Chapter 506 - 506: Reunion

Emerald hair brushed against Bell's neck, and Riveria's tearful confession soaked into his shirt along with her tears.

Riveria was carrying out exactly what she had said, with no intention of letting go.

Bell's parting from the girls and his reunion with them unfolded within Riveria's tight embrace. The scene was a little strange, but no one cared.

"Bell Cranel, thank you for saving Riveria-sama! And us too. Without you, everyone would have been killed by that monster..."

Alicia seized a gap in her chanting to pull out a Mind potion while thanking him.

She held back her tears as best she could and poured out her overflowing gratitude and relief in one breath.

Alicia wanted to rush to the boy's side too. She wanted to take the chance to hold his hand, hug him, and confess her feelings. Unfortunately, she had to keep chanting frost Magic to protect everyone from the monsters.

Besides, whether for holding hands or hugging, there was no room left.

"Frozen skies, heavenly rain..."

With gratitude in her heart and the love swelling endlessly inside her, Alicia could only sing the song of ice.

Ais was in a similar position.

Unlike Alicia, however, the blonde girl did not have such complicated emotions.

"Bell... are you okay now?"

Ais blinked, studying the boy from head to toe.

The flames had vanished without a trace. In their place was a healthy body, tempered through countless trials. The arm that had been bitten off was whole again, and no sign of the wound remained.

A miracle had truly happened.

Ais did not know what those flames truly were, but when the boy spoke softly, she felt the black flames in her heart fade a little.

A ferocious beast was imprisoned inside the girl's heart.

Ais had listened to Riveria and the others, keeping it sealed within those deep black flames.

After witnessing the boy return from death, Ais suddenly felt that as long as Bell was by her side, even those uncontrollable pitch-black emotions no longer seemed so frightening.

The warmth she had lost and regained was like a gentle spring rain, nourishing Ais's heart.

This time, little Ais sat on the ground together with the Sword Princess.

Ais stared blankly at Bell. She remembered the countless times the boy had told her he liked her before the expedition, and the white flower that had witnessed those sweet words seemed to appear before her eyes again.

"Uu... Bell, does anything hurt? Are all your injuries healed? Uu..."

Lefiya wiped her tears as she anxiously asked about the boy's condition.

She must look awful right now...

Lefiya understood that, but her tears simply would not stop.

Her emotions had swung too violently. Lefiya could not calm the turmoil in her heart enough to greet the boy with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm in great shape. I could even carry Lefiya-san all the way to the 58th Floor without any trouble."

Bell stroked Riveria's emerald hair as he raised his head and answered gently.

His words sounded a little carefree, but they were not a lie. Thanks to the [Sacred Flame], not only had his previous injuries healed, even the side effects of [Argonaut] had completely disappeared.

Right now, Bell's stamina and Mind had both returned to perfect condition.

"Even now, you're still joking... uu..."

Lefiya held her wand, a faint smile on her face, yet large tears kept rolling from her eyes like strings of pearls.

That half-crying, half-smiling expression gave the golden-haired Elf a unique kind of cuteness.

"I'm serious. Lefiya-san can try it later if you don't believe me."

Bell spoke softly.

"Uu..."

Lefiya kept sobbing, and her crying only grew heavier.

She pursed her lips and looked at the boy almost pleadingly.

Lefiya had never imagined that the banter and jokes she once took for granted could be so precious.

"I was wrong. From now on, I won't say things like carrying Lefiya-san anymore, so..."

Before Bell could finish comforting her, the golden-haired Elf immediately objected.

"That won't do!"

Lefiya wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Her cheeks were flushed red, either from crying too hard or for some other reason.

A brief silence settled between their gazes. Lefiya did not make excuses or try to cover it up like she usually did.

She simply steadied her breathing, calmed herself, stopped crying little by little, and silently looked at the boy.

What exactly would not do?

And what was he supposed to do?

Naturally, Bell would not ask such an insensitive question.

Lefiya knew time was limited and that Alicia could not hold them off forever. She said no more, leaving the time to the boy's other "lover."

"Bell..."

Countless emotions rose within Ryuu, but when she tried to voice them, all she could say was the boy's name.

Her thoughts were so chaotic that Ryuu did not even notice she had unknowingly dropped the honorific and was calling him by the intimate name Bell.

People often said that only after experiencing the grief of loss did one learn to cherish what they had.

The moment Ryuu held Bell's hand, she understood that truth deeply.

Everyone had things that weighed heavily in their heart.

Bell, Syr, Alise, Ardi...

Ryuu knew very well that those people should not be placed on a scale and measured against each other, but her trembling heart had already given its answer.

Losing Bell Cranel would mean losing everything.

In Ryuu's heart, the boy had long since become the one and only presence that could not be shaken.

"Ryuu-san, I shouldn't have forced you to chant Magic so unreasonably. I'm sorry."

Bell apologized honestly.

Although the result had ended well for everyone, that terrifying process would undoubtedly leave scars on the noble Elf girl's heart.

Before seeing the Juggernaut's memories, Bell had not known that the tragedy of Astrea Familia's destruction had ended with Ryuu firing cannon Magic at both her comrades and the monsters.

"No, I'm fine... As long as you're safe, Bell..."

Ryuu instinctively tightened her grip on the boy's left hand.

In that boundless despair, Bell had found the only hope. He had also kept his promise and stayed safely by Ryuu's side.

The moment the boy held Ryuu's hand, the painful scars in her heart were completely drowned in warmth.

Feeling that budding love, Ryuu did not know what to say.

At that moment, another girl entered her field of vision.

"Ryuu-san, monsters are spawning from the wall ahead again! Come help, quickly!"

Lefiya urgently called for help. She glanced at Riveria, who was still holding the boy and had yet to let go, then added, "Ais-san too! There are too many monsters. Hurry and get up!"

"B-but... all right..."

Ryuu hesitated for a moment. Seeing Ais rise with her sword in hand, she reluctantly let go of the boy's left hand.

"Um... Alicia-san, I'll chant frost Magic too!"

Lefiya glanced at Bell and Riveria.

Then she quickly turned away, leaving the time to the two of them.

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