroline’s heart was a tempest of conflicting emotions: the primal terror of Ozwell etched into her instincts, her newfound resolve to end things, and the searing rage at the man’s callousness. She, who was usually the soul of cheerfulness, was now fueling herself with pure, unadulterated fury.
"Ahahaha! True, I did kill your parents, but that doesn't change the fact that I raised you, does it?"
"What is wrong with this guy...?" Logan muttered, a chill running down his spine. "Is he even human?"
Sophia and Luna glared at Ozwell, their expressions full of unconcealed loathing.
"Doctor," Lueria interrupted, her voice cold. "I assume it's fine to kill the intruders?"
"Ah... yes, quite," Ozwell replied. "Caroline has outlived her usefulness. You may kill them all—except for Sophia Claudel."
"...Wait, me?" Sophia gasped, caught off guard by her name being singled out.
"What do you want with Sophie—?!"
Before Caroline could finish her question, Lueria—supercharged by Frederick’s buffs—closed the gap in a heartbeat. She was upon Caroline in an instant, swinging a longsword nearly as tall as she was.
Caroline reacted on instinct, crossing her twin black daggers to block the blow. However, the sheer weight of the strike, amplified by the buffs and centrifugal force, was too much. Caroline was sent flying backward.
"Carol! You bitch!"
Logan reacted a second too late, thrusting his spear toward Lueria. She parried it effortlessly. Logan didn't waste the opening, using his Ability to materialize her shadow into black, vine-like shackles.
"I’ve seen that trick before," Lueria said boredly.
She looked down at the rising vines and activated [Flash]. The sudden burst of light instantly erased the shadows, dispelling the binding.
"Gah—?!"
The light also blinded Logan, leaving him wide open for Lueria to bury a kick into his stomach. Logan was sent tumbling, but the seconds he had bought were enough for the other two to finish their spells.
Sophia and Luna launched their attack magic from both sides, aiming to pincer Lueria, but Frederick was faster. A hail of lightning arrows rained down on the two girls, forcing them to break their casting and dive for cover.
In that opening, Lueria masterfully manipulated her blade, sending multiple shockwave slashes at the reeling Caroline. Caroline managed to roll through the attack, but Lueria stayed on her, pressing the offensive with relentless speed.
The two vanished from Logan’s sight as they disappeared into a tunnel-like breach in the wall, created by the force of Lueria’s previous slashes.