In a remote slum, two figures approached slowly.
"Cranel-san... Are we really going through with this?"
Ryuu wore a cute pink outfit, a mask, and her short green hair stood out distinctly.
"Mhm."
Bell was clad in a matching red outfit, his mask and cape radiating a rather unique sense of intimidation.
Ryuu let out a long sigh, then dashed forward in resignation.
"Freeze, all of you! Your dealings have been exposed by [Pink Justice]!"
A wooden sword infused with magic swept through the air in a clean arc.
The suspicious man hadn't even had time to react before the strike sent him crashing to the ground.
The others behind him scoffed, lifting their swords and axes as they attacked together.
Ryuu slipped between their blows with ease, her wooden sword knocking each of them unconscious with precise, measured strikes.
"Wh-what the hell?! Who even is this Pink Justice?!"
The lookout, seeing his comrades collapse one after another, let out a wail and bolted toward the alley.
"Red!"
Ryuu called out the signal they had agreed on beforehand.
At the far end of the muddy street, Bell stepped in and blocked the man's escape.
"Who... who are you people?!"
Faced with the man's terrified question, Bell smiled lightly.
"We're the [Partners of Justice], of course."
A moment later, the man's world went dark.
Bell examined the items the group had been trading.
"Looks like an illegal drug sale..."
Ryuu nodded. Solving the case brought her genuine joy—but this outfit and this kind of role were simply too embarrassing.
She sighed softly, thinking back to how she had ended up in this situation.
…
"The intentions of the Evilus remain unclear."
Inside the conference room, Bell analyzed the current situation for everyone. The enemy was out in the open, while they were forced to act in the dark. From Ted's letters, Bell and the others could only determine that the Evilus's target was Goddess Astraea.
To carry out their revenge, the villain masquerading as the casino owner had even sponsored a significant amount of money.
But Ted himself had no idea what specific plan the remnants of the Evilus were preparing. That was indisputable, since gods could discern lies.
"Mortals cannot assassinate gods, and they have no way of knowing that Ryuu-san is still alive. Considering everything, the enemy's target is very likely a current member of Astraea Familia."
Bell continued.
As the elite of Sword Smithing City Solingen, Captain Cecil and another Beast Human member were both Lv.2. Even without the training of a dungeon, they were already highly capable. Drawn by the Goddess, Astraea Familia had continued to uphold justice.
"Considering everyone's usual methods, any case currently occurring in Solingen could be a decoy."
Bell had noticed this hint from Hermes Familia's intelligence.
There were simply too many incidents. Starting with the Sacred Tree's branches, countless bizarre and illegal goods had been circulating. There were Monsterphilia imitations modeled after the ones in Orario—despite the monsters being far weaker than those in the Dungeon, disturbances kept happening anyway. Then there were disappearances, money disputes, and countless other problems. Everyone could sense something was off in Solingen.
It was because of this strained atmosphere that Bell and the group had even been stopped outside the gates.
"Even the forest's spirits seem upset..."
Astraea rested her cheek against one hand, speaking with some concern. Their Familia's base was in the forest outskirts, yet the oppressive cloud hanging over Solingen had reached even there.
Bell and the others struggled to grasp the enemy's intentions. It felt like stepping into a minefield, unable to tell which piece of the puzzle concealed a lethal trap. The only thing they knew for certain was that danger was drawing steadily closer.
"I could use invisibility to scout for information..."
Laurier offered softly.
"That won't do. It's too slow."
Bell and the others had no time left to waste. The enemy was preparing something, and without their Familia God, they couldn't receive a Status Update. This needed to be resolved quickly.
"But with so many crimes happening at once, even if we all went out together, it would still take a lot of time,"
Ryuu said with a deep frown.
For safety reasons, Astraea Familia—being the enemy's obvious targets—absolutely couldn't split up. Yet even with all six members, they didn't have nearly enough manpower to quell the chaos in a short time.
"Hmm..."
Lefiya wracked her brain but couldn't come up with any solution to the situation.
