"What do you know!?"

"What could you possibly understand!?"

The man's voice trembled with rage. His entire existence was nothing more than the product of his ancestors' obsession—that was his so-called purpose. Yet, to him, that purpose meant nothing at all.

Even with his throat crushed by a kick, he still managed to force out words. In a way, the vitality of a first-class Adventurer was absurdly stubborn.

But that voice… carried only a deeper note of sorrow.

Bell gave him a casual glance, clearly unmoved by what he had just said.

"Mm. Which is why I can't be bothered to understand."

"I wasn't planning to do much to you in the first place. Frankly, this was something Captain Finn and his team were better suited to deal with."

"But you crossed the line."

That offhand remark sealed the man's fate.

Barely a minute ago, he had still been a top Adventurer—a force of absolute power to most, a wielder of magic that could drive others to madness, someone who could decide the fate of others with ease.

Now, he was nothing more than a wretched insect on the ground, left only to accept whatever fate was handed to him.

"Crossed the line?"

Confusion clouded the man's face, his voice weak.

"What line could I have crossed? They're just monsters!"

He truly couldn't comprehend why striking at a group of monsters had brought him to this end.

"They may not be human, but they're not mindless beasts either. At least to me, they're far more pure than the likes of you."

That the Xenos were neither human nor monster was undeniable, and Bell wasn't about to dispute it.

But to certain people, perhaps the Xenos' hearts were far less tainted.

"They might change someday—that's for the future to decide."

"But your filth is here, now. And yes, it does disgust me."

"And just like you think you can strike at them without a second thought, I can just as freely strike at you."

"You already know the reason, don't you?"

Bell's words left the man silent for a moment, even cooling the frenzy in his eyes.

In the end, he forced out just one word.

"Power."

Bell's lips curved slightly, his tone carrying a hint of praise.

"That's right. Not because of some so-called principle—just the simplest thing there is: power."

"This world can be complicated, sure. But not everything needs to be. Sometimes the sheer gap in strength is all the reason I need to trample you."

"It's not that you were wrong… I just don't like you."

The man pressed his lips together, emotions churning.

There really was no lofty reason. Just because someone didn't like you, they could do this to you—that might be the most straightforward truth there is.

The world really was that blunt.

If you have enough power, then against someone weaker, you hold absolute authority over their fate.

Just as he had done to those monsters before.

Only now, their roles were reversed.

This inexplicable man now stood where he once did, and he had been shoved into the place of those monsters.

"Those who humiliate others… will be humiliated in turn."

"Those who kill… will be killed in turn."

The anger and agitation in the man's chest unexpectedly faded, perhaps the calm before death.

Resentment still brimmed within him, but this truth… he found he could accept.

"A simple, easy truth."

"You bastard… you're a lot better than those who preach empty ideals… Power, huh~ Yeah, I guess even I would have to face this someday."

Still, he felt his life was meaningless. His existence was tied to this artificial floor, and everything he had done was for it.

"In the end, I'm just an empty shell."

He let out a self-mocking laugh as the cold seeped into every part of his body, his consciousness growing dim.

His already-shattered throat could no longer force out words.

The final sentence he wanted to say never made it out.

'Kill me.'

Bell said nothing, simply gave a casual swing of the Kuji Kanesada in his hand.

Shhk!

The blade sliced cleanly through the man's neck. His head tumbled away, and a spray of blood painted the ground in red.

Bell's gaze shifted to the Vouivre lying nearby. He crouched down and traced Runes over her, mending her wounds.

After giving her a simple treatment, he didn't touch her further—his figure simply vanished, as if he had never been there at all.

All the Xenos locked in cages had seen it, yet none could tell where he had gone.

"Where'd he go?"

"He's probably still here, just hiding."

"Phew…"

The Xenos all exhaled in relief. Seeing Wiene still unconscious, the weight in their chests eased.

The one behind their slaughter and torment had been beheaded—meaning fewer of their kind would be taken from now on.

And Wiene was safe again.

They didn't know why he had vanished so suddenly, but from his actions just now, it was clear he bore them no ill will.

"…I never thought a Xenos would be called 'pure.'

In the past, we were the ones shunned and feared. 'Pure' was never a word meant for us."

Yet now, they had heard such words from the mouth of a powerful Adventurer.

It left every Xenos present with a strange feeling.

Being acknowledged, instead of being treated like a monster… felt good.

"But what do we do now?"

With the key figure dead, this was clearly their best chance to escape.

Yet the others trapped in cages didn't rush.

"Wait."

The captured Xenos weren't fools. They knew the man hadn't freed them yet because he had something planned.

Most of the base's problems had already been dealt with.

The biggest issue was that he had acted on impulse.

'My self-control still needs work.'

Reflecting on it, Bell knew the smarter move would have been to let the Loki Familia handle this. Acting on his own had been inappropriate.

And he had done it in plain sight.

Even if his audience had been Xenos, they had still seen it happen.

Thinking about that made him shake his head.

'So much for that warning I gave Loki-sama.'

'If she finds out I acted on impulse anyway, she'll probably laugh at me again.'

Bell sighed and stepped into a rift in space.