"Rumble..."
The earth and air trembled at the same time, making the already precarious-looking inn shake violently as though it were about to collapse.
"Waaaaah!"
"W-What's happening!?"
"Princess Alice!"
Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness cried out at once.
Amid their cries, cracks spread across the inn's ceiling, and a massive chunk of rubble came crashing down from above.
"Huh?"
Rivi blankly raised his head and watched the scene unfold.
The enormous rubble fell from the sky, hurtling straight down toward Rivi.
It was a potentially fatal crisis.
If it had been Aqua, protected by a divine artifact, or Darkness, whose defense was astonishingly high, they could have endured such an impact without injury. Even Megumin, with a level nearing that of a top-tier adventurer, would not have been killed by falling rubble.
But Rivi was different.
Unlike the Belzerg royal family, which had inherited the Hero's bloodline since ancient times, Rivi, as Erlord's prince, was really just an ordinary person. He spent all day gambling and indulging in pleasure, weaker even than the guards.
If that massive piece of rubble struck him, Rivi would undoubtedly die on the spot.
Thus, Rivi could only stare blankly as the enormous rubble came down toward him, having lost all ability to react.
"Exterion!"
At the critical moment, a clear and lovely shout rang out.
An invisible streak of sword light immediately swept through the air in the hall and struck the falling rubble with tremendous force.
"Bang!"
Amid an explosive crack, the invisible slash shattered the falling rubble, blasting it into fragments that scattered in every direction.
"Are you all right, Prince Rivi!?"
Alice stood before Rivi with the Holy Sword in hand, her face full of worry and concern as she looked at him.
Only then did Rivi react. He looked at Alice's