Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden – Sword Oratoria - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 DUNGEON CONFUSION 

“Here I gooo!” Tiona gleefully charged into battle. 
The double-bladed sword in her grasp was large enough to make anyone look twice. 
Both of her hands were on the handle that connected the two blades. The oncoming monsters suddenly fell silent as the Amazon whipped her weapon around like a children’s toy. 
“That’s five!” In one great slice, she put all of her weight into a jumping attack and sent the monsters flying. 
Completely ignoring the corpses piling up around her, the warrior let her instincts kick in. Finding her next target in the blink of an eye, Tiona took off in that direction. 
“Aiz, cover that moron! Don’t let her get out too far ahead!” 
“Understood.” 
A silver streak followed Tiona into the next wave of monsters, tearing asunder everything in its path. 
The streak came to a stop as Aiz withdrew her saber from the head of a monster, her golden locks flowing as she turned to face the next enemy. 
Dungeon floor fifty-one. 
Despite being tasked with completing a quest, Aiz’s party had been drawn into battle. 
Part of the Deep Levels, the fifty-first floor’s layout was nothing short of bizarre. 
The walls, floor, and ceiling were completely smooth and flat. Every corner was a perfect right angle, as if carved by some master architect. Intersections were common, making the entire floor into an insane square beehive. Those brave enough, or crazy enough, to step into this realm lost their way in no time. The Dungeon walls were made of a black substance somewhere between stone and soil in texture. 
Lights overhead illuminated the relatively wide passageways as Aiz’s battle party confronted a horde of robust monsters. 
“Black rhinos.” 
Rhinoceros monsters that walked on two legs. Standing at just over two meders tall, they barely qualified as large-category monsters. What really set them apart, however, were their two horns, one long and one short, jutting from the front of their faces. 
Their hide was as strong and thick as high-quality armor. These beasts were walking fortresses compared to the Fomoire on floor forty-nine. 
But. 
“—?!” 
“Yah-ha!!” 
Pieces of them were flying through the air. 
A double-bladed sword being swung with playfully reckless abandon was cutting through their horde with deadly ease. 
Two large swords fused together at the hilt—while many large weapons were known for their destructive power, this particular piece surpassed all of them. The thick, solid blades tore through the monsters’ bodies like they were nothing more than tissue paper. Massive limbs went airborne with each swing. 
The wheat-skinned girl might as well have been a kid on the playground, dancing with her friends. The sheer force she wielded far exceeded what her small frame should allow. 
Tiona loved her bespoke weapon, dubbed Urga, and knew exactly how to use it. 
“—!” 
As Tiona and Urga danced their way to a killing spree, Aiz was busy protecting her blind spot from a continuous stream of would-be attackers. 
She was equipped with only a saber. It looked like nothing more than a toothpick when compared to Tiona’s weapon of choice, but the enemy monsters couldn’t keep up with the sleek weapon in Aiz’s skilled grasp. The blond girl stood even with Tiona as the two of them slaughtered their enemies. 
No matter how many bodies it pierced, no matter how much blood flew through the air, the silver saber never lost its luster. 
Forged by smiths who carried the Blessing of a god, Aiz’s weapon had been endowed with a superior characteristic: Durandal, the Unbreaking. 
Already a top-class weapon, it was physically impossible for the blade to snap during combat. 
A Superior weapon made by the High Smiths of Goibniu Familia, it was called “Desperate.” 
Aiz chose to wield her beloved sword because it allowed her to always fight that one extra second without holding back. 
“Aiz, I call the right!” 
“Okay.” 
Tiona collided with the enemy ranks with the ferocity of a raging typhoon. Meanwhile, Aiz slew monster after monster with sharp, precise strikes. Their battle looked like total chaos from afar. However, neither one allowed the other to be attacked from behind. Time seemed to slow down as they kept just enough distance to stay out of each other’s way, yet remained close enough to cover each other’s blind side by switching places at the last second. 
Through their trust and teamwork, small mountains of monster corpses formed around the battlefield. 
“Four more coming in from the right! Reinforcements arriving from the back! Lefiya, signal us when you’re ready!” 
Aiz and Tiona engaged the horde of black rhinos directly while Tione supported them from the middle of the formation with throwing knives while shouting orders. 
In the face of the oncoming onslaught, Lefiya raised her staff at the back of their formation and began to recite her spell. 
“—Take up your bows to face the marauders. Answer the call of your kin and nock your arrows.” 
Monsters residing in the Deep Levels were far more powerful and savage than their brethren on higher floors. Visibly shaken by the horror before her eyes, Lefiya struggled to keep her voice steady as she summoned her Magic. 
Thunderous footsteps shook the ground beneath her feet. Lefiya couldn’t see straight. 
“—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” 
“?!” 
Suddenly, the wall right beside Lefiya broke open. 
Shielding herself from debris, the elf peeked around her arms to see an absolutely terrifying red and purple spider, with eight hairy legs and many menacing eyes—a deformis spider. 
The monster, born directly from the Dungeon wall, jumped straight toward the vulnerable mage. 
A perfect ambush. Time seemed to stand still for Lefiya, watching the creature’s jaws wide open, fangs glinting in the dim light. 
At that moment, a blade flashed before her eyes and sliced the beast’s head in half. 
“Eeeek!” 
“Keep casting, Lefiya.” 
“R-right!” 
Tione had jumped to Lefiya’s aid, long black hair flowing in her wake. 
She grabbed the handle of her Kukri throwing knife, still embedded in the beast’s neck, and gave it a sharp twist before yanking it out. The still-twitching deformis spider split in two pieces as it collapsed to the ground. 
“Ah, err, um…!” 
Lefiya had regained her footing, but there was too much adrenaline pulsing through her veins. Try as she might, she couldn’t focus. 
Taking a few moments to concentrate, she inhaled all the way down to the bottom of her lungs and opened her mouth to start the spell over from the beginning. It was at that moment that Aiz and Tiona took down the last of the black rhino horde. 
The halls were filled with an eerie silence, with all the monsters’ lifeless bodies lying at their feet. 
“I-I’m so sorry…I…” 
“Nothing to worry about, Lefiya. These things happen to everyone.” 
The blood-streaked Urga over her shoulder, Tiona walked up to the elf with Aiz not far behind. The blond girl sheathed her saber as Lefiya continued to apologize. Tione joined them after a quick sweep of the area. 
The elf had completely missed her window to attack, missing the opportunity that Aiz and Tiona had created for her. She had never felt so useless. 
“I shouldn’t have come after all. At Level Three, I’m only holding you back…” 
“Calm down, Lefiya.” 
Tione placed her hand on Lefiya’s trembling shoulder. 
Slowly, cautiously, the elf raised her face to meet the Amazon’s gaze. Tiona jumped up behind her sister and added her own encouragement. 
“Your Level might be a little low, but your Magic is strong enough to roast anything down here. Riveria chose you herself, yes? Have some confidence.” 
“What was that Magic power ability of yours again—that thing Loki said a while back…? Oh yeah! The big ka-boom! With a Skill like that, you could wipe out any monster in one hit!” 
“You see, that’s…” 
Lefiya lost the ability to argue the moment her Skill was brought up. 
Her golden hair flowed to the side as she looked over her shoulder and down her back. 
Every person, human or demi-human, who had received a god’s Blessing had hieroglyphs—the writing system used by the gods—engraved on their back, without exception. The jumble of characters was the Blessing itself. 
“Falna”—known to the people of earth as Status. 
A Status was built on the excelia gained from any kind of experience from any part of a person’s life. A deity used the excelia contained within a person’s spirit in order to increase their individual skills and abilities, based on the information therein. It was a god’s grace in every sense of the word. 
For the children of Gekai, Falna was the key to becoming stronger, reaching new heights and nothing more. Adventurers killed monsters in battle to gain excelia, had their god or goddess add it to their Status to become stronger, and repeated the cycle. For them, a god’s Blessing opened the door to limitless possibilities. 
A Status was made up of five basic abilities: Strength, Defense, Dexterity, Agility, and Magic power. Additionally, Statuses included brackets for magic spells and skills that differed from person to person, based on the strength of the spiritual “container” they possessed. The Level was the most important part of the Status. A “level up” occurred when an adventurer acquired more excelia than their spiritual container could hold. Not only did leveling up dramatically increase all of their abilities, but it brought them one step closer to divinity. 
Lefiya’s Status was Level 3. Her Skill increased her Magic power, making her a perfect fit for the rear of the formation as a mage. 
As Tiona had said, having this Skill meant that, out of this party of four, Lefiya was capable of inflicting the most damage. 
“B-but I can’t even defend myself. If Tione hadn’t been there to protect me, I would’ve died a pointless death…” 
However, the rest of the party was Level 5. 
They were some of the very few adventurers in Orario who were allowed to be called “top class.” They were the cream of the crop. In terms of pure strength and skill, Lefiya didn’t even come close. 
In truth, she wouldn’t stand a chance if she were to face any of the monsters on this floor on her own. 
The elf desperately tried to deny everything her allies said to encourage her. 
“…Mages do different things than we do.” This time, it was Aiz who spoke up. 
Lefiya couldn’t hide her surprise when the stoic blond girl joined the conversation. 
“Riveria taught me so. We protect mages from monsters, and mages like you protect us…So, um…” 
Aiz’s words began to slow. 
Not used to being the center of attention, having three pairs of eyes on her at once made her feel so out of place she couldn’t string words together. 
Growing redder by the moment, the girl desperately tried to say what was on her mind, until her gaze drifted away and she said these words: 
“We will protect you, always…So save us if we get in trouble, okay?” 
Aiz’s golden eyes met Lefiya’s. The elf’s dark blue eyes opened wide as she felt a sense of friendship and trust embedded in the girl’s tone. Her lips trembled for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes before the golden-haired elf responded with a deep nod. 
She took a moment to collect herself and control her breathing. 
The dark clouds that threatened to dampen the mood of their party broke apart, replaced by a kinder aura. 
Tiona broke out into a toothy grin and playfully smacked Aiz on the shoulder. 
