Chapter 15 - Under the Light of the Flame and Darkness (2)

/Disclaimer:I do not own Toaru or Danmachi/

Under the faint phosphorescent glow enveloping countless tents deep within the Dungeon, an elven pocket watch clicked shut. Its lid, adorned with leaf and tree motifs, reflected the pale blue light, standing apart from the bustling atmosphere of the camp.

The eyes of numerous adventurers swept over their weapons—swords, wands, double-edged blades, curved daggers, silver boots, staves, axes, spears. Lefiya reluctantly left Asmodeus behind in her tent before setting out.

The Trickster's flag fluttered atop the camp, bearing its mischievous grin. Once again, the stern captain spoke:

"We move, now."

The gentle command rang out, and soon, the elite group of Loki Familia, led by Finn, began departing the camp.

Cheers of farewell echoed from the high-ranking smiths and comrades staying behind to guard the base. The team swiftly descended the flat cliffside, heading toward the vast ash-covered forest.

There were thirteen of them in total: seven warriors, five supporters, and one smith. Bete and Tiona took the lead, Aiz, Tione, and Finn held the center, while Riveria and Gareth anchored the rear. Despite a few adjustments, this formation remained the pride of Loki Familia.

Each line included two supporters carrying spare weapons and supplies. Tsubaki, tasked with overseeing the group's armaments, was positioned beside Finn in the middle. The supporters, their backs laden with oversized backpacks stuffed with weapons and shields, marched alongside the others toward the massive gate on the Dungeon's western wall.

"Why do I have to be stuck with Bete?" Tiona grumbled, hefting her massive Durandal onto her shoulder. The supporters beside her could only watch in silent unease.

"Oh, shut up, you dumb Amazon," Bete shot back, his voice thick with irritation. He didn't even glance at her, just scowled. With his silver Frosvirt boots, the twin Durandal blades—Dual Roland—strapped to his waist, and over ten magic daggers holstered at his legs, he was armed to the teeth.

"Good grief, always so noisy!" Tsubaki laughed heartily, resting a hand on her tachi's hilt.

"I'm afraid this isn't our finest display," Finn replied wryly.

"Lefiya, relax a little, alright?"

"Y-Yes, Lady Riveria!" Lefiya startled, following the noble elf's guidance.

Outwardly, Riveria maintained her usual calm, but the glint in her emerald eyes reminded Lefiya not to forget—she was the "unshakable tree."

"No need to act like clowns, but stay ready like a loaded cannon. As a mage, your nerves must be steel. Be prepared to act when the moment comes. That goes for you too, Raul!" Gareth called from behind the two elves, stroking his beard as he spoke.

"M-Me?!"

No one in the group faltered. Amid their usual banter, Tione winked at Lefiya while keeping her stride steady, and Aiz offered a faint smile.

Lefiya instinctively returned a smile, nodding cheerfully, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, and focusing on the journey ahead. The magic stone atop her staff emitted a gentle pale green glow.

"Enough chatter. Focus on preparing for the battle ahead," Finn ordered as the group exited the ash forest, approaching the large entrance.

The path linking the fiftieth and fifty-first floors slanted inward through a gap in the western wall. Peering down, they glimpsed the shadows of monsters stirring in the dark.

Everyone quietly readied their weapons. Finn raised his long spear, commanding:

"Bete. Tiona. Go down."

Without delay, the werewolf and Amazon duo charged down the slope. The rest followed close behind. The moment they left the safe zone, Bete's silver boots and Tiona's greatsword swept through the obstructing monsters.

"Stick to the main route as planned! Don't let the new species get close!" Finn shouted.

The Dungeon shifted dramatically from the fifty-first to fifty-seventh floors—the deep levels. The ceilings and walls bore a dark graphite hue, with winding corridors and passages stretching between enormous chambers.

The structure wasn't vastly different from the upper floors, but its scale was entirely another matter. The Dungeon here was so expansive it felt like stepping into a different world.

There was no room for wasteful battles or squandered supplies. They needed to race through the Dungeon, aiming for the fifty-ninth floor.

"They're coming from the front!"

"Front line, keep moving! Aiz, Tione, take them out!"

"Got it!"

Aiz had sensed it already—cracks forming along both sides of the passage as the front line passed. They burst open, revealing a herd of black rhinos. Without hesitation, Tione swung her twin Kukri daggers, while Aiz, wielding Desperate, swiftly dispatched the newly spawned monsters.

"Monster Party from behind!" Gareth roared from the rear, smashing approaching foes with his axe.

The Dungeon rumbled around them.

From the sides, intersections, ceilings, and walls—monsters flooded in, trying to halt their advance.

Black rhinos and warped spiders attacked from every angle, faster than any enemy they'd faced on the upper floors. But the adventurers didn't falter. They pressed forward.

"Grrrraaaaaaaaaaaarrrgghhhh!!"

Bete hurled himself into the swarm blocking their path, his kicks blending seamlessly with his movements. His gleaming boots spun like a tempest, blasting away every obstacle. The wild wolf Vanargand sliced through them one by one, heedless of the piling corpses around him.

He moved relentlessly—striking, running, striking again—like a frenzied beast tearing through the battlefield. His ferocious kicks cleared a path for the group, leaving a trail of slaughtered monsters in his wake.

"M-Mister Bete's even scarier than usual..." a front-line member muttered with a shudder, as monster blood sprayed and bodies rained down from above.

