After their little shared moment, they went to sleep.

The next day, as they were getting ready, Cirrus spoke up.

"Thank you again for listening to me last night. I’m sorry if I caused you some distress or anything?"

"I am fine. Your outburst was understandable. What father wouldn’t want to give their child the best?"

"Hm. Yeah… Thank you again."

"I have to ask, do you wish for me to handle the majority of the monsters or..."

"I can keep going. Just let out my dream."

"You dream of no longer fighting?"

"Yes. I dream of retiring and living far away from the public eye. The best I can hope for is my home in Yamato."

"Then I will ensure you make it to retirement age, which by your level and age you will be able to do in your hundreds."

They built a sense of trust between the two.

They got their stuff and stood before the entrance to the 52nd floor.

"To think that just you and I can arrive here without so many first-class adventures," said Malion, walking down the stairs.

"I have gone down to these floors several times before on my own."

"Are you exaggerating? You didn’t ask Hecton to help?"

"Naw. I went in solo, well as solo as I can be with Nox sticking to me and Hecton watching my back. In any case, I asked them not to help me."

"And how far did you reach?"

"58th floor. By that point, the 59th floor was still frozen."

"… I do not believe you. By the 37th floor, you would be facing endless hordes of monsters that can easily—"

"That problem doesn’t apply to me as I am not weighted by other people. Along with my armor magic, weapons, and supplies I have stored in my shadow, I simply made a beeline to the 58th floor, cutting down any monster that stood in my way, and just never stopped running."

"… That is unbelievably stupid. And this is coming from someone who has seen the Zeus Familia’s parties on the 18th floor."

"It can’t be that bad, right?"

"One of Zeus’s children, Percy, was a great monster slayer who got piss drunk; mind you, he was a level 7; on a dare, he blindfolded himself and went to the 37th floor’s Colosseum and fought for two days, dazed and dehydrated off his mind, while his Familia laughed as he fought with one hand on his pants so they wouldn’t fall off."

"… Wow that is stupid. Also, I don’t see how what I did to be that stupid?"

"You went into the dungeon with no party members. Percy still had some of his Familia to help him out if the need arose."

"Well, that recklessness helped me greatly. Why do you think I am a level 9? Or how Ai is a level 7 who can fight a level 8 like you?"

"…" Malion looked at him dead in the eyes and sighed. "You and Ai are truly meant for one another."

"Hey, have you ever heard the term high risk, high reward?"

"I have, but risking your lives for a marginal boost in status using suicidal tactics is—Ah," Malion remembered Bell’s skill. "You... do you oh!" Malion quickly covered her mouth.

"I know Bell has a skill that lets him grow quickly. I knew this long ago from Royman forcibly taking the Level-up Records from his advisor. I asked Royman to give the Familia tough quests appropriate for their levels with respect to Bell."

"Then do you have a skill like his?"

"Well, I don’t know the full scope of his skill. All I know is that it allows him to grow far faster, and it makes him immune to a goddess's charm."

"It does!?" Malion was surprised it could even do that. "Then does your skill also work similarly to Bell’s? To stop a god’s charm!"

"Uh, no. Mine doesn’t do that, but it does have other features that allow me to use these suicidal tactics and live to eat its fruits. If Bell were a bit like me, he would use these tactics as well. I do not doubt that if given, say, three or five years, he could easily catch up to me and give me a run for my money. After all, Bell, as you can tell, is not suited to be an adventurer but a hero."

"Is he? He is far too kind to be a hero like those of legend."

"Yes. Bell is not the same kind of hero as Epimetheus or even me. No, he is a hero whose kindness, selfishness, and bravery will define him as a hero. Which is why I have faith he will surpass me as a son would their father."

"Heh." Malion chuckled. "Do you see Bell as a son, Cirrus?"

"Metaphorically, of course. But personally, I see our relationship as that of brothers. Separated at birth and lived lives separate from one another’s existence. Meeting later in life as acquaintances, life took us on different paths, leaving only a thin thread we call a bond that connects us. Never to grow, remain static."

"It sounds like you wish to get closer to him. Do you want a little brother that much?"

"… It’s a nice thought. But as I said, life took us on different paths. Maybe in another world, we would be as thick as thieves. Alas, that is possibly unlikely to happen. Anyway, my favorite part of the Dungeon is right down here."

Cirrus walks forward, ahead of Malion.

Malion walked behind him as he pushed forward from the melancholy of the discussion.

"Your favorite part?" Malion didn’t press forward on it. "I didn’t think one could like a part of the Dungeon that wasn’t a Safe Floor."

"Well, for me, it’s my favorite; do you wanna see it?"

"Very well, I am curious."

 

They went down to the 52nd floor, and already Malion could feel and hear the Valgang Dragons firing their breath attacks at her and Cirrus.

"A step back." Cirrus gently makes her take a step back.

Bwoosh!! Bwoosh!! Bwoosh!! Bwoosh!! Bwoosh!! Bwoosh!!

Several beams of flame shot through the floor.

"This always managed to throw me off." Said Malion. "It’s like being watched from every angle."

Cirrus walks to the edge and holds his hand down.

"(Sing)." From his magic circle, thunder shot down, disintegrating the monster's magic stone in all. "Alright, you're ready!" He made a smirk.

"… You’re not actually going to jump, are you!?"

"Well, I can fly, so... eh? So I ask again, you ready!" He said it with a child-like smile as he held out his hand.

Malion looked at the hand, and a faint blush appeared on her as she held his hand.

"Ready!" She said it with a warm smile across her face.

As they took their steps, they fell first into the Dragon’s Urn.

 

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With her fingers entwined with Cirrus’s, she felt a sense of joy, which further brought her happiness.

Several Valgang Dragons would fly at them from other areas and roar while shooting their breath attacks.

Flap!! Roar!! Bwoosh!! Flap!! Roar!! Bwoosh!!

Flap!! Flap!! Roar!! Bwoosh!!

Roar!! Bwoosh!! Flap!! Flap!! Roar!! Bwoosh!!

They would separate to slay them—

Shing!!

Creak! Fsh!!

Poof!!!

—quickly return hand in hand as they fall.

‘I didn’t think I could feel this happy!’ thought Malion.

As they got closer to the ground, Cirrus swung her up.

"!?" Malion was confused until they reached the ground.

Crash!!!

Malion could feel Cirrus carrying her in his arms.

"Well, aren’t you smooth?" Malion said, smiling.

"So..." Cirrus smirks. "How was my favorite part—!?"

Malion had gone and taken the liberty of kissing him on the cheeks.

"I hope you don’t mind." She said it with a slight smile and a blushed face. "I would have taken your lips, but I didn’t wish to get ahead of myself.

"…N-not at all!" Cirrus tried to compose himself.

"Did you not enjoy it? I am sure my lips were, as Hera pointed out, as ‘pillowy’?"

"No, they were fine, just that... Well, these last few days have maybe... Made me rethink how I see you."

Malion could see a slight blush on his face. Her heart lit up. She was close to succeeding.

"Cirrus." She reached out her arms and held his face.

"Uh… Mali— Umma~" Malion went ahead and went in for the kill, a kiss on the lips.

"Shall we finish this date off and return to the safe floor?" She said it with such a smile that it lit a fire in Cirrus.

Cirrus was a sucker for aggressive girls, added to the fact they have been the only people they have seen in days and the built-up stress they both accumulated along the Dungeon Date.

"… Yes."