The human girl stepped away, and Tiona laughed as Aiz massaged the point of impact. 
“Shall we collect these magic stones? We can’t expect Lefiya to get all of them by herself.” 
Seeing the situation had been resolved, Tione brought their focus back to the job at hand. Splitting into teams of two, they set to work. 
They had to cut deep into the chests of the monster corpses to remove the magic stones embedded inside. 
Dark purple in color, the stones served as a power source for monsters. With their “hearts” gone, their bodies instantly lost color before dissolving into piles of ash then disappearing altogether as if they had never been there. 
“Tione, you’re leaving behind the drop items? Sure we can let them go to waste?” 
“All those big horns and pieces of hide would just weigh us down. The spring water takes priority.” Tione sounded a little annoyed by her sister’s question, as if the answer should have been obvious. The four adventurers left the battlefield, despite the monster parts littering the floor. 
Occasionally, after a monster’s magic stone had been removed, a piece of it would be left behind. Adventurers called these pieces “drop items.” 
Magic stones and drop items could be exchanged for money at the Guild or sold directly to merchants on the surface. This was how Dungeon-crawling familias made a living. 
“Lefiya, are your shoulders okay? I can carry more, y’know.” 
Lefiya politely declined Tione’s offer. “Th-thank you for the offer, but I am okay. Please, let me do this much.” In addition to her staff, the elf was carrying several bags over her shoulders, as well as the water container in a backpack that hung down to her waist. 
In addition to adventurers, there was another type of Dungeon job: the supporters. 
Normally kept out of combat, their main role was to collect the magic stones and drop items after the battle and return them safely to the surface. On top of that, supporters carried spare items and weapons for the adventurers in the battle party. To put it bluntly, they carried the bags. They were porters. 
However, they were vital to the success and efficiency of adventurers trying to make a living in the Dungeon. Therefore, familias would assign their weakest members to this role, when a professional supporter wasn’t available. 
Since Lefiya couldn’t do much more than support her party members from a distance, she had volunteered for this job. 
“…Incoming.” 
“From where, Aiz?” 
“Ahead…and behind.” 
It happened when they were in the middle of a long hallway. 
Aiz’s eyes narrowed, and her ears perked up as she heard the sound of distant cracking coming from farther down the hallway and from where they had just been. 
A heartbeat later, just like the deformis spider that had attacked Lefiya earlier, monsters burst forth from the Dungeon wall. Several of them. 
The top-class adventurers moved to protect Lefiya as she gasped in surprise, and they were forced into combat once again. 
Monsters were born from the Dungeon walls. 
They came forth like baby birds emerging from eggs, breaking the walls like a shell. 
Every monster was born fully grown and able to fight the instant they burst from the Dungeon wall. The lower the floor, the stronger the monster was at birth. The beasts born in the Deep Levels of the Dungeon were the stuff of nightmares. 
The Dungeon was the mother of all monsters. 
That was all that humans and demi-humans knew for sure about this underground labyrinth. It was also generally considered fact that the Dungeon itself was just as alive as a person or monster. For example, the walls within the Dungeon would heal from any amount of damage if given enough time. An entire hallway could be scorched by flames and yet look completely normal a few days later. 
Why was there light underground? 
Why were the monsters born? 
How did the labyrinth recover? 
Humanity had tried to unravel the mysteries of the Dungeon since the Ancient Times, but every attempt had led to only more questions. 
Even the all-knowing gods who descended from on high hadn’t told a soul what was really going on. Whether they were hiding something or they really didn’t know, there was no chance of gaining any useful information from them. 
They would always dodge the question. “The Dungeon is the Dungeon. What else do you need to know?” 
Therefore, it would have to be mankind that would find the answers. 
This “unknown” might very well be what adventurers were trying to find. 
“You know, there doesn’t seem to be as many monsters around today.” 
“Much better than having to run away. Not having to fight is just what we wanted.” 
“That’s not quite what I meant but…eh.” 
Aiz’s battle party continued progressing through the fifty-first floor, encountering only a few monsters along the way. Thanks to that, they were making great time. 
Tiona was at the front of the formation, Aiz right behind her, followed closely by Lefiya and the ever-vigilant Tione in the back. The women stayed in a single-file line as they fought back an anxiety that only the Dungeon could produce. 
The monster-less Dungeon was filled with a powerful silence, like an old dam that was just barely holding back the water. There was something unnatural about it. Anything could happen at any time within these walls, making the quiet all the more disturbing. 
The carefully laid-out patterns of the early stages of the floor were gone, replaced by massive stairwells that connected to higher points on the same level, countless four-way intersections, and hallways that split off into three or four paths at once. The square beehive had become a knot. 
All four of the adventurers stayed on high alert, eyes and ears wide open so as to not miss any sign of danger. They did, however, have a map to show them the way through the maze. They broke away from the main path—it would lead them to floor fifty-two—and instead went toward a back corner of the floor. 
“Almost there…Let’s go over a few things before we get to the spring.” 
The wide hallway began to narrow in front of them, signaling to Tione that their destination was just up ahead. 
The others kept walking as the Amazon reviewed the finer points of their quest. 
“The only thing we have to do is get the water…but a battle with Cadmus, the Great Dragon, is probably unavoidable.” 
“Cadmus, um, isn’t it…?” 
“Yep, really, really strong…” 
“In terms of Strength alone, stronger than the floor boss Udaeus, I think.” 
There were special floors throughout the Dungeon in which one extremely strong monster appeared. These monsters, known as floor bosses, struck fear into the hearts of adventurers. The Guild had a classification for them: Monster Rex. 
Typically, floor bosses were a full level above all of the monsters located on their floor. They presented the largest challenge for adventurers in the Dungeon and required a great deal of teamwork to take down. 
Lefiya gulped down the air in her throat as she realized that the dragon they were about to face had more physical power than a Level 6 floor boss. 
“C-can we distract it long enough to finish the quest?” 
“Impossible. Not while that dragon is on guard. If you think you can gather spring water during the fight, you’ll die.” 
“Last time, it hit me hard enough to turn my guts to soup.” Tiona giggled as she remembered being swatted like a fly. Lefiya stared at her, turning pale as all of the blood left her face. 
“We finish off Cadmus before getting the water.” 
“I-I understand…” 
“Tione…what’s the plan?” 
“Our usual. Aiz, Tiona, and I will engage head-on. Lefiya, hit it with your best magic. Then we go in for the kill.” 
“Lefiya, show us what you can do this time, okay?” 
“A-all right.” 
The party came to a halt. The end of the narrow hallway was in sight. Light filtered in from the wide-open chamber, often called a “room” by adventurers. 
The Cadmus Springs were in that room. 
“…” 
Tione made eye contact with Aiz, and both silently nodded. The Amazon took point from her younger sister, with the others adjusting formation behind her. 
The four of them advanced as quietly as they could, walking in step to mask one another’s footfalls. Tione stuck out her arm, mouthing the word wait to her allies, and slowly crept forward by herself. 
The other three would rush forward on her signal. All eyes were locked on the Amazon, their muscles tense and hair standing on end. Lefiya’s lips trembled as she tightened her grip on her staff. Even Tiona’s carefree air was gone. Aiz was completely focused on her ally’s arm, unblinking. 
Crouching on the ground, the three girls waited for Tione’s call. 
“…?” 
The first one to notice something wasn’t right—no, something was completely off—was Aiz. 
Her eyebrows curled down with a frown as she suddenly stood up. 
“Wha—wait, Aiz.” 
“…Strange.” 
“Huh?” 
“It’s too quiet.” 
Curtly responding to Lefiya’s whispered objections, Aiz moved forward. 
Tione hid her body against the wall as she stuck her head into the room, looking for monsters. The blond girl walked right past her. 
What greeted her eyes was overwhelming. 
“What happened…?” 
“Everything’s messed up…?” 
Tiona had followed Aiz into the room and was just as shocked. 
The room was filled with lush trees, enough to be considered a small forest. However, every single one of them was broken, lying in pieces, or completely uprooted. The floor and walls of the room showed signs of a struggle; fresh cracks and debris littered the area. 
But the most disturbing sight in the chamber were the strange marks on the walls and trees that looked melted. 
Even now, putrid black smoke was emerging from the purplish spots all over the room. 
“Grooossss…” 
Tiona covered her nose and mouth with her arm. 
The girls entered the room with confusion all over their faces. Even more attentive to sound and movement than they had been in the hallway, the four of them stuck together as they made their way through the tree stumps. 
Despite the carnage surrounding them, there was one spot that remained intact. 
Ripples traveled across the surface of pristine, crystal clear water in the corner of the room. The spring had been protected. 
The water was flowing out of a natural crack in the wall—a small stream that originated from the cavern beyond the Dungeon wall. The light blue liquid twinkled as it collected in a basin surrounded by wildflowers. 
And just in front of this marvel of Dungeon nature was a large pile of ash. 
“Isn’t this…” 
“…What’s left of Cadmus?” 
Their whispers filled the air, sounding much louder to the anxious girls than they should have. 
The shape of the large pile of ash in the grass matched the dragon in her memory. The master-less chamber was still; there was nothing else alive in there. Even if there were other monsters, there was no doubt in her mind. This pile of ash used to be the Cadmus dragon. 
The monster had lost its magic stone. Aiz and the others soon joined Tione, the ash at their feet. 
“…Did a different familia slay it…?” 
The silence getting to her, Lefiya said the first thing that came to her mind. 
Tione slowly shook her head. 
“Very few parties of adventurers can make it this deep. We would have known if any of their familias launched an expedition at the same time as ours.” 
“…Take a look.” 
Aiz’s whisper got their attention. The blond girl kneeled beside a particularly large lump in the ash. 
She carefully wiped it away to reveal what was buried underneath. 
“The drop items are still here…” 
A golden piece of the dragon’s wing emerged from the ash. 
“Cadmus Hide.” 
An extremely rare drop item, there was no guarantee it could be collected even after defeating Cadmus. It was so valuable that this piece alone would have paid for the armor and weapons for every member of their expedition combined. 
