Published: February 1, 2026
Usually, Rizel and the others take things at their own pace, but sometimes they do consider each other's feelings.
Bubbling and splashing echoed heavily. The slowly flowing scorching heat seemed as if the earth itself was stirring.
Red and black. The magma, powerful and beautiful, would burn the skin even without contact if one got too close. It lay below, embodying the very life force of the earth.
“I’ve thought about it before, but if you fall in, it’s over, isn’t it?”
Exposing their faces to the rising heat, Rizel and Eleven looked down at the magma below.
This was their second time in this labyrinth. The first time was when Rizel and Jill were still just the two of them.
“Well, actually, not so much.”
Eleven kicked a stone at his feet; it hit one of the stepping stones scattered in the magma with a sharp clack before plopping into the red depths.
Adventurers on the brink of falling manage to leap onto these stepping stones and escape danger through sheer grit.
“It’s insanely hot and you get terrible burns, but you don’t die.”
“Really?”
Though he’d never fallen in himself, Eleven probably heard this from other adventurers.
Rizel nodded, thinking she definitely wouldn’t want to fall in if it was that hot, and looked down at the magma again. Wondering why the stones sizzled but didn’t burn whoever touched them, she imitated Eleven by scooping a small stone towards her with her foot.
“Hey.”
“Ah, sorry!”
Though unused to it, she managed to place the stone at her toe—but before she could kick it, a gruff voice called out.
Looking up from her gaze downward, she saw Jill standing a few steps ahead. His rough demeanor seemed even more intense.
“Shall we move on?”
“Yeah.”
Rizel smiled slightly, and Jill responded with a voice that was somewhat lower than usual.
“(Hmm.)”
“(He’s in a bad mood...)”
Rizel and Eleven thought silently; one gave a resigned smile while the other forced a tight-lipped grin.
As Rizel followed Jill ahead, Eleven casually walked alongside her. When he lightly tapped her shoulder, she glanced at him, silently asking what was wrong.
He pleaded with his eyes. She returned a wry smile and called out toward Jill’s black figure.
“Jill.”
Jill slowed his pace and gave a shallow glance back over his shoulder.
“Let’s go from over there.”
“Huh?”
Rizel fell into step beside him and pointed to the left fork in the path ahead.
At that moment, a breeze swept over Jill, caressing him gently. Though the surrounding heat was intense, this breeze carried a faint chill, which made Jill slightly relax his furrowed brow and look toward the pointed direction.
But then his brow furrowed again.
“The right.”
“No, we can go from the left.”
The path branched diagonally—left went uphill, right went downhill. Having cleared this area before, Jill knew the correct way was generally downhill.
That’s why he hesitated. He wanted to pass through as quickly as possible.
“(Complaining about the leader’s decision is just lame, isn’t it?)”
Eleven thought but didn’t say it aloud. It was best to leave the grumpy Jill to Rizel.
“...”
“Okay?”
“...Fine.”
Rizel smiled gently; Jill glanced briefly at her and clicked his tongue before agreeing.
He wasn’t answering her, but himself, aware that he wasn’t calm. Eleven silently applauded this.
“I wish we had some good magical tools for times like this.”
“There aren’t any designed for labyrinths, huh.”
They walked along the gently rising path, chatting about developing magical tools and how similar things existed in professional fields.
Suddenly, Eleven looked back.
“Something might be coming.”
“Can you tell what?”
“Hmm—”
They stopped walking.
Though there was no sign of anything behind them when they looked back, if Eleven didn’t resume moving, it meant something was there.
The bubbling sound of the boiling magma echoed.
“Oh.”
“Hm?”
Amid the bubbling, a small splash of water was heard.
The splashes grew louder, surrounding Rizel and the others. If the monsters had already detected them, escape was impossible.