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After the labyrinth's master vanished, the grimoire dropped to the ground.
Gabriel let out a small sigh."Guess he wasn't such a bad guy after all… just fell under the winged lion's spell."
Then her expression turned a little strange."By the way, they say whoever defeats the labyrinth master becomes the new one. That means, Rosen, you—"
"No," Rosen shook his head. "But since the grimoire has no owner now, the winged lion sealed in the depths will be released."
"It should be showing up any moment."
Sure enough, before long, a gust of wind swept through, and a great beast appeared before them—a lion with wings.
"So, you've defeated the labyrinth master. In that case, would you like to take his place?"
Its five eyes flickered with a distinctly human curiosity."You're not natives of this world, are you? Just like me. Doesn't matter. As long as you have desires, you can ask me for anything. Let's see… that girl over there wants to play games forever. Another wants to surpass her sister. Someone else longs to understand human emotions."
The beast tilted its head."And you… I can't quite see through you." Its gaze landed squarely on Rosen.
The others stiffened, uneasy at having their hearts laid bare so easily. Not only could it read their desires, it also knew they weren't of this world. That alone proved how extraordinary it was.
"So this is the winged lion—the final boss of the labyrinth? The same creature that drove Cecil mad?" Fubuki narrowed her eyes, glaring.
Her own desire really was to surpass her sister, Tatsumaki. But the fact that this monster could peek inside her heart left a sour taste.
"Madness?" The winged lion shook its mane. "I only responded to his desires, nothing more. He's the one who used ancient magic to trap souls in the labyrinth. He's the one who dragged the people of the Golden City into it. Those were all born from Cecil's own greed."
"Don't try to wash your hands of it," Gabriel snapped, her eyes burning. There was clearly some personal anger mixed in.
But the winged lion remained calm. "Then what about you? Do you want me to help you fulfill your desires? It's troublesome, maybe even painful, but still possible."
"Absolutely not!" Fubuki's voice was sharp, her body glowing faintly green with psychic power. "Some things you have to earn yourself. You can just bow out quietly."
The lion rubbed its chin, thoughtful."Hm. Honestly, I think my way is harsher, but… if that's how you want it, fine."
"In that case," Rosen finally spoke, stepping forward. All eyes turned to him. "I'll make a request."
"How curious," the lion murmured. "I can't see through you at all, yet you want me to grant your wish? Very well. But let's be clear: I can't make you the strongest being in the world, someone who could shatter it with a single strike."
It spread its paws helplessly. In this moment, it seemed less like a final boss and more like just another beast.
"My wish," Rosen said steadily, "is for you to devour your own desire."
The lion froze. For a long time, it stood in silence, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Rosen and Gabriel explained to the others what this creature really was.
The winged lion had fallen into this world as a lump of stray energy. Over countless ages it evolved into the very concept of "magic." That concept eventually gave birth to a self—the winged lion. It found human desires delicious, so it lured people in, feeding on what they offered.
It never refused anyone. Any desire, it accepted.
But Rosen's request was different: for it to devour its own desire—the very thing that gave birth to its self. To consume itself and return to being nothing more than the pure concept of magic.
Once the truth was laid bare, everyone finally understood.
And when the lion accepted Rosen's wish, it didn't argue, didn't beg, didn't fight. It simply obeyed. It devoured its own desire.
And with that, its self collapsed, leaving only the original essence behind.
With the last matter settled, Rosen turned back to the group."It's over."
To Laois, Marcille, and the others, it all felt surreal—like they'd just sat through a VR movie. They were there, but somehow hadn't done much of anything.
"Without a master, will the labyrinth disappear?" Marcille asked.
"No," Rosen replied. "It'll keep running. There might be some glitches for a while, but it'll stabilize soon enough."
The truth was, the labyrinth master was more symbolic than functional. What kept the labyrinth running was the underlying concept—just like the winged lion.
"Thank you all for your help," Marcille said, finally letting out a breath of relief.
"No need to be so formal," Gabriel waved her hand dismissively. "We didn't exactly come here for free."
"Besides, we got to see a lot. Honestly, those monsters that double as food are a bigger reward than points. I already asked Senshi to prepare some ingredients that'll keep for a while. Might come back to restock in the future."
With that, Rosen led everyone down to the second floor of the labyrinth to relax and explore at their own pace. He too asked Senshi to pack up some supplies to take back.
Frieren and Saeko formed a party to go adventuring deeper inside.
Watching them, Marcille finally felt her heart settle. "This way, Falin should be fine too."
"On the surface, yes," Rosen said. "But Marcille, you're a half-elf. Falin's a human with a short lifespan. You'll only have a few decades together."
The reminder made her tense. But Rosen quickly offered a solution.
"Don't worry. I've got a way to fix that."
"…Can this really work?"
"We're in the same guild, aren't we? Why would I lie to you?"
At that, Marcille let out a slow breath. She went to Falin, explained Rosen's plan. After a brief pause, Falin nodded her agreement.
"..."
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