Considering all the money that adventurers spent every time they set foot in the Dungeon, it was difficult to believe that anyone would leave that behind. 
“Well, then, what happened?” 
“Something was here. Something strong enough to kill Cadmus. Not adventurers.” 
Silence fell. 
The Amazonian twins closed their mouths. Aiz stared at her reflection in the shiny gold hide on the ground next to her knee. 
Lefiya gritted her teeth and rubbed her arms. She was the only one to physically express what everyone was feeling. 
“…I’ve got a bad feeling. Let’s move it.” 
No one was about to object to Tione’s order. 
They collected the Cadmus Hide, as well as a piece of a melting tree to help explain to Finn what they had seen. Lefiya took a few containers out of her backpack, dipped one into the spring, and procured the water. 
Normally, the dragon would have fought tooth and nail to protect its precious spring water. Trying to take that water away from it should have been extremely hazardous work. Except this time, the dragon wasn’t here. 
The quest was over in a flash. Lefiya had collected more than enough of the liquid to satisfy their client. She didn’t know what to think as she closed the last of the containers and returned them to her backpack. 
“Looks like we didn’t have to split the party after all.” 
“True…” 
The adventurers left the room. Going back the way they’d come, Lefiya forced a smile as she tried to lighten the mood. Aiz seemed to be deep in thought; her gaze was focused on the path ahead as she spoke. 
The Amazonian twins were leading the way and trying their best to figure out what they had just seen. 
“So…what’s your take?” 
“The only thing that would make sense is another monster, but…” 
Tione let her words hang. 
Cadmus was an extremely rare monster that had been strong enough to contend with a floor boss, as well as act as the guardian of the springs. 
Therefore, it was the strongest monster on the fifty-first floor. Actually, if all Monster Rexes were taken out of the equation, it was one of the strongest monsters known to man. 
Even swarms of black rhinos and deformis spiders wouldn’t stand a chance. 
…An Irregular. 
Aiz listened to the two sisters’ conversation and suddenly remembered a word that she’d heard her god use. 
They advanced a little bit farther until— 
“—GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” 
It came out of nowhere. 
A bloodcurdling scream that could’ve come out of the deepest pits of hell reached Aiz’s battle party. 
It brought forth gruesome images of someone in immense pain. The echoes bounced off the walls in all directions, assaulting their eardrums from every possible angle. The four women instantly took off toward it because that scream sounded familiar. 
“That voice!” 
“Raul…!” 
They followed the sound as best they could; everything else was luck. 
Every monster that happened to be in their path was cut down in its tracks or thrown out of the way as the adventurers raced through the square intersections. That is, until something major appeared at the other side of a long hallway. 
“What is that?!” 
“A-a caterpillar…?!” 
Aiz’s golden eyes narrowed as Tiona’s and Lefiya’s voices sounded behind her. 
It was a massive beast of a monster. 
Its long body was a faded yellowish green. However, there were several brilliantly colored spots and patterns that symbolized natural poison in animals. Lefiya’s guess was based on the countless “legs” jutting out of its snakelike lower body. It truly looked like an oversize caterpillar. Many thin flaps—arms, most likely—jutted out from each side of the mountainous lump of an upper body that seemed to be at the front of a fat snake. Each of the flaps had four slits at the end, resembling fingers. 
Aiz and her companions had ventured deep into the Dungeon many times, and yet none of them had ever seen this monster before. 
—A new species? 
The monster undulated its body. At its crest, the waves reached four meders high—high enough to hit the ceiling and send chunks of it crashing to the floor. At the same time, it was wide enough to all but block off the narrow hallway. Aiz watched it move for a moment and couldn’t help but think it resembled an armored chariot. 
“General?!” 
Just in front of the charging beast, running for their lives, were Finn and the rest of team two. 
Top-class adventurers even stronger than Aiz or the Amazons had turned their backs to an enemy and were fleeing at top speed. 
Tione called out to them in fright. “!” 
But the first to move was Tiona. 
Her eyes flashed as she dashed toward the oncoming monster. 
She ran right past team two, determined to stop its advance herself. 
“Tiona, don’t!” 
She didn’t listen to Finn and picked up speed. 
The beast saw her coming and raised the part of its body that must have served as its head and opened its mouth with a disgusting, slushy sound. The muscles of its upper body clenched for a moment before a massive stream of liquid shot out of its open jaws. 
The speckled black and purple liquid looked like liquid marble as it hurtled through the air. Tiona dodged it easily before spinning and plunging Urga directly into the beast’s “chest.” 
“—!” 
“?!” 
The monster’s high-pitched shriek would have shattered glass. At the same time, Tiona’s eyes opened in surprise. 
The same liquid that the monster spat up just a moment ago came gushing out of its open wound. The Amazon was able to whip her head out of the way in the nick of time. 
Unfortunately, a strand of her hair wasn’t so lucky—and with a hiss, it started melting. 
A feeling of dread shooting through her veins, Tiona landed on the ground and immediately took off in the other direction. 
“Huh…?!” 
Tiona looked down at her weapon as soon as she reached the two teams and couldn’t believe her eyes. 
Half of Urga was missing. 
No—half of Urga had melted away. 
The liquid that filled the enemy monster’s body was eating the metal as she ran. 
What’s more, the strand of hair right next to her ear, along with her beloved sword, was smoking. Tiona was lost for words as she watched them drip away before her very eyes. 
The unthinkable had happened: Her weapon had been destroyed. 
“—aaaiii!!” 
The monster let out another shriek and launched even more of the liquid toward the adventurers. 
Tiona had to quickly juke to the side to avoid it. Aiz and the others sidestepped out of the way of the droplets that made it that far out. 
Hisssss. The line where the liquid hit erupted into black smoke as the floor started dissolving and melting away. 
“No one told me about this! Why didn’t someone let me know?!” 
“Finn tried, you dimwit!” 
Tiona yelled at the top of her lungs as she fell into team two’s formation. Running alongside Bete, he was quick to snap at her. 
Adventurers and the monster. Aiz, Tione, and Lefiya exchanged glances in silence before turning around and taking off as fast as they could. 
A group of top-class adventurers forced to make an early exit. It was unthinkable, and yet it had come to pass. 
“Just what is that, Finn?! This isn’t funny! My beautiful Urga!” 
“I don’t know. They just showed up on us.” 
Urga’s bubbling blade had dissolved almost all the way to the hilt, and black smoke that smelled like rotten flesh was all that was left of the weapon. Tiona ripped out the strands of hair that had been hit by the vile liquid as she and Finn exchanged words while on the run. 
Their team had arrived at a different location within Cadmus Springs, beat back the dragon, and were on their way out when they were ambushed by a group of these strange beasts. However, all of their weapons were lost in the first few moments of combat and they were forced to withdraw. 
That was Finn’s summary. 
“What do you mean ‘they’? There’s more than one of that thing?!” 
“Open your eyes, dammit! There’s a ton of those things behind the big one!” 
“Gahhh.” 
“General, was anyone hurt?” 
“The three of us are okay. However, Raul is in bad shape. Took a direct hit of that stuff.” 
“He’s gonna shuffle off the mortal coil if we can’t get some potions on him!” 
Finn and Gareth, the latter carrying Raul’s limp body over his shoulder, responded to Tione. 
The young human’s limbs swayed from side to side with the dwarf’s strides. Even now, the same dark smoke and putrid smell rose from his body. “Uug…ahh…” He was only moaning, now too weak to scream out in pain. The man’s light armor was almost gone, literally hanging by threads next to purple and black skin. 
Every bit of color left Lefiya’s face when she saw her ally’s horrible condition. 
“Huh, wait a second…That monster is attacking black rhinos?!” 
Tiona looked over her shoulder and yelled at the top of her lungs. 
The group had just passed an intersection. Large groups of black rhinos had emerged from both side paths and had the group of caterpillar monsters sandwiched in what should have been a death trap between walls of massive horns. However, the same purple liquid splashed over the attackers. The massive mouths of the caterpillar monsters then proceeded to swallow their assailants whole. 
“Those monsters attack anything that moves, adventurers like us or other monsters, without hesitation.” 
“Does that mean they’re not picky?” 
“Hmm, I wonder. They don’t appear to have standards, but…I have a feeling that they prefer other monsters.” 
Finn glanced over his shoulder and gave his opinion. 
Tione looked down at the prum, his boyish blond hair waving as he ran. The Amazon quickly took a piece of tree bark out of the bag she was carrying. 
“General, Cadmus Springs showed signs of a large-scale battle when we arrived. The Cadmus dragon had been turned to ash, drop items uncollected. This tree bark was in the same place.” 
“I see…That settles it. These things are strong enough to kill Cadmus.” 
Finn spoke as he took the tree bark from Tione and closely inspected it. 
The piece of the tree had turned the same color as Raul’s skin and had the same stench as what was left of Tiona’s weapon. There was no question he had been exposed to the same liquid. 
“A cannibal, of all things. Very fitting for a monster…” 
“Coulda come up from a deeper level, or the Dungeon spat out a new breed of monster…I’m not wild about either of those.” Bete couldn’t hide his disgust as Gareth chimed in with his own theory about the beast’s origin. 
Heavy footsteps raced through a seemingly endless hallway with no exit in sight. 
“Finn, can they be beaten?” 
Aiz spoke for the first time. 
The battle party fell silent; only their footsteps and the distant echoes of the massacre behind them could be heard. 
Aiz was toward the front of the group. She looked back at Finn, running in the middle, and waited for his response. 
“Physical attacks inflicted damage. However, we lose a weapon for each hit, just like what happened to Tiona. We can’t fight like this.” 
“…” 
“Facing a swarm of them would be near impossible,” Finn continued. “Now, Magic, on the other hand…It might be difficult under these conditions, but if we can buy enough time for an incantation, a blast of powerful Magic could wipe them out…” 
He fell silent. 
Even before his mouth closed, every set of eyes went to one particular person in their party. Even Raul, with one foot in the grave, raised his head just enough to look at her. 
