Just as the skeletal dragon lunged at the puppet, a massive black hand burst out from the ripple behind it and clamped down on one of the creature's forelegs. With a single, effortless swing, the overwhelming force hurled the dragon clean off the ground.
"Target locked."
Tsuna's focus shifted toward the Dark Faction's position.
The giant black hand extended further, and with brutal precision, it flung the dragon straight toward the black-clad group.
The next instant, both the puppet and the hand vanished into the Alternate Dimension.
From within that hidden space, Tsuna didn't move immediately. He simply watched through the puppet's eyes as the dragon crashed down and began tearing through the Dark Faction's ranks.
"As expected of the Dungeon's cleaner. Even though I suppressed my presence, it still went straight for me the moment I appeared."
He frowned slightly. "I still don't understand the Dungeon's targeting mechanism. My combat level's only at Lv.1—how the hell did it lock onto me so fast?"
"Could it be that thing evaluates based on destructive potential instead of level?"
Tsuna wasn't sure. There was no way to figure out how the Dungeon's internal logic worked.
"What the hell's going on!?"
"What is that thing!?"
Through the puppet's vision, Tsuna could see the Dark Faction in utter chaos. The once-composed group was now scattering in panic, shouting as the rampaging cleaner tore through them.
"You guys figuring it out yourselves saves me the trouble."
He had no intention of jumping in personally this time. Getting marked by the Dark Faction wasn't exactly on his to-do list. His plan was simple—rescue from a distance and keep his name out of it.
The puppet moved swiftly through the Alternate Dimension, reaching the group of severely wounded girls within moments.
No hesitation. Tsuna summoned the Space Rabbit, wrapping the injured adventurers in a shimmering barrier before pulling them safely into the Alternate Dimension.
Only once the rescue was complete did he finally take a good look at them.
"…All female adventurers, huh? Humans and demi-humans alike, but not a single man."
Their condition was grim—wounds, burns, missing limbs. "Looks like they fought the cleaner head-on. No wonder they're in such bad shape."
"Ugh… where… am I…?"
The red-haired girl at the front blinked in confusion, staring at the black-and-white world around her. She had no idea where she was, only that a stranger was approaching.
Instinctively, she tried to raise her guard—but with her right arm gone, the gesture was more tragic than threatening.
"Alise…"
A black-haired girl behind her tugged at her sleeve. She too was missing an arm, exhaustion etched across her pale face.
"Thank you… for saving us. We're members of the Astraea Familia. We'll repay your kindness when we can."
"The Astraea Familia… the Familia of the goddess of justice, huh?"
That made Tsuna blink in mild surprise. So it really was the Dark Faction causing this chaos in the Dungeon. The strange incidents they'd been noticing earlier must've been the Dungeon's stress response to the damage these people had done. It all lined up now.
As for their promise of repayment—he couldn't have cared less. Announcing their Familia name was probably just their way of establishing some trust.
Tsuna had no intention of getting tangled up further—or dragging Loki into this mess either. All he wanted was to finish the rescue quietly and move on.
Clap!
The Healing Rabbit appeared beside the puppet, its tiny hands clapping once. A translucent barrier expanded outward, enveloping the Astraea girls.
"!?"
The sudden light startled them at first—but a second later, they felt the pain from their wounds fade. Their broken bodies began to heal at remarkable speed.
It didn't restore lost limbs, but the agony and bleeding stopped. For the Astraea girls, that alone was more than enough. After facing a literal disaster, surviving at all was a miracle.
"Let's take them back to the safe zone on the 28th floor," Tsuna decided calmly. "And I need to report this to Miss Loki."
He'd learned his lesson from earlier. Sending the puppet into open space again would immediately draw the Dungeon's attention, and the cleaner would charge right in.
As long as they left the 30th floor, though, they'd be fine. The cleaners only hunted whatever remained on their current floor, annihilating every adventurer before vanishing. Those who escaped beforehand were ignored.
And honestly, the cleaner didn't have much patience. By the time it was done with the Dark Faction, its timer would probably run out anyway.
The puppet turned toward the 30th-floor entrance and began the return trip.
The Astraea girls, still recovering, looked around in awe as the scenery shifted rapidly. They weren't walking—but the space around them was moving. It was so surreal they simply chose to stay seated quietly and let it happen.
Tsuna gave a small nod, confirming that the puppet was on its way back. Then he turned his attention elsewhere.
"Time to contact Miss Loki."
A television materialized in front of him, and soon Loki's image flickered onto the screen.
"Yo~ Tsuna! Why're you calling me this late?"
"Something came up. Right before I fell asleep, I heard a goddess's voice in my ear—asking me to save her child."
"A goddess's plea?" Loki leaned closer, her expression turning serious. "Sounds like she sensed her children were in danger and sent out a distress call to anyone nearby. Risky move. Using divine power inside the Dungeon like that could get her sent back to heaven. She must've been desperate."
She paused, studying him through the screen. Once she confirmed he hadn't gone anywhere dangerous himself, she relaxed.
"So, what are you asking? Whether we should go help?"
"No. I already did."
"Pfft—!"
Loki nearly choked. She lunged toward the screen, eyes wide and voice sharp.
"You what!? You went and did something that dangerous!?"
"Please don't treat me like your overprotected child, Miss Loki. I'm not Ais. I considered the possibility that the plea was a trap, so I only sent a puppet."
"Oh…"
Relief washed over her face as she wiped away a bead of cold sweat. For a second there, she'd thought her precious boy had gone and done something suicidal.
"So? Whose children did you end up saving? Whoever they are, I'm gonna give that goddess a piece of my mind for making you take that risk!"
Tsuna smiled faintly. "The Astraea Familia."
"…Huh? Astraea?"