No Answer...

Columbia, Trimounts

As the energy was released, the Boss's massive body rapidly shrank, eventually stabilizing at around five meters tall—

Though still a giant, he was much smaller than his previous mountain-like size.

Saria was lowered to the ground, and Ifrit immediately stepped in front of her.

Her small body trembled with fear, yet she stubbornly stood her ground, looking up at the shrunken but still terrifying monster.

At that moment, the Boss was rapidly communicating with his companions through the mental link.

[Boss: The energy is stable. Should I go back now?]

[Second: Wait. Boss, confirm something—when you reappeared after teleporting, were you still where you had vanished from?]

The Boss recalled it and answered with certainty: [Yes, in the Rhine Lab ruins.]

[Second: Then don't rush back yet. Since we return to where we entered every time we leave the hall, we might as well get away from this troublesome place while we can still move.]

[Boss: But looking like this... will the people here really let me leave peacefully?]

[Fourth: Can't you just bulldoze your way through, Boss?! With how you look now and what you just did, can they even stop you?]

[Boss: ...I've caused enough destruction already. If possible, I'd still rather resolve this peacefully.]

The Boss's gaze fell on Ifrit, who was tightly shielding Saria.

[And... that Terra captain is badly hurt. She won't hold on much longer.]

[Second: So?]

[Boss: ...I want to take them somewhere safe first. Somewhere that can save her.]

The link fell silent for a moment before Second's calm response came through.

[Go ahead.]

[Boss: You won't stop me?]

[Second: The people here can't hurt you right now, so why would I stop you? Besides...]

[If that's what you want to do, then do it. I'm not some kind of devil. We support your decision.]

[Fourth: Exactly! Boss, we're the Fourth Calamity now. Stop tying yourself down with the mindset of that law-abiding society we came from!]

[In this world, might makes right. If you want to be a good person, then be one! We've got your back!]

The Boss said nothing more, but a warm current flowed through his heart. He refocused on reality.

Looking at Ifrit as though she faced a mortal enemy, he slowly extended one enormous hand covered in lava.

Ifrit shuddered all over, but gritted her teeth and spread her arms, trying to completely shield Saria with her tiny body.

Yet the massive palm did not attack them. Instead, just as before, it gently scooped up the patch of ground beneath their feet.

Under Ifrit's frightened, confused, and bewildered gaze, the Boss carefully carried them toward the relatively intact part of the city, step by step.

In the distance, at one of Rhine Lab's remaining monitoring stations.

The staff watched the energy readings plummet off a cliff, while the giant demon not only ceased its destruction but also shrank in size.

Everyone let out a long breath, feeling as though they had been dragged back from the edge of hell.

The security officer who had previously advocated "letting the monsters kill each other" was practically giddy with relief.

"See! I told you so! Only monsters can deal with monsters! Isn't the problem solved now?!"

Someone beside him muttered quietly, "But... our Flame Demon went limp the moment it showed up..."

"Why do you care about that?!" the security officer snapped impatiently.

"Just answer me—didn't the big one leave with them? Isn't the problem solved?!"

Just then, an observer cried out:

"Attention! That monster is moving toward the city! Director Saria is still in its hand!"

No one answered—

The observer hesitated before asking, "Should we... stop it?"

The atmosphere that had just relaxed instantly tightened again, and everyone fell silent.

Faced with such a being, no one dared approach it lightly even after it had shrunk, much less launch an attack.

Just as the group remained deadlocked, an urgent female voice came through the communicator into the temporary command post:

"This is Silence. How is the situation outside? Where's Saria?"

The communications officer swallowed hard and reported with difficulty:

"...The situation is complicated. The invading Flame Demon has shrunk and is heading toward the city with Director Saria, who is unconscious, and Ifrit..."

"Ifrit!? Why is she there too?!"

"Uh... the target stopped attacking after she appeared. We believe she stopped the Flame Demon's actions."

The other end of the line fell silent for several seconds. Then Silence's voice came again, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness:

"I understand. Try to lock onto the Flame Demon's position. Prepare transportation. I will... negotiate with it."

The Boss carried the two of them through the dead-silent streets. Shattered glass and the wreckage of fallen signs crunched beneath his feet.

The buildings lining the road, once brightly lit, now had their windows tightly shut—even though many no longer had any glass in them.

Heavy curtains trembled faintly, with countless terrified eyes peering out from behind them.

His lava-born senses could clearly "see" the outlines of life heat shivering in fear.

Yet in the real world, there was nothing but the wind and his heavy footsteps.

Everyone on the entire street collectively held their breath, afraid of drawing the walking calamity's attention.

"..."

The Boss walked in silence. The feeling of being feared and shut out by the entire world weighed heavily on his heart.

He unconsciously sighed, hot breath spilling from his mouth and nostrils along with a string of crackling sparks.

On his palm, Ifrit clung tightly to Saria's gradually cooling body, her tiny shoulders trembling.

She could feel Saria's life force slipping away, but she bit down hard on her lip and did not dare make even the slightest sound. She feared that even this tiny disturbance would bring disaster upon them.

[In the mental chat group]

[Fourth: Boss, Saria's not going to make it... If it comes down to it, bring them back to the hall.]

[I remember the nursery has cordyceps, right? It can increase the maximum health limit. Maybe it could help with her injuries.]

[Second: No! The risk is too great! We'd expose our safehouse for someone from another world? Who knows how she'd react after waking up?]

[Third: ...I'll follow the Boss.]