This surge of attention hit Lefiya like a stone wall. “Huh? Whaa?” Her face jerked from side to side, looking at her allies. 
“Company arriving from the front!” 
Sure enough, flowing pale-green bodies could be seen at the other end of the hallway. 
Finn started issuing orders as soon as Tiona sounded the alarm. 
“Everyone, turn right into that hall, now!” 
Changing direction, everyone took the last option available for escape. 
This new hall was not wide enough for them to run side by side as a group. Shifting to a single-file line, the adventurers raced down this new path. 
“Tione, how is your stock of weapons and items?” 
“Er…ah! Nothing has been lost. With the exception of Tiona’s weapon, everything’s still here.” 
“Good. Give Gareth and Bete some weapons. The room up ahead is a dead end. Take Raul to the very back and heal him with potions.” 
The fifty-first floor of the Dungeon was as expansive as any city. However, their prum general didn’t need a map. He had already memorized every inch of it. Admiring her commander’s knowledge, Tione immediately followed his orders. 
Finn’s group had lost all of its spare items and weapons the moment that Raul was hit by the corrosive liquid. Therefore, the Amazon took spare weapons and items out of the large backpack that Lefiya was carrying. 
“Hey, what the hell ya want me to do with this?! They’re gonna melt anyway!” 
Bete awkwardly took hold of a Kukri knife, a weapon he’d never used before, and snarled in frustration. 
Finn licked the base of his thumb and held it at shoulder level. 
“My thumb is shaking.—Most likely, they’re coming.” 
The dead end came into view as Finn mumbled those meaningful words. 
The group emerged into a square room with no other exit. 
The moment everyone got inside, the walls on three sides—directly in front, as well as on the left and right—started cracking. 
“!!” 
The other adventurers turned pale. 
All of them had far too much experience not to know what those cracks meant. Monsters were about to be born from the Dungeon wall. 
Many of them. In moments, there wasn’t a flat surface on any of the walls in the room. 
A monster party. 
That was the term for when a large number of monsters was born in one place. They were about to be surrounded on three sides. This kind of event haunted the dreams of all adventurers, and it was one of the Dungeon’s craftier gimmicks. 
As if the labyrinth itself had been planning it all along, the trap had been sprung. 
“Bete, Gareth, Tiona! Protect those two at the back, and take down as many as you can! Aiz and I will face the new breed. —Attack!” 
Finn issued commands as if he’d seen the trap coming. 
Thanks to that, there was no confusion when his allies sprang into action, forming a protective wall around their injured supporter and engaging the enemy directly. 
Their movements were refined, coordinated. 
More than thirty black rhinos emerged from the walls, roaring as they stood for the first time. Pieces of the Dungeon wall flew through the air in every direction, shattering. 
“Lefiya, stay behind us and start your spell. You are vital to this battle, so hurry.” 
“…! Yes, sir!” 
Lefiya understood the importance of her role and nodded to Finn before getting into position. 
Her dark blue eyes clouded with doubt for a moment. The elf quickly shut them tight and shook her head from side to side. When they opened again, there was no sign of uncertainty. 
Finn didn’t look at her as he walked up beside the blond human girl. 
“Aiz.” 
“I know.” Aiz nodded, making eye contact with the prum. 
The entrance to the room started to shake in front of them. Suddenly, one feminine voice cut through the air: 
“Awaken, Tempest.” 
Her magic activated at the sound of her short spell. 
“Airiel.” 
Wind blew. 
Air currents strong enough for the eye to see surrounded Aiz like the loose clothing of a dancer. 
The girl’s shiny blond hair rode the currents, flowing in every direction. 
Airiel. 
Aiz’s one and only magic spell. 
It had the ability to increase attacking power and speed, as well as protect its owner by generating wind. Her magic provided a skill boost, an enchantment. 
Feeling the normally still air of the Dungeon coursing around her, Aiz unhooked the sword attached to her waist. Rather than removing it from its sheath, she held it out to her commander. “Finn.” 
“A Durandal, huh…I’m not doubting you, but you think it will work?” 
“Maybe…” 
“Can’t count on that.” 
Finn drily chuckled as he took Desperate from Aiz and handed her a spare longsword. 
Aiz spun it around, twisting her wrists a few times before pointing it directly forward. That was the exact moment when the large, chariot-like body of the caterpillar monster appeared at the entrance to the room. 
“—!!” The monster let out an earth-shattering shriek as it turned its eyeless face toward the two adventurers in its way. 
The large slash in its chest was still leaking the purple liquid as it lumbered its sickening body forward. Black smoke emerged from the floor wherever the splatter happened to land. 
It was the same monster that had destroyed Tiona’s weapon, the massive one. 
“Don’t try to do too much if the wind doesn’t protect you. Remember, all you need to do is buy time for Lefiya, that’s it.” 
“Yes.” 
“I’d say good luck, but I don’t think you need it.” 
More and more of the green caterpillars were piling into the room, like an avalanche of mucus. 
Their body sizes came in a wide variety. The big one towered over everything, but some of the monsters were barely tall enough to look Finn in the eyes. 
Tiona’s group had already engaged the black rhinos. Even amid the intense clashes of horns on metal, hyunn, the flick of Aiz’s sword cut through the din. 
The wind shook. 
“—I’m going ahead.” 
She kicked off the floor. 
The girl’s body disappeared in a deafening howl of wind. 
The enchantment allowed her to move even faster than normal. 
A veritable hurricane accompanied Aiz as she headed straight for the enemy monsters. 
“!” 
Only the largest of the group was able to react to this new threat in time. 
It opened its massive jaws and spewed out a stream of the dark purple liquid at the oncoming attacker. However, the girl didn’t alter her path. 
Aiz swung the blade into a wide, rising arc. 
The wind shielded her, flicking the liquid harmlessly off to the side. 
The previously unblockable attack had been wiped away by a silver streak. 
“—” 
Striking distance. 
Slicing the frontline monsters while dodging oncoming streams of the corrosive liquid, Aiz halted their advance using the wind from her sword strikes to funnel the streams into one spot. 
The lumps of flesh at the front of the caterpillar monsters slid into pieces. Protected by the layer of flowing wind, Aiz’s longsword didn’t succumb to the splatters of her enemies. The wind surrounding her body also shielded her from the backlash. Her enchantment provided her with a simultaneous attack and defense. 
The girl’s golden eyes narrowed. 
Her right arm was a blur, her blade tearing through everything in her path. 
—Aiz Wallenstein. 
The blond-haired, golden-eyed girl whose name was already known as that of one of the strongest adventurers around. 
A female knight of the Labyrinth City, Orario, she was a top-class adventurer in every sense of the word. 
Her title: Kenki, the Sword Princess. 
“—?!” 
A merciless series of slashes. 
A mixture of blinding speed and deadly accuracy, she proceeded to cut down every monster with no hesitation. 
The monsters who felt her blade let out a dying shriek as torrents of the marble-patterned liquid poured out of their wounds. 
Suddenly, all the defeated monsters’ pale-green bodies started pulsing as if their nervous systems had lost control of the muscles in their bodies. Until, BANG! 
“Incoming!” 
“OOOOOOOOOOO?!” 
Every dying caterpillar monster exploded, showering the area in an acid rain. 
The forward adventurers managed to dodge the liquid, but the explosions caught Tiona’s group off guard. Luckily, they retreated just enough that their black rhino assailants inadvertently shielded them from the splash. The monsters yelled out in excruciating agony before collapsing to the ground. 
“Well, well, these things turn into bombs after taking lethal damage.” Finn sighed before charging the caterpillar monsters himself. 
His first opponent was a midsize monster. Its pile of an upper body leaned forward, stretching out its flat arms—its shape reminiscent of the body of a stingray—in an attempt to knock the prum off his feet. Finn used his small frame to easily dodge the attack. 
Protective battle cloth tied around his waist swished outward as he ducked low and drew Aiz’s Desperate from its sheath. Then he jumped up, guiding the blade through his opponent. 
“Good, this’ll work.” 
Finn ignored the monster’s cries. Instead, his eyes were locked on the blade of the weapon as it split the beast in two. 
Desperate’s silver blade was coated in the purple liquid and smoking like everything else that came in contact with the creature’s secret weapon. However, it was intact. Finn grinned, realizing that the blade truly was a “Superior.” Superiors were a class of weapon forged by High Smiths, giving it a unique characteristic or ability. Shifting his focus back to the battle, Loki Familia’s field general jumped into the fray. 
Finn set his sights on the caterpillar monster’s vulnerable appendages. Two, three legs went flying. 
Half of its balance gone, the wormy beast fell to the ground. 
Even though Finn couldn’t keep up with Aiz and her magically enhanced state, he was still remarkably agile and extremely intelligent—not a single movement was wasted. His fighting style was the result of constantly having to defeat larger foes using technique and courage. 
If they exploded on death, immobilizing them was a far better strategy. The prum zipped around the battlefield, completely focused on his mission. 
“!” 
Elsewhere, Aiz was speeding up. 
Thanks to Airiel, she could deliver two slashes in the time it normally took to make one. Enemies were literally falling to pieces in her wake. 
The monster’s Defense was no match for her magic-enhanced blade. With Aiz protected by a layer of constantly moving wind, the monsters were occasionally showered in their own acid by the air currents. 
But more importantly, she was moving so fast that the monsters didn’t have time to line up an attack. 
They lost track of her for a moment, flat arms outstretched after missing their target. Next thing the beasts knew, searing pain was boring into their bodies. 
The blond girl was nothing more than a momentary shadow, too quick for any of them to follow. 
“Aiz!” 
“!” 
Finn was charging in from the front of the largest monster of the swarm. Aiz quickly changed direction and they pincered the beast from two directions at once. 
The prum went low, knocking the creature off balance, as Aiz came in high from behind. 
Her blade made contact with the creature’s upper body, plunging deep and tearing through its insides until it hit something promising. 
Her strike had broken the magic stone inside the beast. It instantly crumbled into a pile of ash. 
“Stay with me, Raul!” 
