When we reached the fourth floor, the ground spread beneath our feet as if the absence of a floor just moments ago had been a lie.

Yes, ground.

What awaited us wasn’t an orderly Demon Lord’s castle but a volcanic region, with the cries of bird-like monsters echoing around us.

Just like the sky-filled floor earlier, the space here is distorted. It seems to reconstruct something impossible to replicate within the original area.

We pushed aside trees with sharp leaves as we walked. The forest wasn’t dense enough to worry about surprise attacks, which was a relief.

The monsters on the fourth floor, perhaps because of the volcanic environment, often used fire magic. Volcano wyverns that spat magma from their mouths and flame ogres covered in fire were conspicuous here.

Most were second-rank, with the occasional first-rank appearing. Compared to the third floor, it felt like the frequency of first-rank monsters had slightly increased.

『Brother Bruno』

“…Huh? Sanshita, what’s wrong?”

Sanshita was supposed to stay here as part of the plan with the Demon Lord’s Fingers. So I dismounted and ran alongside him while fighting monsters.

After we scattered the monsters, I turned around to find Sanshita gazing at me intently. Seeing his nostalgic expression made me feel a bit more grounded.

『We part ways here, don’t we?』

“Yeah… but we’ll see each other soon.”

『I feel nostalgic about when we first met.』

“Yeah, me too…”

Sanshita stared off into the distance, perhaps recalling the past.

He was someone I met after arriving in Akoup. Of everyone I traveled with, I spent the most time with Ivy, and after her, Sanshita came next.

If Ivy was the reliable older sister, then Sanshita was like a clumsy younger brother.

Memories of him floated into my mind:

Sanshita getting pummeled by Shannon and Ivy; Sanshita looking happy without knowing why people kept feeding him; Sanshita biting Rey's hand and ending up with bleeding gums; and Sanshita, crestfallen, carving his wooden figurines.

Were these truly memories of a griffon? I began to doubt my own recollection, given how bizarre they were.

Yet perhaps it was their oddness that made them so vivid, even now.

Maybe being unusual isn’t a bad thing. It brings unique memories and connections.

『I’m glad I left the flock. Meeting Brother Bruno and Sister Ivy makes me a lucky griffon.』

Sanshita had left his griffon flock after feeling out of place. Though he always seemed carefree and resilient, when talking about his past, shadows crept into his expression.

It seems history weighs on both humans and griffons alike.

“But why so dramatic, like we’re saying goodbye forever?”

“Mii!”

Ivy nodded as if saying, “Exactly.”

Sanshita chuckled and began grooming his fur—a habit of his when embarrassed.

『I guess… I don’t get many chances to say thank you, so I figured now was the time.』

“Yeah, sometimes it’s like that.”

『Yes, even for a guy like me.』

Sanshita turned around and stiffened when he spotted Rey.

Heroes who fight Demon Lords are often disliked by monsters. Ivy was an exception, but Sanshita was no different from the norm—he despised Rey.

『Oi, Rey. I’m leaving here, but only because you’re a hero. The ones beside Brother Bruno and Sister Ivy should be me, got it?』

“I don’t know what you mean, but… I understand. I’ll look after them.”

『She didn’t get it at all, did she!?』

Sanshita’s growling voice probably sounded like random snarls to Rey. His words never reached her.

We arrived at the fourth-floor staircase while watching this one-sided conversation.

The stairs emerged at the base of the volcano, where lava should have accumulated. Instead, a gaping hole led to the staircase.

Standing there with legs spread wide was a muscular man with a flaming red afro.

“I am Bernard, the Demon Lord’s Right Third Finger. If you wish to pass, defeat me!”

Flames enveloped Bernard’s entire body. Upon closer inspection, his afro wasn’t hair but a mass of writhing fire.

“…That’s what I’d like to say, but I’ve been ordered directly by the Demon Lord. If one of you stays here, the rest may pass.”

『Brother Bruno, let me handle this.』

Sanshita stepped forward. Bernard smirked when he saw him.

“A griffon, huh? I don’t mind a spirited opponent. The rest of you weaklings can go.”

His eyes locked solely on Sanshita, ignoring the rest of us. As we slowly moved to avoid drawing his attention, Sanshita called out from behind:

『Brother Bruno, Sister Ivy… thank you for everything.』

“It’s not goodbye forever. See you soon, Sanshita.”

“Mii-mii!”

『Yes… see you later.』

We climbed the stairs and looked back. Through the flames, we saw Sanshita waving with a carefree grin, lightening our heavy hearts.

And so we ascended to the fifth floor, the battle with the Demon Lord’s Fingers drawing ever closer.

『Brother… Sister…』

Sanshita watched Bruno and the others disappear into the distance.

Sometimes he wondered:

Was this happiness all a dream? Would he wake up to find himself back with the griffon flock?

The days spent with Bruno and Ivy were so vibrant and irreplaceable that they felt surreal.

“It’s not goodbye forever. See you soon, Sanshita.”

“Mii-mii!”

Their words echoed through his mind. Would they really meet again? No—they must. He would make sure of it.

『I will win, no matter what.』

Determination burned in Sanshita’s eyes. His face, so often carefree, now bore a somber, resolute expression as he faced Bernard.

“A griffon loyal to humans… it’s like something out of a story. I’m moved.”

Seeing the resolve in Sanshita’s gaze, Bernard laughed, his flaming afro blazing even brighter—perhaps a reflection of his excitement.

『I won’t hold back. From the start—full power!』

Sanshita had trained with the elves, learning about magic and combat. He unleashed that training now: six magic circles appeared before him in red, blue, orange, green, white, and black.