Just as the gulp sounded, an enraged Amazon charged past, swinging her sword wildly.

"Don't act like this is your personal playground, Bete!!"

"Heh."

Amid the chaotic battle, an excited voice rang out.

"He's even more impressive than I imagined... Oh, what luck!"

Tsubaki surveyed the battlefield, casually dispatching an oncoming black rhino with her tachi, then swiftly grabbing the horn it dropped. The smith tossed the trophy into her pack with a delighted grin.

A flash gleamed as she drew her tachi from its sheath with such speed and finesse that the act of unsheathing became an art form. It was so swift that Raul, running beside her, couldn't even see the blade move.

"Miss Tsubaki, how are you so strong when you're just a smith?!" Raul groaned.

"Ha! A smith has to test their weapons! See how many monsters it can cut through, and ensure it slices, slices, and slices all the way to the deepest depths! Getting strong is just a natural part of that path."

"...That's a little terrifying," Raul replied, his face twisting.

Tsubaki didn't care, casually weaving among the supporters, deftly avoiding hindering the group's progress.

"Lefiya! Don't cast recklessly, or you'll just attract more new monsters! Let Aiz and the others fight for now. Wait for the new species, then unleash your magic!"

"Understood!" Lefiya replied hastily, gripping her staff tightly.

Riveria ran parallel to her, emerald eyes vigilantly scanning the battlefield. For now, they were the group's key firepower, but they had to wait for the right moment.

Tiona hurled her Durandal backward, snatching the twin-bladed Urga from Narfi and diving into the monster horde, felling dozens with a single powerful spin. Blood and roars echoed as she carved a path.

Suddenly, a new batch of caterpillar monsters emerged, their yellow-green hides dripping with deadly corrosive acid. Finn ordered a formation shift, and Aiz instantly replaced Tiona, activating Airiel and syncing with Bete.

Aiz's wind boosted Bete's speed as they charged the caterpillars, their Durandal weapons shredding through them. The acid spray was deflected by the wind, unable to reach the teammates behind. Aiz and Bete relentlessly cut down foes, giving them no chance to retaliate.

Loki Familia wouldn't fall to this new species. Not after all their preparations. Not with their coordination and teamwork. They plowed through the caterpillars with their wind-armored might, delivering wave after wave of lethal strikes.

They brought the enemy's assault to a grinding halt.

"Fading light, freezing land. Blow with the power of the third harsh winter—my name is Alf."

"Everyone, evacuate!"

From behind the fighters, Riveria completed her concurrent casting in an instant.

At Finn's shout, the front and midlines scattered, forming what resembled a living cannon barrel.

At its core glowed a jade-colored magic circle.

From the silvery-white staff—wielded by the first-tier mage with her Magna Alf—surged a brilliant flash of snow.

"Wynn Fimbulvetr!!"

Three snowy tendrils howled through the passage.

Every monster caught in the bluish-white blast froze solid instantly. Aiz and Bete, taking cover in a side tunnel, watched the long, straight corridor ahead transform into a glacial expanse of blue. The frozen caterpillars and other monsters became a gallery of ice sculptures.

"Damn, that was intense! If only we could produce that kind of magic from a magic sword, huh?" Tsubaki remarked, gazing over the ice-hardened Dungeon floor. She rubbed her arms with a shiver. "Wow, it's cold."

"The day that happens is the day I'm out of a job," Riveria replied with a slight smirk.

Once Aiz and Bete rejoined the group, they sped down the passage, shattering the petrified monster statues as a precaution while they ran.

No new monsters could spawn from the ice-and-frost-coated walls, so they made swift progress along the main route, descending the stairs to the lower levels.

"There'll be no replenishing from here on out," Finn said, glancing back at the party descending the wide, long staircase to the fifty-second floor, implying they should use any items now if needed. Since none of the adventurers had taken damage, though, no one moved.

They stood silently, exchanging tense glances. Tsubaki, the only non-Loki Familia member, eyed her anxious companions dubiously.

"Let's go."

With Finn's brief command, they continued down the stairs. The Dungeon walls of the fifty-second floor mirrored the graphite hue of the floor above, and the group raced past them even faster.

"Avoid combat wherever possible! Repelling the monsters is enough!"

Finn never stopped issuing orders.

The relentless encounter rate from the previous floor persisted, but they pressed on with their dash.

"Ooh, look at that drop item!"

Tsubaki felled a monster mid-run with her tachi, her eyes sparkling at the tempting prize it left behind. Raul, however, wasn't having it.

"No stopping!" he shouted, grabbing her wrist as she tried to break formation.

"Nnguh!" the smith grunted as the item stayed on the floor. "But whyyyyy?! S'not like I've ever been this deep before. What's the worst that could happen?"

"We're going to be sniped," Raul replied, cold sweat trickling down his face.

"Sniped?" Tsubaki cast a curious glance at the shifting Dungeon landscape as they ran.

Glowing phosphorescence. Countless tunnels. Plenty of monsters trying to close in. But with her quick scan, she couldn't spot any suspicious figures waiting to pick them off.

Just as she was about to question Raul's meaning, she noticed it. It wasn't just him. All the supporters looked terrified, struggling to keep up with the first-tiers.

Their faces were pale, panic simmering just beneath the surface.

"Keep up the pace!" Gareth bellowed from the rear, urging them onward.

No one spoke. They barely breathed. The only sounds were their relentless footsteps and the roars of monsters they fended off one after another. A strange, unsettling unease had gripped the party.