“Nah, it’s too late for me, Miss Tione. I’m a goner, doomed.” 
“If that’s true, I’ll finish you off now! The general needs my help—I can’t be wasting time on a dead man!” 
“No! Please don’t kill me…!” 
Tione had been working hard, using every potion and antidote the group had to keep Raul alive. The young human was on his back, suddenly pleading with her as the Amazon nervously surveyed the battlefield. 
At long last, the flood of monsters coming into the room seemed to be leveling off. 
Aiz and Finn were holding the line, overpowering each individual monster, but the number of enemies wasn’t decreasing. It was too early to relax. 
There was a limit to how long they could hold off the green avalanche. Their room would be overrun if they allowed the battle to continue. 
“Proud warriors, marksmen of the forest. Take up your bows to face the marauders. Answer the call of your kin and nock your arrows.” 
A good distance away from Aiz and Finn, Lefiya was in the middle of her spell. 

Her eyes burned with a sense of purpose. Of course, there was a hint of fear. But her mind was focused on the words of a girl she admired. 
—Save us if we get in trouble, okay? 
She could not falter. They were depending on her; now was her time. 
They were in trouble, and her magic was going to save them. 
Her voice strong and steady, Lefiya knew what she had to do. 
“Bring forth the flame, torches of the forest. Release them, flaming arrows of the fairies.” 
A magic circle appeared at her feet, glowing stronger with each syllable of her spell. 
There was more to a Status than basic abilities. Advanced Abilities were derived from it as well, like “Conjure.” 
When an adventurer with high Magic ability ranked up, there was a chance they might unlock a new skill that dramatically increased their magic output. Magic strength, range, and Mind efficiency increased with the ability Conjure. The magic circle at Lefiya’s feet was proof of her skill as a mage, and of her Advanced Ability. 
More and more rings forming complex designs emerged within her magic circle. 
Lefiya’s beauty was illuminated by the pale golden light bursting forth from beneath her. 
“Fall like rain, burn the savages to ash.” 
Her spell complete, volatile magic energy coursed through her entire body. 
Lefiya raised her head and called out to her allies: 
“I’m ready!” 
The whole room lit up at the same moment as her call. The only spot that was still shaded was a small circle around Tione and Raul behind her. 
Making sure that Aiz, Finn, and the rest of her allies had time to retreat, the elf rose her staff high into the air and triggered her magic. 
“Fusillade Fallarica!” 
Countless flaming streaks rained down on their enemies. 
Every monster in the room was pierced by many of the burning shots and caught fire. Their cries were drowned out by the deafening roar of the inferno that now encompassed the entire room. Arrows that missed their targets buried themselves deep in the walls and floor, creating a flaming fence to prevent their escape. 
Tens of thousands of bolts kept falling from the ceiling, resulting in a sea of flames. The room was overtaken by red and orange light and inundated with scorching heat. 
There was nothing left of the black rhinos or caterpillar monsters when the flames died down, not even ash. 
“See, I told you it would work! Ka-boom! One shot! You’re amazing, Lefiya!” 
“A-all I did was focus all of my Mind, so…” 
“Too damn flashy—you, Riveria, and every other elf……Singed my fur, damn it!” 
“Ga-ha-ha! That’s better! Almost in the clear!” 
Tiona, Bete, and Gareth came back into the room, forming a protective triangle around their allies. They quickly dispatched the few monsters that managed to get close enough to Lefiya to avoid the flames. 
The enemies gone, Tiona continued singing Lefiya’s praises as Aiz and Finn came back inside. 
“…Thank you, Lefiya.” 
“Ah…You’re welcome!” 
Aiz wore her usual aloof expression, but her lips were unmistakably softer than usual. 
Even the small smile was enough to catch the elf off guard. But a moment later, tears of joy welled up in her dark blue eyes. 
Just for that moment, the adventurers enjoyed the taste of victory. 
“…” 
“General? What’s wrong?” 
Tione approached a silent Finn, careful to avoid the glowing sparks still on the floor. 
She could see Raul, still breathing and rubbing his stomach, out of the corner of her eye. 
“Before we escaped into this room…we were in a hallway that connects directly to the fiftieth floor. Since the monsters came at us from the front…” 
“…Oh, no.” 
“I might be worried about nothing, but…I can’t take that risk.” 
Once again, Finn looked down at his right thumb. 
Pressing his tongue against it, he looked back up at Tione with fearful eyes. 
“Gather the others. We’re returning to camp at full speed.” 
 
A steep, rocky hill connected level fifty-one to level fifty. 
There was a hole at the base of the western cliff on the fiftieth floor of the Dungeon. It sloped down at the same angle all the way to the next floor. Adventurers on their way to floor fifty-one could hop and bound their way down, but the return trip was much more difficult. 
What made this trip particularly ominous for Loki Familia was the trail of dark-purple smoking spots surrounded by pale-green residue. None of the adventurers bothered using their hands as they scaled the cliffs in no time. 
Distant sounds of battle greeted them as soon as they emerged from the hole. 
“The camp…!” Tiona said in disbelief as the group made their way through the ash-covered forest. 
Picking up speed, the group made it past the tree line. 
“Riveria? Everyone?!” 
Vast plains opened in front of them. The only noticeable topography was a decent-size hill with a solid rock face. However, a parade of pale-green bodies was making its way straight up. 
Facing down the onslaught at the top of the hill were Riveria and the rest of their company, trying to take shelter from the purple liquid being spat in their direction. 
They were able to find some protection on the crest of the hill, but the area was already littered with smoking weapons and shields, deteriorating by the second. 
“Archers, loose!” 
“This is the last volley!” 
“Irrelevant—loose!” 
At Riveria’s command, every archer leaned over the crest of the hill and shot their arrows straight down at the oncoming monsters. The arrows that hit instantly dissolved in the liquid that spewed forth from their wounds, but the impacts made the creatures lose their grip on the rock and fall onto other monsters farther down. Several of the beasts fell to their deaths on the ground below. 
“There’s still this many…?!” 
“At least they haven’t surrounded the camp.” 
Lefiya squealed in fright. Finn calmly assessed the situation next to her. 
The caterpillar monsters didn’t appear to be very intelligent—all they did was stay in the tracks of the larger ones in a massive game of follow-the-leader. Riveria led the members of the expedition who’d stayed behind in a last-ditch effort to halt their advance. 
“!” 
Seeing her friends in danger, Aiz rushed forward. 
Dashing through the still grasses of the plains, she picked an angle that would set her on a collision course with the side of the parade. 
She activated her Magic and drew her sword in the same motion while on the run. 
“Aiz?!” 
The sound of her first slash reverberated through the air as one of the monsters was sliced in half. 
Riveria called out to her from the crest of the hill. The other adventurers looked down, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. They had hope again. 
They watched as the girl practically dove into enemy ranks, their limbs and purple acid erupting like fireworks a second later. 
“I’m goin’!” 
“Right behind you!” 
“Sorry, General!” 
Bete, Tiona, and Tione followed suit. 
The slower Lefiya and Raul tried their best to keep up. 
“Finn…” 
“There’s no point trying to stop them now. Gareth, protect Lefiya and Raul as best you can.” 
“Aye, can do.” 
Finn realized that trying to stop the younger members of their group who’d broken formation without orders was futile. 
However, at the same time, he didn’t have a problem with it. 
Experience was the best teacher when it came to the Dungeon. Precise planning and coordinated movements gave adventurers the largest possibility of returning to the surface alive, except in special circumstances like this one. Trying to rein in their fire at this point would do more harm than good. 
The young ones were charging forward on pure emotion. Perhaps by issuing one hundred orders, he could manipulate the battle into something more efficient, more precise, by force. 
Of course, he was still worried that the young ones—who had yet to master the art of control—might go overboard. 
Finn brought his train of thought to a close as he watched his allies plunge into the enemy line, and he drew a sword. 
“A counterattack is in order.” 
 
Aiz’s attack plunged into the parade of monsters like a wedge through a log. The course of battle shifted thanks to her. 
Seeing their brethren fall to her blade, monsters farther up the hill turned to face her. A pale-green wave charged down the hill in an effort to overwhelm the female knight. 
Bete and the Amazons rushed to her aid. Another blast of magic from Lefiya fell on the monsters’ line, and their group dissolved into chaos. 
The monsters would attack anything they didn’t recognize. The adventurers were now engaged in an unorganized free-for-all. 
Friend mixed with foe; from a distance, the battle looked like a barroom brawl. 
“Hey, any weapons left?” 
Handily dodging monster attacks with acrobatic spins and jumps, Tiona made it to the crest of the hill and called out to the supporters. 
Her allies responded within the span of one breath. 
“Y-yes, we do!” 
“Then get me a spear, a spear! Make it two!” 
“Y-yes ma’am!” 
As asked, a supporter drew two weapons from the crates and threw them toward Tiona. The Amazon snatched both spears out of the air with a grin on her face. 
Holding one of the three-meder weapons in each hand, Tiona charged into battle with renewed vigor. 
“Yoo-hoo! Hey, uglies, over here!” 
She ran directly between two of the larger beasts, taunting them the whole way. 
The caterpillar monsters took aim at the bizarrely cheerful girl and spat their acid. 
“Too slow!” 
“—!!” 
Handily dodging the purple acid, Tiona watched as the beasts screamed out in pain. They’d missed her and hit each other by accident. 
Monsters were everywhere. Every time one of the beasts spat out the purple liquid, it was far more likely to hit one of its own kind rather than its target. 
Very pleased with the results of her little experiment, Tiona grinned as she plunged her spears deep into the bodies of the survivors. 
“Here I come—!!” 
She put her whole body into the attack. 
Both of the weapons quickly pierced the hides of the large monsters, striking with such force that their little legs left the ground. 
The backsplash from their wounds couldn’t reach her at this distance. Tiona felt a crack at the end of each long haft as the blades of each weapon made contact with the magic stones inside her opponents. Their bodies immediately turned to ash. 
“Who’s next?” Discarding what was left of the dissolving pieces of wood, Tiona quickly moved on to find her next target. 