Like dice showing a six, they arranged themselves in two rows of three before rotating and merging into three larger circles.

And then, three magic circles overlapped vertically this time, merging into one large magic circle.

Unlike before, the magic circle now glowed with a strong rainbow radiance as Sanshita breathed life into it with his magic power.

『Shining Rainbow Breath!』

The magical impact became an unavoidable strike and hit Bernard with unerring precision—.

He had always been able to use magic.

But as he studied further, he realized that magic like breathing fire or enhancing the piercing power of his claws was actually quite basic when compared to the true depth of magical techniques.

He owed this realization to the countless lectures he had endured in the Elven village.

『The magic wielded by monsters differs fundamentally from what humans or we elves use. Monsters possess exceptional physical abilities and regenerative powers that can heal wounds after just a night's rest. This is because of their naturally high affinity with magic and the vast reserves of magic within their bodies. Yet, few monsters can cast advanced spells. Most can only crudely alter phenomena by force, a practice we call magical strikes or magical bursts.』

『I... I see, that's quite something...』

The elves’ magical techniques were far more advanced than anything Sanshita had known from human magic.

This advancement was supported by systematic classifications, academic papers, and foundational research filled with so many technical terms it was almost absurd to count them.

Memorizing all of it was exhausting for Sanshita, who never had the sharpest memory to begin with.

But he never complained and kept studying diligently—all because he wanted to stay with Ivy and Bruno.

And as a result, despite being a monster, Sanshita mastered the advanced magical techniques of the elves—.

The spell Sanshita cast was a composite magic: the Shining Rainbow Breath.

By layering all elemental attributes and adding his pure magical energy, he combined seven types of magic to unleash a destructive force—the most powerful long-range spell he could currently cast.

「Ugh... that one really hurt...」

But even after taking the hit, Bernard remained standing.

Seeing this, Sanshita made a decision.

He had learned many types of magic, but in terms of raw power, this was his strongest spell.

And if it couldn't finish the fight, he knew he had to use his trump card.

A trump card that, if used, could end the battle—but also expose him to great danger.

He had hoped to avoid using it, but—

(He's no easy opponent... If I wanna beat someone stronger, I’ve gotta take the risk.)

Bernard’s body was covered in burns, his skin peeling away. Yet when his head flared up with a burst of flame, his wounds began to heal.

He could use healing magic. That meant Sanshita, with his limited magic reserves, had no chance in a battle of attrition.

—So he had to end it with this next strike.

His most powerful blow had left Bernard staggering. Now was the time.

『Here I go!』

Sanshita inhaled sharply, then dashed toward Bernard.

Without any body-enhancement magic, he relied solely on his physical strength. His speed was slower than his Shining Rainbow Breath.

But his body began to faintly glow.

With each step, the footprints he left in the ground grew deeper. His strides became heavier, his pace steadily increasing.

As he ran, his speed surged. The glow around him intensified.

「What the hell... what kind of trick is that...」

Bernard’s face twitched despite his fearsome reputation as one of the Demon King's Ten Fingers. The rising power and speed were beyond abnormal.

Monsters have a high affinity with magic. They fall into two categories: those that were once ordinary creatures transformed by magic, and those formed entirely from magical energy.

Griffins, like Sanshita, belonged to the latter category, making them inherently magic-rich beings capable of casting basic spells instinctively.

This trait also enabled the trump card Sanshita was about to unleash.

The magic around him crackled, glowing too brightly to look at directly. His body and the surrounding light blurred together.

He was becoming one with the magic itself.

Soon, his feet no longer left prints on the ground. His legs no longer touched the earth as he launched forward, propelled by pure magic.

At this moment, Sanshita was no longer a physical being—he was a magical phenomenon, a living spell.

He became a beam of light, racing straight toward Bernard at impossible speed.

This was Sanshita’s trump card: a technique developed using the advanced magical theories of the elves, possible only because his body was fundamentally composed of magical energy.

By transforming his body into pure magic and launching himself as a spell, he achieved unmatched speed and destructive power.

Its name was—

『Sanshita, the One Who Stands with Heroes!』

Bernard tried to dodge, but the speed was overwhelming.

He braced himself to counterattack, but Sanshita’s magical force was far greater.

The beam of light pierced Bernard effortlessly.

「A...gh...」

Sanshita's semi-magical body burst through Bernard and exploded inside him.

Bernard collapsed to the ground.

「Impressive... truly...」

He never had a chance to unleash his full power.

The scattered light particles gathered in one place, slowly taking shape again.

『Haah... haah... I... I did it...』

The glow flickered uncertainly. Sanshita's body, like an amorphous liquid, struggled to regain its solid form.

『I... I guess... this is it...』

His master, the high elf Alaeda, had repeatedly warned him about this spell.

The technique converted his body into magic, fusing it with his internal reserves to form a spell. But once released, his body’s magical structure dispersed and weakened.

If the scattered magic couldn’t reassemble correctly, his body would never return.

Yet, Sanshita had chosen to use it anyway.

Because Ivy and Bruno had entrusted this battle to him.

Because he wanted to stand proudly beside them.

Even if it meant risking his life.

『Did... did I do okay...?』

His body shimmered as glowing particles began to dissolve into the air.

Then—

「Mii.」

A small sound echoed.

It was a gentle, scolding voice, like that of an older sibling admonishing a reckless younger brother.

The scattered particles paused.

And then, as if a puzzle was being carefully reassembled, the light gathered into one place.

When the glow finally subsided, there he was—

『Zzz... zzz...』

Sanshita lay there, snoring peacefully with drool trickling from the corner of his mouth—his face content and serene—.