Just as everyone fell silent in frustration, Bell spoke slowly:
"Leave this matter to me and Ryuu-san."
...
"Look, it's [Partners of Justice]!"
Several children waved excitedly along the street. Ryuu saw the admiration shining in their eyes and managed a bitter smile.
"Cranel-san, is this really alright?"
"Hm. Try to be a little more cheerful. People should be able to tell you're a hero at a glance."
Bell waved back at the little girl.
"This… this kind of thing is still far too embarrassing."
Ryuu followed Bell through Sword Smithing City Solingen, dealing with case after case.
Each time they restrained a criminal, she would announce the name [Pink Justice].
In only half a day, their righteous exploits had spread through the entire city.
"Ryuu-san, didn't you used to wear a mask and cloak? I thought you must really like that style."
Bell asked with a smile.
"That's different…"
Ryuu had often sworn oaths of justice alongside her former companions.
But solving cases while loudly calling themselves partners of justice—her shame was eating her alive.
The chatter among passersby only grew louder.
"Hey, did you hear? There are these two going around muttering about justice and bonds, knocking down criminals nonstop."
"Are they just a pair of idiots?"
"But their strength is real…"
"I heard one guy tried stealing a loaf of bread and got beaten half to death."
"You're kidding. My kid actually likes them."
"That's what they said! Even the smallest wrongdoing is an evil that must be punished!"
"How can people like that exist…"
"Didn't you say someone stole your wallet? Ask them for help—they'll fix it right away."
"Well… I just remembered wrong. I found it later…"
"Partners of Justice, huh…"
...
With Laurier secretly fanning the rumors, the stories about Bell and Ryuu spiraled into more extreme versions.
Before long, tales of righteous warriors punishing every evil had spread everywhere.
As dusk settled, Bell spoke softly.
"The time is just about right. Let's head back."
"Mm… I feel completely drained. This is more exhausting than fighting monsters in the dungeon…"
Ryuu followed Bell into the forest.
"I noticed Ryuu-san seemed pretty excited earlier. Words like 'bond' and 'friendship'… those weren't part of the plan."
Bell exposed her overflowing enthusiasm.
"…!"
She never expected the boy to see through her excitement. If not for the mask hiding her face, she would have run away in shame.
"Cranel-san… please don't tell anyone about today…"
Ryuu whispered her plea.
Maybe it was the mask hiding her embarrassment, or maybe she had simply never experienced something like this before.
As she played the role of a [Partner of Justice], she found herself unconsciously absorbed in it—like a child yearning for pure, untainted justice.
Bell chuckled softly. "I was a little excited myself. If Ryuu-san promises not to tell anyone else, I'll keep your secret."
"Yes, I promise."
Ryuu agreed without hesitation. "But the cases we handled are only a small portion. Will we have to keep doing this tomorrow?"
"Don't worry. Laurier is excellent at handling intelligence. Our zero-tolerance stance toward crime has already been made clear," Bell explained.
Ryuu nodded.
The enemy was using chaos to hide their real intentions—likely manipulating gray-area individuals with money.
But the appearance of righteous avengers served as a warning.
Those filing false reports or selling illegal goods would surely back off and lie low.
And once the tide of chaos receded, what remained would point directly to the malice aimed at Astraea Familia.
Ryuu deeply admired Bell's insight.
The enemy had plotted for so long—there was no way they would walk away unscathed.
And the outcome was exactly as Bell had expected.
In just one day, the dark cloud shrouding Sword Smithing City Solingen dispersed, revealing two troublesome cases.
The disappearance incidents, and the Monster Festival unrest…
"The disappearances and the Monsterphilia disturbances…"
With the enemy in the open and themselves in the dark, Bell had far too few reliable pieces to work with.
Analyzing the intelligence gathered, he made his decision.
"Lefiya and I will check the forest outside the city. Ryuu and Laurier, head for the Monsterphilia grounds. If an emergency happens, do not stay and fight."
Outside the mansion, Goddess Astraea watched their departing figures with deep concern.
That day, the tide receded.
And malice surged forth like a ravenous beast.