About twenty of the monsters had fallen. 
Landing on the ground with a soft thud, Aiz looked over her corner of the battlefield. Piles of ash and the exploded remains of their green bodies dotted the smoking landscape. Large puddles of their purple acid oozed their way deeper into the ground. Skid. A noise came from behind her. 
She turned around in time to see Bete come to a stop, his gray tail and fur flowing in his wake. 
“Hey, Aiz. Gimme some of that wind.” 
“…” 
Understanding what the werewolf meant without being told, Aiz looked down at his legs. 
Metallic boots came up to his knees. However, they were not designed for protection. They were sleek, extremely sharp weapons made from incredibly durable material. A large yellow jewel was embedded in each shin. 
Aiz gracefully reached out toward the boots. 
“Go, wind.” 
The air current shifted on her command and was immediately absorbed by the yellow jewels. They started to glow as a new air current flowed around the silver weapons. 
The same kind of fluctuating aura that surrounded Aiz now came from Bete’s legs as well. 
A second-tier Superior made by Hephaistos Familia: “Frosvirt.” 
This Superior had the ability to absorb external magical energy and temporarily use it to enhance the already immense destructive power of the metal boots. 
It was all thanks to that legendary metal used to construct them, mythril. 
Now that they had absorbed Aiz’s magic, Bete obtained the power of wind. 
“Thanks.” 
The handsome features of his wild face morphed into a bloodthirsty smile that could rival Tiona’s. 
Whoosh! Bete launched himself toward the closest monster with the wind at his back. 
“I’ll kick their freakin’ heads in!” 
Suddenly several meders into the air, the werewolf brought his bladed heel straight down on top of his target. 
He tore the monster apart from the center of its eyeless face, and the wind enchantment parted the explosion of acid safely away from him, as it did for Aiz’s sword. The enemy’s secret weapon could be countered. 
Bete was already onto the next caterpillar, venting all of his frustration through his powerful legs. 
Pieces of the creatures flying everywhere, Bete roared victoriously from the center of the debris. 
The last Kukri knife dissolved in a cloud of smoke. 
“…” 
Dodging the stream of acid, Tione landed safely on the ground and reached behind her back. But there was nothing for her to grab. 
Her personal stock of throwing knives was now zero. She was unarmed. 
Damn these things… 
The Amazon glared at the monsters, frustrated that they could take so much punishment. 
Inflicting a fatal wound on one of the beasts required her to sacrifice at least one of her knives. Unfortunately, the blades were not long enough to sever their limbs, making Finn’s strategy impossible. The injured monsters chased her, squealing an annoyingly high-pitched scream and spewing purple liquid from their open wounds. Now Tione had no way to shut them up, and that irritated her beyond belief. 
She tried outmaneuvering them, spinning out of the way of their acid attacks so that they took one another out. Now she was nauseous on top of her headache from the squeals. She caught a few glimpses of the uncivilized Bete kicking monsters into oblivion with a smile on his face. Aiz knew how to show respect, but the werewolf simply annoyed Tione. What she wouldn’t give to bury her foot in his face. 
At any rate, she had a decision to make. Arm herself with an unfamiliar weapon and protect the mages or try casting her own magic for once. 
“Tsk.” She snapped her tongue and let her instincts take over. “Such a pain in the ass!” 
Her face morphed as though turning into someone else entirely. 
The Amazonian warrior within her had emerged. Tione bull-rushed straight into the closest monster—and thrust her right fist into its chest with a massive uppercut. 
Boom! The monster’s skin ruptured, the impact reverberating through the air. 
Her arm was instantly covered with the purple marble-like liquid inside the monster’s body that was squirting out from the wound. Every bit of Tione’s wheat-colored skin started smoking. The piece of fabric that kept her voluptuous chest bound melted almost immediately and fell to the ground. 
She couldn’t have cared less. Her eyes flashed with rage as she plunged her arm even deeper into the caterpillar monster. Its squeal of pain reached a higher pitch as Tione found the hard spot she was looking for. Grabbing hold, snap snap snap, she pulled it out of the monster’s body. 
Convulsing and screaming in agony, the caterpillar beast turned to ash before her eyes. 
The black smoke emerging from her own body getting thicker by the moment, Tione repeated the same technique three more times on her remaining targets. 
Personal safety and her own pain were the last things on her mind as she tore the monsters apart with her bare hands. 
“Ti-Tione…” 
“…Lefiya, any elixirs left?” 
Tione looked no better than a walking pile of mud by the time she met up with Lefiya. 
The Amazon had taken splash after splash of the acid head-on. Her normally beautiful black hair was in shambles, chunks missing or dripping down her back. What had been healthy, tanned skin just moments ago had turned purple and black, still bubbling from the acid. 
The girl’s right eye was swollen shut, so she made eye contact with the elf using her left. Lefiya’s face was white as a ghost as she hastily took a small vial of elixir out of the pouch at her waist, opened it, and doused Tione with all her might. 
“Tione!” 
“General…” 
Finn ran up to the two girls. 
Tione brushed off as much of the acid as she could while the two showered her with enough elixir to bring back her original skin tone. Only after noticing the look of anger in Finn’s eyes did she turn away in embarrassment. Her fully exposed bosom jiggled as she shifted, blushing. 
It was rare for Finn to get hot under the collar. Taking a deep breath, he sighed and got his emotions under control. 
“Don’t be reckless.” 
“Ah…” 
Finn undid the knots holding a waistcloth to him and practically shoved it into Tione’s arms. 
“Hide them,” he said as he jerked his head toward her chest. 
Tione’s face turned even redder as she wrapped the cloth around herself. 
“General…” 
“We’ll discuss this later. Be prepared for what’s coming.” 
“Yes, sir…!” 
Tione gazed at him with the intense eyes of an infatuated maiden. Finn turned his back on her, sighing deeply again as he massaged his temple. Lefiya inched away from the Amazon after seeing the full exchange a little too up close and personal. 
“How can Miss Tione…How can she still stand after all that juice…?” 
“Ya just lack spirit, boy.” 
“S-sorry…” 
“Ha! Back fer more, I see.” 
Gareth and Raul happened to witness the conversation from afar. The human was quick to apologize after uttering his comments in disbelief. Gareth had been protecting him during the fight, wielding a war hammer heavy enough to shake the ground on impact like it was nothing more than a kitchen mallet. Their brief reprieve was over as more of the pale-green monsters approached them. The dwarf’s hammer had been embedded in the floor, handle pointed skyward. Gareth plucked it from the ground and turned to face their attackers. 
This weapon had been thrown to him by the supporters on top of the hill. Balancing its enormous weight over his shoulder, the dwarf let his cape flow as he turned and brought down the hammer. 
“NuAHH!!” 
He slammed it into the ground at a forward angle. The surface of the plain shattered and the momentum of the impact sent debris into the oncoming monsters. 
It was a technique that only physically powerful dwarves could pull off. The larger chunks slammed into the caterpillars, while the smaller ones carved long slices down their bodies. 
“Harbinger of the end, white snow. Gust before the twilight.” 
The melodies of many spells overlapped above the battlefield. 
A group of elves had gathered on the crest of the rock-faced hill overlooking the plains scarred by combat. They were preparing to launch one massive blast. 
“Fading light, freezing land. Blow with the power of the third harsh winter—My name is Alf!” 
Riveria stood at the front, ready to trigger her magic. The mages behind her finished their enchantments one after another. Many magic circles overlapped as Riveria called out to her allies below. “Evacuate immediately.” 
Top-class adventurers broke away from battle and ran from the area like baby spiders trying to escape the sun. 
“Wynn Fimbulvetr!!” 
Waves of fierce magical power stormed down over the plains. 
Ice, fire, electricity. Various types of offensive magic mercilessly carved up anything in their way. 
The acid-spewing monsters were blown to pieces or burned into nothingness. Explosions filled the land as the magical power reached its zenith. 
“How’d you like that!” “Did you see?!” came the voices of young mages as they watched the devastation unfold below. Riveria had a different reaction from her young female allies’: a long sigh of relief. 
Their camp had sustained considerable damage only hours before. They had lost a lot of supplies and energy, but worst of all they had lost most of their weapons and armor to an unstoppable acid attack they were seeing for the first time. They’d saved what they could, but their stocks were almost empty. 
If Riveria had not been there to control the situation—or to contribute to the battle herself—there was no doubt the Expedition party wouldn’t have stood a chance. 
“To think protecting the camp would be so dangerous…” she muttered to herself under her breath. 
“In any case, they’ve all been dealt with…” 
She surveyed the battlefield from her spot on the crest of the hill. 
Their magic attack had been the final blow. Aiz and the others were quick to dispatch the badly injured survivors. Just like Finn, watching her allies take so many risks in battle made Riveria’s head hurt. However, he was in charge. Their actions were his problem, not hers. 
Still, what were those beasts…? 
Loki Familia’s supporters, who had dragged the cargo boxes out of camp under heavy duress and supplied the forward groups with weapons, were happily embracing and celebrating the victory. Riveria was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice them. 
Judging by how Aiz and the others fought, they, too, had encountered the same monsters on level fifty-one. A new species of monster and an ambush at the relatively secure “safe point”…Riveria felt that something major was about to occur…She quickly shook her head. No amount of thinking would solve this problem. She had other priorities at the moment. 
The wounded needed to be attended to, and the battlefield needed to be searched for drop items, among other things. Riveria was about to turn on her heel—when her jade eyes suddenly caught something in the distance. 
“What is that…?” 
Her strong yet feminine lips mouthed those words before she could stop them. 
 
“All done!” 
Aiz’s sword pierced the remaining survivor. Only the adventurers were still moving on the devastated plains. 
Tiona celebrated the victory by calling out to Aiz and pumping her fist in the air. The blond girl released her enchantment and looked down at the sword in her grasp. 
Finn still carried her weapon of choice. The weapon he’d given her as a replacement looked like little more than something pulled out of the scrap heap. The combination of Aiz’s skill with the sword and Airiel had been too much for the blade to take. It would have broken on the next strike had the battle gone on any longer. 