Then, just as Tsubaki began to sense the malaise, she heard it.

An ominous scream reverberating up through the ground.

"...A dragon's howl?"

The ear-splitting roar of the king of monsters.

Though Tsubaki could feel the mighty beast's presence, there were no immediate signs of it nearby.

"Finn," Riveria called from the back, and Finn nodded in response.

"Right—we've been spotted." The prum's eyes narrowed slightly. "Run! RUN!!"

The shout spurred them forward, quickening their pace even more.

As the front line recklessly repelled monster after monster, Tsubaki scanned their surroundings. "Where's it coming from...?" The ceaseless roars threw everything into chaos. Riveria's heavy breathing sounded almost in her ear.

But the source wasn't around them. No, it was—

"—From below?" Aiz's murmur from the front of the midline finished her thought. "It's coming." The Sword Princess's eyes sharpened like blades.

"Bete! Change course!" Finn commanded urgently, and the werewolf at the front led Tiona and the rest of the party off the main route into a tunnel.

Then it happened.

"________________"

The ground exploded.

"---------!"

Flames burst from the earth, followed by a crimson shockwave.

The frontliners' backs, the midliners' faces, and the rear guards' weapons—everything was drenched in fiery red.

Tsubaki's right eye widened fully, her face and eyepatch framed by the fierce blaze. It was as if a massive landmine had detonated beneath them.

Flames swallowed the Dungeon floor, incinerating the monsters ahead and reducing them to ash. The inferno spiraled toward the ceiling, bursting through the rock of the fifty-first floor above.

With the colossal explosion unfolding and waves of heat surging toward them, the supporters fought to stifle their screams.

"Take a detour! Western route!" Finn's command sliced through the chaos, redirecting the party from the main path into a wider passage—only for another sudden blast to shake the Dungeon's walls.

"Riveria, now! We need a protection spell! If we attract more of those damn caterpillars, so be it!"

Skipping words, Riveria began chanting immediately. "Tree spirits, hear my prayer. Gown of the forest!"

"How many?!"

"Six? No—at least seven!" Tione shouted, her eyes fixed on the quaking ground.

The relentless tremors nearly threw them off balance as scorching heat slammed into them from all directions.

Again and again, explosions erupted, hurling blazing winds and fiery debris their way. Finn barked rapid orders, barely holding them together.

Then, the dragon's roars became unmistakable. The next chain of blasts didn't just shake their floor—it rattled the ones above and below too.

The ground split apart. Massive rock slabs crashed into the depths. A gigantic crimson fireball Angelfire erupted, piercing the ceiling and lighting everything in a hellish glow.

"So this is what y'all were talkin' about...!!" Tsubaki exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face, as if she'd finally grasped the full scope of it.

Lefiya, meanwhile, was running for her life just a short distance away, her face drained of color.

This... This is...

She'd heard about it. She'd prepared for it.

But witnessing it unfold right here, right now—she couldn't stop trembling.

Her heart pounded wildly as the rear guard scrambled in disarray. Even first-tier adventurers could only flee from the roar of this monstrous beast.

The searing tide pressed on, unyielding. A scream rose in her throat—until her blue eyes caught something.

"Raul, move!!" Gareth's voice thundered from behind, sharp with urgency.

"Huh?!" Raul barely had time to react. From a tunnel along the sidewall, a thick bundle of thread shot out, aimed straight at him.

Lefiya's hand moved on instinct.

"Mr. Raul!"

From just behind him, she shoved him forward, backpack and all.

Raul stumbled, barely catching himself. The thread, meant for him, coiled around Lefiya's arm instead.

It had her.

With a snap, she was yanked away from the group.

"Lefiya!" Tione screamed as the massive silk strand of a deformis spider reeled her in, dragging her toward its den.

Lefiya's face twisted in panic as the monstrous spider pulled her closer, its jaws gaping—only for it to suddenly burst into flames.

An explosion beneath it—one of many warping the floor—detonated, obliterating the spider in a fiery blast.

Lefiya hung in midair.

Then gravity took hold.

She plummeted into the gaping hole below, waves of searing heat clawing at her. For a fleeting moment, she felt weightless—before plunging headfirst, as if the spider's burning thread were dragging her into an endless abyss.

Her body shook, yet her mind had never been clearer. The sight before her was too familiar, too ingrained in her instincts. Without hesitation, she made her choice—

"Proud warriors, snipers of the forest. Take up your bows before the advancing plunderers."

Rather than flee, she chose to fight.

I won't stand by and let people get hurt because of me—

A magic circle flared beneath her. Wind erupted outward, hurling her toward the cavern wall. She twisted midair, boots slamming into the stone, then launched herself downward.

Will. Strong will. Don't be afraid.

Dragons burst from the tunnels, swarming like enraged wasps. Wyverns shot forward, their violet-blue scales glinting in the firelight, wings slicing the air as they dove at her. Their presence alone justified the name Dragon Urn.

Above, massive red dragons on the fifty-eighth floor rained fireballs down on the adventurers. Below, these wyverns exploited the chaos, pouring from their nests to launch their own devastating assault.

"Answer the call of your brethren and ready your arrows. Tinge them with flame, the lamplight of the forest."

Lefiya's eyes darted across the battlefield, assessing the wyverns closing in. Two charged straight at her, one hung back, and below, a Valgang dragon was priming a fireball aimed her way.

