And so the boy begins to run again.Bell has grown through combat with his greatest rival. A rank up, a denatus, a new nickname...as he draws attention from the people and deities of Orario, the young adventurer receives a letter."A mission...an expedition?" Bell has reached a higher level, and he must therefore take on an even more challenging adventure. The order from the Guild leads him toward a new stage.And so, a faction alliance sets out for the Dungeon. Alongside his companions, Bell faces new floors, new monsters, and new unknowns.

THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ORATORIA... The clock ticks dangerously close to the beginning of the final battle. No matter who wins, who loses, who lives, who dies, there will be no glory or riches for the taking. Those who fall shall not be remembered in the annals of history, joining the long funeral procession snaking around the heavens. Even so, the adventurers plan to stand strong against the greatest evil the world has seen in a thousand years. Having come to terms with their fate, they prepare for the ultimate struggle-for pride, for solidarity, for justice, for restoring peace on the mortal realm...

Having reached a new level of the Dungeon, the Colossal Tree Labyrinth, Bell meets a dragon girl named Wiene who can speak human language. Once he learns she has come under attack from humans and monsters alike, he vows to protect her. This decision brings chaos to the capital as the two navigate ruthless hunters, the irremediable strife between monsters and humans, and the plans of the Guild's true leader. The bizarre situation shakes humans, monsters, and deities to the core in volume nine!

"After all, my goddess once told me that resting is part of an adventurer's job."After going deeper than they've ever gone before and surviving the dangers of the Dungeon, Bell and his companions have more than earned themselves a respite. In the warm sunlight and safety of the surface, everyone has a moment to sit and reflect on just how much they've changed. Bell's thoughts return to the day everything began. Hestia remembers her trials after leaving the heavens. Lilly thinks of the cindery past she has overcome. Welf gazes into the sky but sees days long gone. Eina's scarred heart reminds her of what she's lost. Lyu mulls over her oath to uphold justice. Mikoto and Haruhime relive the peace of their youth. These are the stories of where they all came from and how far they've come...

The clock stops for no one. Promises have come undone-Aiz could not kill the monster who wept in front of her while shielding Bell. For nights on end, those tears have haunted her, obscuring her reason to fight and guiding her to face Bell for the first time since their conflict... But they aren't the only ones joining hands across familias. With the dawn of the Knossos operation upon them, the patron gods tear down their differences. The adventurers march toward their fate with the Xenos by their side. For life, for death, and for the destiny of Orario, they hold their heads high, ready for war-failing to realize that the darkest of times is yet to come...

The prophecy of despair continues... When an unprecedented calamity on the twenty-seventh floor leaves Bell and Lyu stranded, Bell's party needs to keep fighting without him. With their route to the surface lost and Hestia Familia's captain missing in action, Lilly must take command to ensure they all make it home alive. Ten floors below, Bell and Lyu are injured and alone, forced to struggle against the harshest challenge the Dungeon has to offer, which puts their very lives on the line. Bell has never been this deep down before nor completely unprepared, meaning Lyu's knowledge and strength are essential to their survival. However, the forlorn elf finds herself standing on the border between life and death, bound by her past, remembering once again exactly how her devotion to justice died so many years ago...

After saving the young dragon girl Wiene, Bell's name has become synonymous with "greedy", "despicable", and "traitor." He and his familia have completely lost the trust and respect of everyone residing in Orario. There's no time for him to feel sorry himself when his newfound monstrous friends, the Xenos, need his help to get home. But now that the the greatest obstacle in their way is Loki Familia, does Bell have what it takes to raise a fist against his beloved idol, the Sword Princess Aiz Wallenstein?