That was the only downside to the girl’s fighting style—it was difficult to find weapons and armor that could keep up with her. 
Ignoring the twinges of pain and fatigue throughout her body, Aiz went about her business as usual, her expression as aloof as ever. 
“Tough little bastards…Think everyone who stayed behind’s okay?” 
“Oh? What’s this, Bete? Worried about Riveria and our supporters? That’s a first!” 
“Shut it. If they didn’t hold their ground, we can’t get out of here! Don’t go getting the wrong idea!” 
Tiona and Bete’s argument finally broke the tension as everyone started to relax. 
While Tione stood beside Finn, Raul almost tumbled forward when Gareth smacked him on the shoulder, and Lefiya had a smile on her face. Everyone’s expressions became softer as they basked in the glory of a job well done. 
Aiz glanced back at the rocky hill before surveying the area one last time. She was about to turn away. 
That’s when it appeared. 
“—!” 
The thing announced its presence. 
It advanced through the ash forest, breaking tree after tree. The echoes were still far away but getting louder. 
Everyone’s eyes immediately snapped in that direction. The adventurers armed themselves; the relaxed atmosphere disappeared in an instant. 
The echoes reached them like the trees were screaming out in pain. However, the creature could be seen only from the crest of the hill. Riveria and the mages stood in stunned silence, watching anxiously as the adventurers on the plains scrambled into formation. 
They didn’t know how long they waited. 
If it had been much longer, they might not have stuck around. 
Finally, the adventurers on the plains saw the beast emerge from the tree line. 
“…Did that come up from below, too?” 
“Destroying everything in its path…Probably?” 
“Don’t be stupid…” 
Everyone but the Amazonian twins was too stunned to speak. 
The creature had to be at least six meders tall. 
What’s more, it was at least twice as big as the largest of the monsters they had been fighting against. 
Its body was the same pale, yellowish green with long, flat arm flaps. Most of its body was the same shape as the caterpillar monsters, with the exception of one big difference. 
“Is that a person…?” 
The caterpillar-like lower body was no different from the others’. However, instead of a mountainous lump of flesh on the front end, there was a distinctly human torso and head leading the charge. 
Four arms, two on each side, their shape resembling the bodies of stingrays or perhaps folding fans. They were flatter than flat, as though they had no thickness at all, and seemed to glide through the air as it moved. Long tendrils as thick as snakes whipped from side to side on the back of its head. 
Spots of bright colors covered its body like random splashes of paint. Some looked natural, but most seemed to be the remnants of whatever monsters had been on the receiving end of its poison. 
The brightest spot was where eyes would have been on a human face. The curves of its human torso were distinctly female. Had the rest of the body not been a worm from the deepest pits of hell, it might have been attractive. Its belly didn’t appear round enough to be pregnant, but the skin around it was pitch-black and pulsing. 
“If we slew something that big…” 
—An unfathomable amount of purple acid would flood the area. 
Raul gawked at the monster large enough to be a floor boss, his eyes locked on the black pouch containing enough of the purple liquid to turn the rest of the plains into a bubbling swamp. 
Thinking back to their previous battle, most of the badly injured monsters had exploded before they could be slain. If this monster did the same thing, the explosion might be powerful enough to utterly destroy everything on this floor. 
Even if they managed to kill it, everything nearby would be in danger. 
Visions of the devastation ran through everyone’s heads. 
Gareth adjusted his helmet, beady eyes looking out from deep within. “For that big one, I reckon we’ll need to hit its magic stone nice an’ clean.” 
“So where do we start stabbing, huh…?” Bete responded to his analysis with obvious sarcasm. 
The beast completely emerged from the forest and came to a stop a good distance from the adventurers. 
It looked something like an insectoid centaur or some kind of half-human, half-snake lamia monstrosity from the front. 
The human head of the huge monster faced Loki Familia from across the smoldering plains. 
“…” 
The female monster made the first move. 
Its four arm flaps opened wide, as though it were greeting its long-lost love. 
Specks of light filled the air—not just reds and oranges but greens and blues as well. 
Spores, or perhaps some kind of pollen. The swarm of color flowed across the plains. 
A cold chill instantly shot up their spines. 
All of the top-class adventurers immediately jumped backward. 
A heartbeat later, millions of tiny explosions went off at once. 
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!” 
“GUhhh…!” 
Lefiya felt the heat of the blast on her face as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Every blade of grass, every pile of ash, every remaining monster corpse went up in flames in an instant. 
Those specks weren’t something as ordinary as pollen. 
Every single speck of the multicolored cloud was a bomb. 
Finn called out to his allies under the cover of the smoke and dirt that filled the air in the aftermath. 
“All groups, full retreat!” 
He gave the order. 
The gazes of everyone else immediately shot to his location. Their leader, however, was focused completely on the female worm. 
“Get back to camp; tell the others to take the bare minimum and get out of here.” 
“C’mon, Finn! Are ya serious?!” 
“Are we just going to ignore that thing?!” 
Bete and Tione voiced their objections. Their pride as top-class adventurers and as members of the strongest Dungeon-crawling familia in Orario, Loki Familia, would not let them run away from this fight. 
It had made its way to this safe point. What was to stop it from going even higher? There was no telling how many casualties other adventurers would suffer if that happened. 
“I don’t like this any more than you do. But we need to slay it and do damage control at the same time. Easier said than done, I know.” 
Finn knew the orders he had to give, but it pained him to do so. 
He shook his head slightly before making eye contact with the blond-haired, golden-eyed girl. 
“Aiz, take it down.” 
The prum squared his shoulders to her and added, “Alone.” 
“Think this over, sir!” 
Lefiya’s voice shrieked before anyone else could respond. 
Tiona and the others were about to argue when suddenly—BOOM! 
The monster had already released another cloud. 
The adventurers could see its shape moving through the smoke, countless legs shifting in tandem with its flat arms open wide. 
“…There’s no time. Raul, go to Riveria and tell her to get everyone out of there!” 
“Hey, wait, Finn! Why only Aiz?! I’ll go, too!” 
“A woman protectin’ my ass? Aw, hell, no!” 
“General, there has to be another way. Please reconsider.” 
Tiona, Bete, and Tione braced themselves against the next round of explosions while trying to argue their point. 
However, Finn silenced them. 
“Don’t make me repeat myself. Go.” 
He might have sounded calm, but his voice was laced with an undeniable power. 
No one could go against this short blond prum. 
Tiona and the others knew that once Finn flipped that switch, there was no turning back. 
With reluctance and resentment on their faces, the young adventurers started to retreat. 
“…A-at least allow me to support her!” 
Lefiya, on the other hand, stayed behind to plead her case. 
Her thin shoulder was grabbed from behind and her body was yanked away from Finn. 
“Lefiya…It’s okay.” 
“—” 
Aiz stepped between them and gently pushed the elf back toward the camp. 
It took a firm shove to get her to step back. 
Aiz was too strong for her, and Lefiya stumbled. 
“…” 
She looked at the human girl for a moment, a tear running down her cheek, until finally she turned to follow the rest. 
Aiz watched her leave for a few seconds before turning back to face the oncoming monster. 
“Sorry, Aiz.” 
“It’s fine.” 
As the leader, Finn sometimes had to give unpopular orders. However, it was very rare for him to apologize for them. 
Most likely, what he was ordering her to do right now conflicted with what he’d told her earlier that day. The disparity was eating away at him inside. That was why he took this opportunity, when the two of them were alone, to offer an apology. In turn, Aiz understood his situation and shook her head from side to side. 
If Finn said this was for the best, it was for the best. Tiona and the others knew it as well. 
She was best suited for fighting against that monster. 
“I’ll signal you once we’re clear. Buy us as much time as you can.” 
“Understood.” 
Finn quickly issued his final orders, and Aiz looked forward with vigor, knowing exactly what she had to do. 
Taking Desperate back from Finn before charging, she raced across the battle-scarred plains, the only line of defense between the female caterpillar and her friends. 
The beast’s many legs carved their way through the dirt. Its arm flaps waved. Stripes of bright colors slashed their way through the thinning smoke. 
Aiz rushed toward her enemy with no hesitation and nary a sound. 
Her golden eyes flashed. Then she whispered: 
“Awaken, Tempest.” 
She summoned the wind. 
Shimm. Her weapon sang as it emerged from its sheath. 
The female figure shook. 
All of the monster’s senses locked onto Aiz as if responding to the wind. Its human torso shifted into position, following her movements. 
A crack suddenly appeared in the middle of its smooth “face,” opening its jaws as wide as possible. 
Its entire body contracted as it launched an incredible stream of liquid from its head with enormous pressure. 
In terms of amount and speed, there was no comparison with the other caterpillar monsters. Aiz chose to evade it with a quick sidestep. 
The roar of a waterfall overtook her a heartbeat later. The blast was powerful enough to carve a chunk out of the ground where she had been standing, before crashing into the rock hill not too far behind her. 
The hill collapsed in on itself, the crest falling into a newly formed pit of the purple liquid. Black smoke rose from the bubbling pile as the hill continue to crumble. 
If I don’t lead it away… 
Her first priority was exactly what Finn had ordered: to buy time for their retreat. 
At the same time, she could lure the beast into some more advantageous terrain. 
Luckily, the monster was focused on her. If she put some space between them, it should come after her—that was her train of thought. 
She was only half right. 
“!” 
The creature crossed its four arms, making two Xs in front of its chest before opening them as wide as it could. 
Aiz couldn’t believe her eyes as the creature released enough of its sparkling spores to block her view of the ceiling above. 
“—” 
The glinting multicolored cloud fanned out in all directions around her before descending. 
Everything within range of the spores would be utterly destroyed. Aiz had been trying to only divert the monster’s course up to that point and realized it was too late to completely dodge the cloud. Instead, she called on the wind enveloping her to form a shield. 
That’s when the spores all exploded at the same time. 
The ground shook; more and more sonic booms assaulted her ears, each impact more powerful than the last. Aiz lost her balance for a moment as her vision spun. 
