The Healer Who Was Banished from His Party, Is, in Fact, the Strongest

With a new swordsman beside him, Margulus stubbornly tries to slay the hydra again. The Blades of Lightning members slowly make progress against the monster, but by the time Laust arrives on the scene, the hydra has undergone a terrifying transformation.

Laust starts to suspect that something ominous is happening involving monsters in the labyrinth and in Mardat. He asks Hanzum, the current head of the Guild, to take action. Hanzum refuses and tells Laust that if he is scared he should "get out of town."

Laust and his companions enter the labyrinth on their quest to battle the phoenix and earn the bounty from the Guild. They quickly track the phoenix down and engage it, but the instant they start causing damage to the fiery creature, it begins to mutate.

Now that they can afford it, Narsena suggests to Laust that it might be more practical to get a house and move in together—an invitation that is also a thinly-veiled expression of Narsena's love. Unfortunately, Laust's response is less than enthusiastic.

After a powerful earthquake shakes Mardat, waves of monsters start marching toward the city in a labyrinth uprising. Guild leadership quickly takes action. Suspicious that the Guild was expecting an uprising all along, Laust and friends ready for battle.

Laust, Narsena, and Ralma confront Mist and are told that to end the uprising, Ralma must commit all of her magic to creating a barrier while Mist and Hanzum hunt down the lord of the labyrinth. Ralma agrees but reminds Laust that Mist cannot be trusted.

Laust learns that Narsena is in fact the sleeping princess. He and the others decide to follow Mist and Hanzum in an attempt to rescue her. When they finally locate Narsena and her captors deep inside the labyrinth, Mist begins to explain his intentions.

With the evil dragon now inhabiting Mist's body, the second wave of the uprising approaches Mardat. Laust and his companions fight to defend the city, but when they find themselves overwhelmed by the dragon's powers, Narsena decides to sacrifice herself.