She reached into her pouch, fingers grasping a grappling hook already infused with magic. One of the greatest perks of a magic storage bag and black cloth was their ability to mask magical fluctuations, ensuring no monster—however sensitive—could detect her spell preparations.

With a flick of her wrist, she unfurled a massive sheet of enchanted black fabric, instantly blinding the wyverns. As predicted, two lunged forward blindly. The third, staying at range, began charging a fireball to burn through the barrier.

A gleaming hook shot out from above the veil, striking the distant wyvern's throat.

At the same moment, Lefiya propelled herself from behind the cloth with a gust of wind, yanking the rope hard. The two reckless wyverns crashed into the fireball meant for her. Flames erupted, engulfing them instantly.

But there was no time to celebrate. The hooked wyvern thrashed, throwing off its attack—but the fireball still veered toward her. Even with a defensive spell, she couldn't fully block it.

And another wyvern was already swooping in to strike.

"Veil Breath!!"

Riveria's clear, resonant voice echoed from the fifty-second floor, and a protective aura enveloped her.

"We can't let that brat show us up."

Bete, Tione, and Tiona burst from a side tunnel, charging toward her.

Bathed in the green glow of Riveria's ward, they were impervious to the onslaught. Watching the first-class adventurers in action, determination blazed in her eyes.

"Release them, the fire arrows of the fairies. Falling like rain, burn away the savages."

"Out of my way!" Bete's kick sent a wyvern hurtling backward. "Tch! Enhanced species?!"

Trusting Veil Breath to shield her, she lunged through the fireball's remnants. Her staff's haft slammed into the wyvern's throat with deadly precision. Its body convulsed before plummeting into the abyss below.

Without pause, she plunged a hand into her pouch and retrieved four vials of alchemical compounds she and Wander had prepared the night before.

"Tiona!"

Tiona understood instantly. She launched off the wall, striking the vials midair, sending them plummeting into the depths.

"Fusillade Fallarica!!"

A torrent of fiery arrows rained down, igniting everything in their path.

The moment the enchanted flames met the vials—

BOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the battlefield, engulfing the wyverns in a hellstorm of fire and molten rock. The cavern walls liquefied, turning into rivers of searing magma. The tunnels housing the remaining wyverns collapsed, burying them in a blazing tomb.

But then—the explosion backfired. A tidal wave of fire roared upward, surging toward her.

"Aaaahhhhh!"

Cursing inwardly, she braced herself—

"Not happening!"

Tione surged forward, spinning her halberd. The shockwave from her swing dispersed the flames just enough for her to reach Lefiya, catching her midair.

"Nice work, Lefiya!" the Amazon grinned, eyes alight with exhilaration.

Lefiya swallowed hard, her chest tightening at the sheer intensity of Tione's expression.

"...Uh."

Nodding at Tione, she gripped her staff, turning her gaze downward.

Below stretched a hellish inferno—an abyss of molten stone and charred wyvern remains. She had done this.

She had turned this abyss into a furnace.

"When this is over, we have a lot to talk about," Tione remarked, amusement threading her voice. "I get the feeling Riveria's thinking the same thing."

Lefiya shuddered. She was doomed.

Not just for her concurrent chanting—but for everything she'd pulled off today.

...

"Well, that looks pretty decent."

Finn and the others peered down from the edge of the crater. The abyss they were gazing into had transformed into a fiery purgatory. The three leaders of Loki Familia silently assessed the situation.

"At least the outer rock layers from floors 53 to 56 have melted. They won't encounter overly powerful wyverns for a while."

With Veil Breath and Tione's protection, Lefiya was traversing the blazing hell safely. Without further ado, Finn quickly rallied the group, still stunned by the little elf's performance.

"Come on, everyone, let's stick to the main route and head to the fifty-eighth floor!"

Even if Lefiya and the others landed somewhere in the tunnels, there was no guarantee they could find them in the Dungeon's intricate maze. If they all reached the fifty-eighth floor—a vast hall with a single chamber—they could regroup without worry. Tiona and the others knew this too. Besides, there were no other exits left anyway.

"Gareth! I'm leaving Bete and the others to you!"

"Understood!"

Equipped with his standard battle axe and taking a Durandal axe from one of the supporters, Gareth leapt after Lefiya and the others. Finn swiftly began reorganizing the remaining group, not even waiting for Gareth to land in the crater before leading them onward.

"Whoa, that move was incredible. That kid's got real talent," Tsubaki said cheerfully as she ran alongside them. "Is she really just Level 3?"

"She's definitely Level 3. But Lefiya's made incredible progress compared to just a week ago," Finn replied, less focused on the destructive power of the vials and more on her handling of the sudden situation and...

"Hey, Riveria."

"Yes." Both had noticed—somehow, Lefiya had used magic without chanting, outside her Falna. Though those magic circles weren't particularly strong, her seamless use and coordination showed she'd practiced extensively.

"Do you know who taught Lefiya?" Finn's question made Aiz flinch slightly.

"I didn't get the details, but Lefiya said she was trained by someone called the Mad Wizard."

"Mad Wizard..." Finn mused at the name. So it could only be that person, huh? Fate sure is funny.

"You seem to know who that is, don't you, Finn?"

"Yes. Someone we're familiar with."

Riveria looked at Finn for a moment; they understood each other too well to need further explanation.

"We'll discuss it later, then."

She then turned to Raul, who was currently blaming himself for his mistake.

"Don't dwell on it, Raul. You see, Lefiya's fine now."

