Chapter 45 - The Guardian of the Last Floor (First) (1/2)
Orange, red, and crimson color flooded their entire view. Hell Scape. It was truly a fitting name for what they were witnessing. Liselotte and Aletia were struck dumb as they witnessed the scorching, blazing flame incinerated everything outside of the barrier. And thanks to Rio's barrier, they didn't feel the hellish temperature of the outside of the barrier.
”Even though I've heard it, but witnessing it with my own eyes feels really different.”
”...Agreed.”
Liselotte and Aletia commented in awe, but Rio ignored their comment. He kept feeding his inexhaustible mana to keep the hot flame outside of his barrier. He continued for a while. Finally, he lowered his hand slowly. The blazing flame outside of the barrier soon died out due to the lack of fuel that kept it ablaze.
Finally, the three could see the state of the entire floor. The thick jungles had disappeared. Everything was incinerated into gas. Even the floor had become a molten magma. Only the small space protected by Rio's barrier was safe.
”Why you did that?” Aletia finally questioned Rio's motive.
Rio delayed his response for a second, but his mind worked fast in that mere second. His actual reason was that he remembered what happened to Hajime and Aletia in the canon timeline. In this floor, there was a humanoid plant monster that could control other monsters by sticking a part of its body on the other monster's head. Indeed, it was the sunflower-like plant that grew out of the Tyrannosaurus Rex's head.
In the canon timeline, Aletia, or Yue in that case, was controlled by this Alaurne-like monster and was forced to attack Hajime. Of course, Hajime who was still in his lowest shot Aletia without the second thought, turning such a beautiful girl bald. Although there wasn't any further complication, it still left the scar. He didn't fear of being controlled because of his Anti-Possession skill. However, the girls were different. They didn't have the same protection as him. Rio didn't want his girls to be controlled by a mere cannon fodder monster.
Although he could deal with that problem quickly and easily, it would still leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. And so, Rio was basically nipping the bud of the trouble before it came to them.
Of course, Rio wouldn't tell them the real reason behind his sudden outrageous action. He didn't know why he kept the secret about this world being a mere fictional story in his original world close to his heart. He would ponder about it later, but for the time being, he must say something to appease his girls' curiosity.
”Well, I have been feeling very restless since I entered this floor. My restlessness became stronger when I saw those lizards with flowers on top of their heads. I then remembered that there is a type of monster, a plant monster, a kind of Alraune, that can control others by planting a part of its body on other's head. From here, you can guess the rest, right?”
Liselotte and Aletia became thoughtful for a brief moment. They soon realized what Rio meant. They stared at him warmly and lovingly before holding his hands, one for each girl, tightly.
”Thank you for worrying about us, Rio.”
”...Agreed.”