Bracing herself again, the girl felt her skin and light armor seared by the intense heat. She gritted her teeth and rode it out. 
The explosions stopped. However, there was movement in the smoke. With a flash of pale green, the monster was coming. 
“!” 
Flat arms sliced through the air, clearly cutting the last of the smoke out of the way as it streaked toward her head. 
A quick twist, duck, and back step allowed her to dodge three of the arms. 
However, the monster’s fourth arm—one of the lower set of two—connected. 
With the side of her blade, she managed to get into a defensive position at the last possible second. But the impact was so powerful that it sent her flying backward. Were it not for the wind’s protection, that hit could have crushed every bone in her body. 
Her body spun once as it flew over the ravaged land. First her hand hit the ground. Bending her arm like a spring, she pushed off the ground and used the wind to land on her feet. She slid to a stop on top of the charred grass and took an offensive stance with Desperate in the same motion. 
The beast had already started its next attack, another blast of the liquid. She brought her sword down into it with all of her strength. 
The marble-patterned acid and silver blade collided with a bang. 
The blade cut through the stream and, with the help of the wind, guided the flow around her. 
It was awe-inspiring. One lone adventurer using a single sword to defend against the monster’s cannon-like acid attack. 
The caterpillar’s female torso bent forward, trying to overwhelm the human with even more pressure. The girl’s golden eyes narrowed as she dug in her heels, but she didn’t falter. 
The first to give up in this reverse tug-of-war was the monster. Cutting off the flow of acid, it roared menacingly at its prey. Aiz flicked her sword as the last of the liquid flew by her. Then she charged. 
I can’t give it any space! 
It was indeed focused on her, but it couldn’t be drawn. 
The monster could turn the area to a burning wasteland if it were so inclined. It didn’t have to chase Aiz to inflict damage. 
The only safe place from its spore cloud, somewhere that the creature itself would get caught up in the blast, was right on top of it. 
Finn and the others would have to manage on their own; she couldn’t help them get any distance. 
Therefore, Aiz focused completely on keeping the female caterpillar engaged in combat. 
“!” 
The creature dove toward the incoming human, its four arms poised and ready to attack. 
Her theory was correct; the beast wasn’t using its spores. Aiz deflected the creature’s left arms with her blade and spun past the right. Her speed and agility allowed her to focus on a new target, the many little legs supporting it on the right side. 
But the female caterpillar’s reaction was just as fast. Its lower right arm swung down and intercepted her blade before it could hit flesh. 
—No…no blind spots? 
The creature used its deceptively high agility and long, flat arms to attack or defend from any angle around the front of its body. A great deal of large-category monsters had a weak point that could be exploited. Not this one. 
Aiz continued to collect information on this new species while continuing to hack away. 
“…!” 
Focusing the power of Airiel’s wind onto her blade, Aiz deflected another round of swipes from its arms. 
The addition of the wind allowed her thin blade to repel the beast’s surprisingly strong limbs. With her delicate frame and slender weapon, she would inspire many of the dwarves who fought as part of the wall in battle to faint from anxiety just watching her. But for her, she was using Magic enhancements in tandem with a Durandal. They made up for the obvious gap between her and the monster in terms of physical strength—and as a lone adventurer—to the point that her technique and skill were enough to do much more than just irritate the monster. 
Through combat thus far, Aiz deduced that the pale-green front side of the arms had a very high Defense while the brilliantly colored underside was used to deploy spores. Once again, one of its slightly damaged arms blocked Desperate, protecting the softer flesh beneath as another one knocked away the weapon. The arms might have a limited range, but they packed so much punch that she could block only one hit at a time. 
The two combatants traded blows over and over in a test of endurance. 
The female caterpillar made another move to change the tide of battle. 
“?!” 
It happened when Aiz tried to get around the main body and strike the torso from behind. 
From the corner of her eye, she saw the many tendrils growing out of its head come to life. All of them focused on her before opening wide and spewing more of the corrosive purple liquid. 
—Eh, no fair! 
A sneak attack from overhead. 
The sheer amount of acid raining down on her was too much for the wind to deflect on its own. Slicing upward, she swept it out of the way. 
However, she had to step backward to do so. The female caterpillar used this extra space to put its entire weight behind a double-armed swipe at the blond girl. 
The lower arm hit the sword at full speed, knocking Aiz backward and off her feet, while the upper arm rotated outward and released a small cloud of spores. 
The area around the girl started to sparkle. 
The cloud might have been small, but it was denser than any she’d seen up to that point. The creature was trying to finish her off. 
Even the tendrils on top of its head were open, ready to shoot their acid in any direction to prevent her escape. Time seemed to stop. 
“Go, wind.” 
The air currents that had been protecting her body expanded, blowing away the cloud. 
The cloud seemed to hover in the air for a moment, a safe distance away from her, before exploding into brilliant red flames. All that reached her was a heat wave and a puff of air strong enough to make her land on the plain. 
—The pollen spores explode after three seconds. 
She’d seen the attack three times already. 
There was a three-second window between the creature’s arms flapping and the explosion. Meaning that she could reduce the amount of damage inflicted by blowing away spores within those three seconds. This was her familia’s first encounter with this new breed of monster; she wasn’t about to neglect her duties to collect information on it. 
The wind magic–wielding Aiz was perfectly suited for combating this monster, and quite possibly its only threat. 
Its unblockable corrosive acid and wide-range explosive spores were both attacks that would strike fear into the hearts of many adventurers. However, manipulating the wind rendered them both useless. That was why Finn had ordered her to face this monster alone—he’d already seen it in action. 
Until finally, there was a pop and a hiss. 
Aiz saw a flare travel through the sky, through the cloud of smoke surrounding her. 
The retreat was successful. She had permission to slay the beast. 
She ignored her body’s complaints and intensified the air currents. 
Then, she leaned forward before launching herself toward her target. 
“—” 
The monster couldn’t react in time. 
Completely bypassing the beast’s attempts to shield its right side, she angled her blade at the many little legs on the right side of its body and charged. 
“?!” 
Every single leg was severed. The female caterpillar fell to that side and tried to use two of its flat arms to stay upright. 
Sever a leg and bring them to the ground. It was a popular strategy for taking on large-category monsters and floor bosses. 
Aiz didn’t stop there. Slamming down her foot, she reversed direction and used her wind to jump onto the monster’s caterpillar-like back. Dashing to the torso, she separated the tendrils from its head in one clean slash. Then, using the same momentum, she spun like a top and brought down the sword through the creature’s upper shoulder. One of its four flat arms fell to the ground. 
Purple acid gushed forth from every wound. All the legs and tendrils instantly turned into deadly geysers of the corrosive liquid. 
The severed arm on the ground started convulsing. Its connection to the brain gone, every muscle started firing on its own. That included the trigger mechanism for the spores. The air took on a familiar reddish glimmer. 
Three seconds later, detonation. 
“—aaaaiiiiiiaaaa?!” 
The female caterpillar shrieked as it was enveloped in flames. 
Every muscle still connected to the creature’s brain contracted in pain. 
Thump. Aiz landed a short distance from the beast caught in the center of the inferno. It was time for her to deliver the final blow. 
She jumped and spun high toward the ceiling over and over, carving arcs into the air every time she kicked off the ground as she put some space between her and the monster. She looked like a feather dancing in the wind from a distance. Her skirt fluttered with every movement, thighs flashing. 
Finally, she landed on the remains of the rock hill. 
Knees bent and feet locked onto a particularly strong boulder, her golden eyes focused on the massive cloud of smoke in the plains. 
Blastoff. 
Aligning the hurricane-type winds around her body, Aiz held her sword at shoulder level. She was focusing all of her magic onto one spot, becoming divine wind. 
“—Aiz, come on! Yellin’ out a skill’s name makes it stronger, y’know?!” Loki had been trying to make a joke at the time, but Aiz had taken her seriously. 
Quietly, her lips formed the words. 
“Lil Rafaga.” 
Calling out the name of her finishing move, as instructed by her goddess, Aiz became the sharp point of the wind arrow. 
“!!” 
Air currents spiraled around her as she flashed toward her target faster than the eye could see. Sensing an imminent threat, the caterpillar folded its remaining three arms into a shield over its torso in a last-ditch effort to defend. 
However, the silver-bladed tip of the wind arrow would not be stopped. 
It pierced right through. 
“—” 
Shield and body couldn’t even slow down the arrow. 
A gaping hole in its chest, the monster’s body began to pulsate. 
The female torso fell to pieces, its remaining limbs crashing to the ground. Enormous amounts of the corrosive acid mixed with the rising spore cloud for a few moments—a multicolored explosion the likes of which had never been seen before in this world erupted on the fiftieth floor of the Dungeon. 
 
“Miss Aiz?!” 
Lefiya screamed at the top of her lungs. 
A dome like a mushroom cloud hovered over the ash forest, blocking out the natural lights in the ceiling. Debris riding the shock wave landed at her feet a moment later. 
Following Finn’s orders, everyone had grabbed only the necessities from camp and put as much space as possible between them and the monster to avoid the inevitable explosion. Loki Familia had watched the battle from afar, hoping with all their might that Aiz could pull it off. Every set of eyes was wide open as the heat from the detonation reached their skin. 
Everything under the mushroom cloud was cast in red light from the flames. 
The center of the blaze was thick and showed no signs of slowing down. 
The ash forest caught fire in the blink of an eye. New pyres of flame erupted every second, reaching toward the ceiling like the arms of demons trying to escape hell. 
“Aiz…” 
Tiona stared out at the burning wasteland, orange and red light dancing on her face. 
The next moment, she saw a flicker. 
The wall of fire bent, warping outward as if being pushed from the inside. The bright, healthy flames swished from side to side like a candle that refused to go out. 

Then the sea of flames parted. A human figure emerged. A feminine form with heavily damaged armor and a silver sword glimmering at her side. 
The blond, golden-eyed girl slowly and steadily made her way out of the flames. 
There was a round of joyful cheers.