Raul jolted at Riveria's words. He'd been beating himself up for putting Lefiya in that situation.

"Oh—yes!" Raul sighed in relief, trying to pull himself together.

"And you'll face punishment later. For now, focus, alright?"

The thought of Riveria's punishment drained the color from Raul's face, leaving no room for self-blame. Even the other three supporters could only look at him with pity.

The group quickly pressed forward through the fifty-second floor's corridor.

"Ha-ha-ha! Looks like I'm stuck in another crazy place!" Tsubaki slashed an oncoming monster with her tachi, a grin plastered on her face.

One side had split into two.

Both groups followed separate paths, racing toward the fifty-eighth floor.

...

"Fusillade Fallarica!"

Boom... Boom... BOOM... Crash! A barrage of fiery arrows shot in all directions, incinerating the surrounding monsters. A fierce battle raged on the fifty-eighth floor. After crossing the abyss with help from Bete and the Amazon sisters, Lefiya had joined Gareth and the others heading for the exit. Gareth had made a grand entrance from above, hurling a dragon into a group of others. Yes, he threw and killed a pack of dragons—what incredible strength!

The adventurers had fought monster after monster to survive, but their only retreat route to the fifty-seventh floor was blocked by a massive swarm of approaching caterpillars.

The caterpillar monsters had formed a huge horde, attacking not just Gareth's group but also nearby monsters. Their innate ability to sense magic and magic stones drew them to the battlefield in droves.

From caterpillars spewing corrosive acid and devouring their unfortunate prey—including magic stones—to ferocious beasts striking with teeth and claws, heedless of their own dissolution, to dragons soaring above, hurling fireballs down upon them, it was truly a chaotic melee.

Thunderous roars, savage cries, and dragon breaths reverberated across the fifty-eighth floor.

"Is this normal for the lower floors?!"

"How would I know?!"

As their side's firepower flooded the area, Tiona and Bete took down surrounding monsters to advance toward a newly spawned Valgang dragon that had just burst through the Dungeon wall.

To stop its massive fireball from wiping out friend and foe alike, they charged the towering red beast, finishing it off with an icy kick from Bete's magic-charged boots and a flurry of killing blows from Tiona's giant Durandal sword. If they had to thank the caterpillars for anything, it was that they made navigating the battlefield much easier. Both deftly dodged the incoming streams of corrosive acid.

The brutal three-way battle raged on.

"Cough... cough..."

"Lefiya, stop casting for now. Take a magic potion and follow me."

Currently under Tione's protection, Lefiya quickly pulled a magic potion from her pouch and downed it in one gulp. Aaahhh... Her head throbbed mysteriously after crossing the abyss. Did Wander slip something weird into those vials?

"Lefiya?"

"I'm fine." Wondering about it wouldn't help now. She hurriedly followed her teammates.

Meanwhile, Gareth fought with ferocious intensity, his cloak billowing wildly. "Will these beasts ever stop fighting?" he mused, taking down foes one by one with his dual axes. Each powerful swing of his weapons landed like a bomb.

A nearby swarm of caterpillars retaliated with a blast of corrosive acid.

"Show me something I haven't seen before!" he roared, dodging swiftly before slamming his great axe into the ground with a blinding flash.

Shattered rock flew outward, pelting the caterpillars like explosive missiles. Their bodies crumpled, riddled with holes, acid spilling onto the ground below.

The dwarf's Durandal axe dispatched the last one with a mighty upward swing.

"Grrraaaagh!!"

"Burst!"

The beast didn't even have a chance to react. The vertical swing cleaved it in two.

They'd been fighting for nearly eight hours, and the dwarf's ferocity hadn't waned. But these strange creatures... Gareth eyed the monsters suspiciously from beneath his helm. He studied their movements. Maybe they're from the northern tunnel; somehow, we've reached the hall's center. We're heading south. He glanced back, where caterpillar swarms still poured from the tunnel to the fifty-seventh floor.

Ahead, to the south, was another tunnel—the path that would take them deeper. These brutes aren't planning to reach the fifty-ninth floor, are they?

Do we push further down?

Are these rampaging caterpillars trying to return home? Gareth squinted at the dark, uncertain entrance, then looked away, his thoughts returning to the battle at hand.

"B-They're still coming!" Tione shouted, cursing, sweat dripping down her neck and temples as another massive red dragon emerged on the Dungeon floor. The younger adventurers couldn't hide their exhaustion as the battle dragged on. Bete's tongue nearly lolled out of his mouth, Tiona's wrists trembled, and Lefiya's breathing sounded ragged and strained. Her heart clenched with that familiar sense of uselessness, but this time, there was something else—an inexplicable distance she couldn't understand. Why did she feel so out of place among her closest comrades?

Then, suddenly, a voice rang out: "Wynn Fimbulvetr!"

A ferocious blizzard swept down from the northern end of the hall, freezing everything—the Valgang dragon, the scattered giant monsters. Tione and the others stared in awe, their eyes reflecting the brilliant golden light. "Ngh!!" A figure shot forward like an arrow—the golden-haired, golden-eyed swordswoman, Aiz—shattering the frozen Valgang dragon statue with a single decisive slash. The dragon's head separated from its body, ice fragments crashing to the floor with a thunderous clatter.

"Miss Aiz!!"

"Riveria!"

