At the Ganesha Familia’s military police office in Orario, Niel sat at the interrogation table.
She gave the relaxed black-haired young man across from her a complicated look before beginning.
“Name.” “Fujimaru Ritsuka.” “Gender.” “Male.” “Age.” “Twenty.” “Why did you come to Orario?” “To become an adventurer, of course!” “What was that duplicate, and what caused that explosion?” “Come on, miss.
Wouldn’t that count as a personal secret?” “I’m sorry.
That was inappropriate of me.
I sincerely apologize.” Niel apologized earnestly, but immediately looked up and continued questioning him.
“Why did you kill them?
They were already running away.” The young man named Fujimaru Ritsuka folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“Are you asking why I killed a group of butchers who had already murdered who knows how many people where no one could see?” Ritsuka’s question left Niel speechless.
“Well…” “They were certainly guilty, but you still shouldn’t have treated them so cruelly.
You blasted them into charcoal.” After that meteor-like arrow was released, Niel and her two subordinates inspected the explosion site.
They found a crater ten meters wide and eight bodies around it, burned into charcoal by the heat.
“That wasn’t right.
Even criminals should be captured and put on trial instead of being executed on the spot.” “That wasn’t vigilante justice.
I killed a group of bandits in self-defense after they threatened my life.
You witnessed it yourself, Officer.” “Nonsense!
They had already abandoned the robbery and fled!” “My ability activated while they were robbing me.
It simply had a delay and didn’t take effect until after you arrived.” “Huh?” Niel stared blankly at Ritsuka.
“What kind of ridiculous ability works like that?!” “Miss, are you trying to pry into my personal secrets again?” “No, that isn’t what I meant.
I’m saying—” “Did they try to rob me or not?” “They did.” “Was I allowed to fight back?” “You were.” “Then the matter is settled.
Don’t ask questions.
The ability was delayed!” Niel struggled to find a response.
After holding it in for several seconds, she slammed both hands on the table and stood.
“But that isn’t how a champion of justice should fight!
They were already fleeing!” “What are you, Ultraman Dyna?” Niel’s declaration made Ritsuka fire back with another quip.
“Besides, when it comes to justice, my heart and actions are as clear as a mirror.
Everything I do is righteous!” “You’re talking as if you belong to the Familia of some god of justice!” “Exactly!
I am a member of the Astraea Familia, the Familia of justice!” “What?!” Niel stared at Ritsuka in shock.
“But wasn’t the Astraea Familia already…?” “I’m a member of the reborn Astraea Familia.” Ritsuka spread his arms as magical power surged around him.
A gold-and-silver emblem appeared upon the short white cape over his left shoulder.
It depicted a winged sword entwined with scales symbolizing fairness—the emblem of the Astraea Familia.
“As a follower of the Goddess of Justice, no one understands justice better than I do!” “That emblem really belongs to the Astraea Familia!
A reborn Astraea Familia…
Is Goddess Astraea returning to Orario?” “That’s right!
I am the vanguard of the reborn Astraea Familia!” With a member of the Familia of justice making such a declaration, Niel found it difficult to argue any further.
She could only sigh and sit back down.
“Very well, Fujimaru Ritsuka-san.
The other witnesses at the scene support your account, but there’s still one thing I need to warn you about.” “Go ahead.” “As a member of the Astraea Familia, please don’t use attacks that powerful in Orario’s public areas.” “Understood!” “All right.
You may leave.” Niel rose from her chair and extended her right hand toward him.
“And welcome back to Orario, Astraea Familia.” Ritsuka stood and shook her hand.
“Thank you!” After leaving the military police office, Ritsuka stood on Orario’s main avenue.
He gazed up at the towering gray-white structure piercing the clouds in the city center and clicked his tongue in amazement.
“Damn…
So that’s the Tower of Babel.
It really is tall.” This was the world of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, better known as DanMachi.
A Dungeon beneath this world endlessly spawned monsters.
Whenever they reached the surface, they attacked all living creatures without distinction.
To protect the people above, the god Ouranos descended from Heaven and suppressed the Dungeon through his own power.
He then summoned the other gods to the Lower World.
Through their divine blood, they granted Falna to mortal heroes, who entered the Dungeon and cleared out the monsters it periodically produced.
That was how adventurers came to exist.
Why were the gods willing to do so much for mortals?
Because Heaven had become unbearably boring!
The gods had lived for more than a hundred million years.
With nothing better to do, they had already fought more divine wars in Heaven than anyone could count.
When Ouranos called, the bored gods eagerly descended to the Lower World and began playing a game of raising heroes.
They even agreed that every god descending to the Lower World had to seal away their divine power and live like an ordinary mortal.
They could raise heroes, but using their Arcanum to intervene directly was forbidden.
From then on, humans and other intelligent races received Falna, entered the Dungeon, accomplished great deeds, and became heroes.
The gods entertained themselves by watching adventurers compete like fighting crickets.
Meanwhile, the people above lived safely because adventurers kept the Dungeon’s monsters under control.
Everyone had a bright future!
Astraea was one of the goddesses who descended from Heaven.
Unlike the chaotic evil gods and those who cared only for pleasure, Astraea was gentle and compassionate.
She represented justice and order.
From the moment she founded her Familia, her goal was to use its strength to preserve fairness and order throughout Orario.
Unfortunately, those ideals clashed with the beliefs of the evil gods, making her Familia a target.
The Astraea Familia, which upheld justice and order, was lured into a trap by Evilus adventurers on the Dungeon’s 30th Floor and massacred.
Only the Level Four Ryuu Lion survived.
To seek revenge, Ryuu persuaded Astraea to leave Orario.
The goddess accepted her advice and departed, freeing Ryuu from any remaining concerns.
Ryuu then launched a merciless campaign and slaughtered the Evilus adventurers responsible for destroying the Astraea Familia.
As a result, the Guild placed a bounty on her, turning her into a wanted criminal.
She subsequently vanished without a trace.
The Astraea Familia disappeared entirely from Orario, and five full years passed.
Now, five years later, Fujimaru Ritsuka had returned to Orario as a member of the reborn Astraea Familia.
He had come to make an announcement to the entire city.
“Orario!
The Astraea Familia has returned!” …