The Boss was torn. Second's reasoning was sound, but he could not just watch someone who might still be saved die before his eyes, especially when it was because of him...

Just as he struggled with the decision—

Screech—!!!

A sharp, piercing sound of brakes shattered the street's silence!

An off-road vehicle bearing the Rhine Lab logo fishtailed to a stop around fifty meters from the Boss, its tires leaving two clear black streaks across the ground.

The car door flew open.

A Liberi woman in a white lab coat and round glasses stumbled out of the vehicle.

She was clearly nervous to the extreme, but her gaze was exceptionally resolute.

She raised both hands high to show that she was unarmed, then slowly walked toward the Boss, trembling slightly.

It was Silence.

The lava eyes narrowed slightly, instantly locking onto the unexpected visitor.

The Boss stopped and watched her quietly.

Under the fixed gaze of those burning eyes, Silence felt as though her blood were freezing.

She froze where she stood, not daring to advance or retreat. Her heart pounded so violently it nearly burst through her chest.

Hm? Someone suddenly ran out... What does she want?

His gaze swept over Silence instinctively before finally landing on the white case hanging from her waist—a red medical cross marked its surface.

That symbol... is she a doctor?

It stopped! Did my actions anger it?

Separated by fifty meters, the two fell into a strange standoff.

The sudden silence also made Ifrit, who had been immersed in grief and fear, lift her head.

When she saw that familiar figure with her hands raised, the tears she had been desperately holding back finally burst forth.

"Silence—!"

"Please save Saria! Saria... she isn't going to make it!"

The girl's anguished cry instantly broke the deadlock.

Hearing Ifrit's sobbing plea, Silence's expression changed drastically. Her concern for Saria's injuries immediately overwhelmed her fear.

The Boss also heard the despair in Ifrit's voice. No longer hesitating, he pointed his free hand at Silence, then at Saria resting in his palm, trying to convey his intentions.

Seeing that the creature not only did not stop her but seemed to understand what she meant, Silence suppressed the shock in her heart and hurried toward Saria and Ifrit after they had been placed on the ground.

"Silence!" Ifrit threw herself into her arms with a sob, then immediately pointed at Saria. "Quick! Saria, she..."

"I know. Leave it to me."

Silence quickly crouched down, set the medical case aside, and opened it. When her gaze fell upon Saria, even though she had prepared herself mentally, her heart still sank.

Saria was in an extremely dire state. Her white uniform had long been soaked through with blood, dust, and fragments of crystallized Originium Arts, leaving none of its original color visible.

Beneath the torn fabric were wounds deep enough to expose bone. Most horrifying of all was her right hand, which had only avoided total destruction because it was barely held together by part of its calcified crystal.

Silence's eyes instantly reddened. She forcibly suppressed her surging emotions and began working with steady, rapid hands.

(The author doesn't understand the specific procedures, so they won't be described.)

Her movements were precise and efficient, every step displaying the skill of a top medical researcher.

As expected of Saria...

Silence sighed inwardly as she worked.

Thanks to a Vouivre's formidable physique, anyone else would probably already have...

Under her emergency treatment, Saria's nearly vanishing vital signs were finally forcibly stabilized. They remained weak, but at least they were no longer declining.

Silence let out a slight breath of relief, though her brow remained tightly furrowed.

She knew this was only temporary. Saria's right hand had completely necrotized and needed to be amputated as soon as possible.

Moreover, the internal bleeding and organ damage would require immediate delicate surgery.

But...

Silence lifted her head and looked toward the distance with a complicated expression.

The lava giant, now around five meters tall but still radiating intense heat and oppressive pressure, had not left.

It simply stood there quietly, its burning eyes watching them.

Why hadn't it left? Was it keeping watch? Or... was it concerned?

The thought itself seemed absurd even to Silence, but the creature's earlier act of voluntarily setting down Saria and Ifrit, then stepping back to show it meant no harm, made it impossible for her to fully dismiss the possibility.

[In the mental chat group]

[Boss: ...What miraculous hands. I couldn't even tell whether she was still breathing just now, and she pulled her back from that?]

[Fourth: Well, she's a Vouivre. On this land of Terra, they're considered one of the superior races. Their physiques are tough as hell!]

[And this Silence is also a top medical researcher in the setting. It's right in her field!]

[Second: Mm... we've observed an important piece of intelligence. This world's medical technology is quite advanced.]

[Record it. We also need to ensure our own medical logistics.]

[Third: I'll follow the Boss.]

[Fourth: +1! Boss, if we get hurt in the future, can we have her take a look at us too?]

[Boss: ...That might be difficult. After all, her patient is the one I beat up.]

In reality, seeing Silence stabilize Saria's injuries, the Boss also let out a breath of relief.

He did not know whether he should leave now or wait for a clearer outcome.

And after completing the initial first aid, Silence found herself caught in a dilemma as well.

She had to immediately take Saria back to Rhine Lab's medical department, where they had proper equipment for surgery. But the Flame Demon's attitude was unclear—would it allow her to take them away?

She gathered her courage and looked at the Boss, trying to communicate through gestures and slow speech.

"She... needs... treatment... I... take her away..." As Silence spoke, she mimed lifting and transporting someone.

Watching her gestures, the Boss understood what she meant.

The enormous head slowly nodded once.

It was an extremely simple motion, yet it eased half the weight in Silence's heart.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Silence immediately turned and waved toward the off-road vehicle parked dozens of meters away, signaling for the support personnel waiting inside to come help carry the injured.

However—

Second after second passed, yet the car doors remained tightly shut.