Tiona and Tione cheered in unison, joy bursting forth at the sight of their comrades. Aiz stopped in the center of the hall, followed by Riveria, Finn, and Tsubaki. Even Raul—who seemed unscathed—rushed forward with the other three supporters. But Lefiya stood slightly apart, her feet rooted to the spot. She didn't know why she did it. Everyone was right there, so close and familiar, yet she felt separated by an invisible wall. Then...

"Prepare to fight!!" Finn's voice snapped them into readiness. Thankfully, no one noticed her hesitation. But then, Aiz's concerned gaze met hers. Lefiya flinched, forcing an awkward smile before stepping forward to join the group. The team worked in sync, swiftly taking down the caterpillars, leaving scattered piles of ash on the floor.

"Miss Aiz! Are you hurt?" Lefiya asked, her voice trembling slightly but trying to sound bright.

"I'm fine. How about everyone else?" Aiz replied, her gaze gentle.

"So lucky! All thanks to Gareth!" Tiona chimed in, beaming.

No signs of enemies remained. The group finally had a precious moment to rest. The holes in the ceiling caused by the Valgang dragons had sealed themselves, leaving the fifty-eighth floor in stillness. Lefiya quietly observed everyone. Finn and Riveria were checking on Gareth; Tsubaki laughed heartily, repeatedly slapping Tione and Bete on the back—Tione smirked, while Bete glared irritably. Tiona and Aiz playfully bantered, while Raul and the supporters handed out healing items, their eyes misty with relief.

"Oh-ho-ho! Is this the fang of that crazy dragon? And what's this? A red scale? I'll keep these!" Tsubaki eagerly picked up a fang and a scale from the pile of loot, her face glowing with excitement.

They decided to rest and take magic potions to recover. It was a brief respite as they sat in a circle, facing the unexplored depths ahead.

"..."

"Captain? What's wrong?" Tiona spoke up as Aiz and the others enjoyed their moment of relaxation.

The prum stood with his back to the group, spear in hand, staring into the deep darkness of the large pit to the south.

He seemed focused on it, peering into the void that would lead them to the fifty-ninth floor.

"According to the records left by Zeus Familia, the Frozen Territory awaits us on the other side of that passage."

"R-Really. They say glacial rivers flow through that land, making progress difficult, and freezing winds make even moving your body a struggle," Tione continued, lost in thought.

"W-We brought plenty of salamander wool! We had to request some from other factions, but we've got enough for all of us, including the supporters," Raul hurriedly stood, pulling the crimson fabric from his backpack. Salamander wool was fire-attuned armor that resisted cold.

Finn didn't move, his lake-blue eyes fixed on the passage ahead. Finally, he spoke.

"If the cold is so harsh it can freeze even first-tier adventurers, why don't we feel it now, sitting here with the entrance right in front of us?"

Tione and Raul shivered in surprise at Finn's question.

Exactly. They were waiting right before the passage to the fifty-ninth floor, yet none of them felt even the slightest chill from the gaping hole ahead.

The adventurers stood one by one, weapons at the ready. The tension on their faces made it clear this wasn't something they could ignore.

"..."

"W-What do you think we should do, Captain?"

"The salamander wool should be fine. We'll depart in three minutes." Finn glanced at his thumb. His gaze remained sharp as he stared into the tunnel ahead.

The rest of the group quickly finished preparing, ending their brief rest. Then, armed and reformed, they approached the massive pit. Their formation drew closer to the gaping hole.

"Strange. It's not cold at all," Tiona observed as Raul and the other supporters lit their portable magic-stone lanterns to dispel the enveloping darkness.

"Actually, I'd almost say it's humid," Lefiya finished, sweat beading on their skin.

No one knew what to make of this unexpected humidity, and a vague unease silenced the group. They continued down the long staircase to the floor below, senses alert to even the slightest sound.

Clang, clang.

Their footsteps echoed through the stairwell.

They descended deeper into the darkness.

Toward the light at the tunnel's end.

"Finn, this is..." Riveria began.

Finn nodded at the noble elf's voice behind him. "Indeed. From here on, we'll step into a land no one—not even the gods—has ever witnessed. The unknown."

And with that, they reached the light.

Descending the final steps, the group emerged onto the fifty-ninth floor and into the uncharted depths.

They were left speechless by the sight before them.

"_________________"

There were no glacial rivers.

No towering ice mountains. No frozen blue streams.

No. Reflected in their eyes was a vast array of the strangest plants and vegetation they'd ever seen—a scene utterly unlike the floors above.

"A jungle?" Tione gazed around in astonishment, still gripping her Kukri daggers.

The room, even larger than the fifty-eighth floor above, overflowed with greenery and vines. Before them stood a towering forest. Beneath their feet lay a lush carpet of grass and swaying, vibrant flower rings that looked like toxic blooms. It was an enclosed chamber with four distant green walls stretching high, adorned with buds of every shape and size dangling from the foliage.

"Is this like the twenty-fourth floor...?" Lefiya murmured, her voice trembling as horrific memories flooded back. Even Bete narrowed his eyes at the sight. It strongly resembled the pantry on the twenty-fourth floor after it had been overtaken by violas and turned into a verdant expanse.

Aiz silently scanned the scenery. Meanwhile, Raul looked up from among the bewildered supporters.

"Do you hear that?"

A strange sound emanated from the floor's center.

It sounded like chewing. A crunch followed by an occasional shrill, trembling voice.

As the mysterious noise continued, hidden deep within the dense jungle, every frozen gaze in the group turned to their stern leader.

Spear in hand, Finn ordered: "Advance."

