Aster released his hammer and reached over his shoulder, drawing his sword just in time to parry Fontea’s blow. Off-balance, he staggered back. Silver flashed. Fontea’s sword lunged for his throat.

A stone hand reached out, drawing him back as easily as a child grabbed a baby doll. Daiyo grabbed Fontea’s sword with his other hand and clenched it into a fist, distorting the steel beneath his palm. Fontea staggered back, stunned, and Daiyo reached for her. His hand closed around her head.

“Fontea!” Jaro hefted his shield and charged Daiyo, hammering the shield down at Daiyo’s arm.

Daiyo released Fontea and raised his other hand. He caught Jaro’s shield and clenched his fist. The shield shattered into splinters. Aster’s hammer rattled free.

Startled, Jaro stumbled back.

“You… and this woman. Both of you, are no good,” Daiyo grumbled, voice low and dark.

Aster looked up. “Daiyo, you—”

“If they’re invading our dungeon, then I can step outside it to protect it. In any case, hurry inside. Stella’s waiting,” Daiyo said, tipping his head.

Aster nodded. “Thank you.” He grabbed his hammer off the ground and ran into the dungeon, leaving Fontea and Jaro behind in Daiyo’s grasp.

Daiyo looked down at the humans and tipped his head, expressing something like an evil smile. “Say, you two… were you the ones who led the invasion of our dungeon?”

“I—I’m protecting the village!” Fontea snarled.

“That’s a yes, then.” Daiyo tightened his grip.

Fontea’s eyes bulged, and her skull let off concerning creaking sounds. She grabbed at his fingers, but her hands were no match for the golem’s strength.

“Wait!” Jaro shouted.

Daiyo paused. He turned his blank stone plate of a face to Jaro.

“She—Fontea’s just a little misguided. She isn’t, she—doesn’t know what she’s doing! Please. Let her go. I’ll reason with her.”

“Shut up! I know exactly what I’m doing. This dungeon is dangerous. It needs to be destroyed!” Fontea snarled.

“It’s not. Fontea, please. You know it isn’t true. Alice—yes, Alice got transformed, but she… she went into the dungeon! She was in a dungeon! Even if she died or became a monster, can we really complain? That’s what happens when you enter a dungeon. You put your life on the line!” Jaro replied, desperate. He looked at Daiyo and shook his head, as best he could with Daiyo’s tight grip on his skull. “Please. She isn’t always like this. I can reason with her. She—she’s overcome by emotion right now. She can’t think straight.”

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“I can think straight. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m getting rid of a threat that’s been a danger to our town for far too long!” Fontea snapped.

Daiyo shook his head. He looked at Jaro. “You seem a decent fellow, but she’s being entirely unreasonable. Even you can see that she really does mean it, right? Or at least… she really does want Stella to die.”

“Stella… to die?” Jaro asked, confused.

“Well, Stella is our core. Wait… am I not supposed to say this?” Daiyo asked, tilting his head.

“Stella is—” Fontea’s eyes widened. She wriggled harder in Daiyo’s grip, nearly squirming free.

“Ah, well. I messed that one up,” Daiyo muttered to Jaro. He shook his head. “Well, nothing doing.”

Jaro’s eyes widened. “No, no, no—”

Daiyo clenched his hand. Fontea kicked, then went limp.

“Why?” Jaro screamed.

Daiyo turned to him. His grip tightened subtly.

Jaro fell silent. He stared at Daiyo, his eyes wide.

“You know, I don’t think you really need to ask why,” Daiyo said.

Jaro blinked.

Daiyo sighed. He gestured at the cave and the mob rushing inside. “You bring a whole mess of humans here, threaten the dungeon, threaten Stella… Even a squishy human like Aster wouldn’t let that go.”

“But… but,” Jaro muttered. He looked at his hands, then slowly clenched them shut. He closed his eyes.

“If I let you go, are you going to cause trouble for Aster, now?” Daiyo asked, leaning toward Jaro.

Jaro leaned back, his whole body bending away from where Daiyo clenched his head. “I— I won’t.”

Daiyo looked at Jaro for one long moment, then let go.

Jaro backed away. He wandered toward Fontea’s body, his limbs stiff, almost numb. Halfway there, he abruptly turned and charged into the dungeon, whole body tense, pushing himself to his limits. I’ll make him hurt. Before I die, I’ll make Aster regret—

A hand gripped his head once more, yanking him to a halt. Daiyo sighed deeply. “Yeah, I should’ve known. Guilt and all that. Or no, grief? I’m not good with human emotions.”

“Let me go! I’ll kill you! Kill you all! Fuck the dungeon!” Jaro snarled.

“I’m not sorry, but I do regret this,” Daiyo said quietly. He closed his hand.

--

Humans rushed into her dungeon. Stella flinched and began to tremble, hunkering down behind the wall. The tiger and the centipede swirled toward the humans, while she hid in the kitchen behind the tea room. The white snake wound around her protectively, thick coils hiding Stella from sight.

Humans. So many humans. Get out. Get out!

Crystals shook all across the tea room. One after another, the ceiling crystals dropped down on the humans, while crystals sprung from the floor, stabbing at legs and feet. Humans fell, screaming. Blood flew.

Stella jolted. She curled up into a ball and covered her ears with her arms. No! I don’t want to hurt them. But—but they’ll kill me if I don’t! I have to. I have to stop them!

A stone wall leapt up between the tearoom and the kitchen. The remaining members of the mob turned toward the wall. They hammered on it, slamming against the wall.

“Stop it!” Stella shouted.

A group of humans attacked the tiger with pitchforks, torch-weilders forcing it back into the corner. Torches lit the centipede alight, and pitchforks and scythes cut it down. Stella closed her eyes. Tears leaked down her cheeks. No! Stop it! Stop hurting them!

The stone wall shuddered. Cracks ran down the wall.

“Let us in!”

“Destroy the dungeon!”

“Kill them all!”

“We have to! To save the town!”

“Aster!” Stella cried, hunkering down.

A loud thump sounded out. The mob fell silent.

“I’m here,” Aster replied, his voice sturdy and reassuring.

Stella sat up, her eyes shining with tears. “Aster!”