That was all it took for the group to move.

Bete and Tiona took the lead as they followed a trail through the forest, a path almost carved through the trees.

Everyone's eyes darted from tree to tree, staying cautious lest something happen—lest they lose their minds.

A phosphorescent glow shone down from the ceiling, about ten meders above their heads. This fleeting glimpse of Dungeon walls protruding through layers of green vines was all they had to remind them this bizarre floor was still part of the labyrinth they knew.

Minutes passed as they pressed through the trees, the sound growing louder ahead and drawing them forward.

Suddenly, the forest around them parted, revealing an open space. "What's that?" Tiona exclaimed, gripping Urga, ready to fight.

Before them stretched a vast corridor of ashen-gray earth, barren of trees or life. At the center of this desolate expanse, countless caterpillars and violas swarmed around a bizarre entity—a woman with a massive lower body resembling a plant.

"Is that one of those crystal orb monsters?" Gareth frowned, deep lines creasing his cheeks.

"Did it absorb a Titan Alm?" Riveria added, her voice low as she recognized the giant plant monster—Corpse Flower King—a predator that devoured adventurers and kin alike in the deep floors.

The caterpillars extended tongue-like organs from their mouths, offering up glowing magic stones. The violas opened their jaws wide, revealing magic stones within. The woman greedily devoured them, her form eerily similar to the caterpillar queen they'd encountered on the fiftieth floor. As her tendrils absorbed the stones, the caterpillars and violas lost their vitality, crumbling to ash one by one.

"No way! It ate that many monsters?!" Tsubaki gaped at the salt-like piles of gray ash stacked high around the creature.

Lefiya and the others realized the horrifying truth: the ashen ground they stood on was the remains of thousands of monsters, drained and accumulated over time. "Damn it..." Finn gritted his teeth, the group trembling in fear.

"A mutant species?!" Bete snarled, the tattoo on his face twisting with his grimace.

And then, Aiz stood there, motionless. Lefiya glanced at her, her heart tightening as she saw Aiz's shoulders tremble, her eyes wide with shock. What could stun the mighty swordswoman like this? Lefiya's pulse quickened, an uneasy feeling creeping in as she realized Aiz's look wasn't just fear—it was recognition.

Suddenly, the monster raised its upper body, letting out a soft moan: "Ah..." It had been mid-feast when it paused, its form wriggling like a worm. Then, to Finn and the group's astonishment, its grotesque flesh swelled and split open. From within emerged a breathtakingly beautiful woman, like a butterfly breaking free of its cocoon.

"AhhhhHHHHHHHH!" Her ecstatic scream rang out, the piercing sound forcing everyone to cover their ears. She tilted her face toward the ceiling, her long, lustrous hair cascading down her curved back. Her body was draped in a radiant dress, accentuating her slender arms, full chest, and narrow waist. Her face was goddess-like, though her entire form glowed an eerie green, save for her pupil-less golden eyes.

Not only had her upper body transformed, but her lower half morphed too, sprouting massive petals and countless tendrils. From the heart of the fifty-ninth floor, this half-monster, half-divine entity let out its first roar.

"What the hell is that?!" Tione groaned, hands still over her ears against its scream. No one knew what it was; they could only stare in horror.

"...No way," Aiz whispered, forgetting to cover her ears, standing frozen like a statue.

Lefiya watched Aiz, an indescribable feeling rising within her. She'd never seen Aiz like this—the ever-calm, powerful swordswoman now trembling, lips quivering as if to speak. As the monster turned its head, its golden eyes locked onto Aiz and shrieked, "Aria! Aria!!"—Lefiya's heart skipped a beat. Aria? Who is that? Why is this monster calling Aiz that? She wondered, curiosity mingling with unease. She'd always admired Aiz, but now she felt an invisible divide—as if Aiz carried a secret she couldn't reach.

"Aria! I missed you! I missed you!" The monster's voice rang out, childlike yet haunting. "Don't you want to stay with me forever?"

Aiz froze, her eyes wide with panic. "A... spirit?!" she gasped, her voice shaking.

"A spirit?! That freakish thing?!" Tiona burst out, unable to believe Aiz's words.

The group trembled before the toxic beauty of this woman—a blend of ghastly allure and warped divinity. Finn narrowed his eyes at the creature, over ten meters tall. "These new species... are they just its tendrils?" He speculated, considering how the caterpillars and violas hunted magic stones to feed it. Perhaps they were merely "arms" of this spirit, helping it regain its true form.

Facing Finn, she kept smiling, endlessly calling "Aria! Aria!!" like an obsessive chant.

"—Won't you let me eat you?"

The spirit grinned, its smile as cold as ice.

Instantly, the remaining caterpillars and violas whipped around toward them, their movements ferocious, eyes locked onto the adventurers—especially Aiz—as if embodying her dark will. At the same time, a loud boom echoed from the exit as thick green flesh sealed their escape route completely.

"Everyone, prepare to fight!!" Finn commanded decisively.

Those words were enough to snap the group out of their confusion. Though their escape route was lost, they didn't waver. Tiona gripped her weapon tightly, her eyes blazing. The spirit let out a sharp, chilling laugh, and the battle erupted.

"Ruuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggghhhhh!!"

Over fifty caterpillars and viola flowers charged forward, their roars shaking the dungeon's basement. The adventurers responded by unsheathing their razor-sharp Durandal blades, facing the swarm of vibrant yellow-green monsters.

"Finn, I'll take the lead, alright?" Gareth shouted, charging like an arrow, dodging acid attacks and slicing caterpillars in half.

"No different from before! Time to crush these insects!!" Bete followed, his movements swift and precise, syncing perfectly with Gareth.

Amid the monsters' pained roars, Aiz stood motionless, her heart pounding as if it might burst from her chest. She shook her head, casting aside fear, then charged into the fray with Desperate in hand, her body and sword merging into a whirlwind.

"Lefiya, target that woman! Raul and the others will support with magic swords!!" Finn barked orders relentlessly, his voice as sharp as when facing deep-floor beasts.

"G-Got it!" Lefiya replied, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched her staff. She began chanting, her eyes flickering with determination laced with anxiety. Raul and the support team swiftly drew their magic swords, unleashing a barrage of instant strikes.

Under a rain of magical projectiles providing cover, Aiz surged forward, pushing back the caterpillars. Tiona and Tione tackled the massive tentacles emerging from the spirit's lower half, their faces grimacing at the sheer power and speed. The tentacles zeroed in on Aiz from a hundred meters away, but the sisters held their ground, coordinating with her seamlessly.

"Riveria, hold your magic!" Finn shouted, stopping Riveria as she prepared to join in.

"What?!"

Finn didn't turn back, his posture rigid, his right thumb trembling violently. "My thumb... it won't stop throbbing. Something's coming!" His voice carried a rare edge of panic for a leader like him. "We need to be ready for anything!"

The spirit smiled mysteriously, as if confirming Finn's hunch. "Rise, O flame."

In an instant, a blazing red magic circle formed around her colossal body.

"She's chanting?!" Lefiya gasped, eyes wide with shock, her grip tightening on her staff until her knuckles whitened. A monster using magic? It was beyond comprehension.

"No way..." Raul muttered, his voice faltering, his magic sword pausing for a moment before he gritted his teeth and pressed the attack.

The red circle expanded, then erupted, a torrent of magical power surging from the radiant light. Finn clenched his jaw and yelled, "Riveria! Raise a barrier!"

Riveria began chanting instantly, her face taut with focus. "Everyone else, use all your magic! Hit it with everything we've got!" Finn continued commanding. Raul and the support team roared, activating their magic swords, while Lefiya bit her lip, struggling to stay calm.

"H-Here goes!! FUSILLADE FALLARICA!!"

Hundreds of fiery arrows shot from Lefiya, merging with the onslaught from the magic swords. Brilliant light engulfed the dungeon floor. The spirit raised ten massive petals to shield herself, her smile unwavering. A deafening explosion followed, the shockwave tearing through the ground, but as the smoke cleared, she stood unscathed.

Lefiya panted, her eyes wide with disbelief. I... didn't do anything? she wondered, a wave of helplessness rising within her, her fingers trembling on her staff.

The spirit resumed her chant: "Rage, rage, RAGE! Vortex of fire! Crimson wall! Roar of hell! Fierce winds to rend the world in agony! The sky shall burn! The earth shall blaze! The seas shall boil! The mountains shall erupt! All life to ash!" Her endless incantation flowed at a staggering speed, far surpassing even Riveria's.

"Dancing spirits of the air, keepers of light! Forge thy pledge with the forest's protectors and envelop us in the psalm of the earth!" Riveria chanted a protective spell, her clear voice clashing with the spirit's song of destruction.

"Via Shilheim!!" A jade-colored magic circle bloomed beneath Riveria's feet, its light shimmering before forming a green, dome-like barrier. It enveloped all thirteen adventurers, including Riveria herself. At that exact moment, as the high elf's barrier—capable of nullifying both physical and magical attacks—rose around them, the spirit completed her chant: "Fire Storm!"

The world turned red.

"..."

It was a colossal inferno, like a fire elemental unleashed. A raging, searing wave of wind. A tsunami of flame. A river of crimson fire closed in on Riveria's barrier.

It swallowed everything. The monsters. The magic dome with the adventurers inside. The entire floor itself.

"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The impact was earth-shattering. A thunderous boom rang out as hellfire clashed with the barrier, joined by Riveria's anguished cry as she braced her staff with both hands.

Screams of agony echoed as everything beyond the barrier incinerated instantly. Riveria's jade eyes widened to their limit. The party stood frozen, watching the world beyond their shield turn into a living hell.

Then—

Crack. A fracture appeared in the barrier of Orario's strongest mage.

"The shield...?!"

Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the wall of light—above, below, to their left, to their right. Raul and Lefiya paled. The explosive wave of hellfire closed in from all directions.

"—Gareth! Protect them!!"

Riveria screamed as the scorching heat consumed her. Gareth reacted instantly, grabbing two large shields from the supporters and leaping behind her. A high-pitched shriek followed as Via Shilheim shattered.

"RIVERIA—?!"

Riveria was the first to fall. As the raging crimson fire engulfed her, Aiz's scream vanished into the roaring swell. Then it struck Gareth, slamming into his shields with titanic force.

"GrrrruuuuooooooooooooaaaaAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The dwarf groaned as Riveria disappeared into the inferno. Behind him, Tiona threw Aiz to the ground. Finn and the others were already pressed against the earth in Gareth's shadow.

But it wasn't enough. The shields melted at an alarming rate. Gareth's helmet and armor liquefied around him.

"GRAMPS!!"

Bete shouted as the shields vanished entirely. Gareth flung his arms wide, using his own body to block the relentless flames.

"GGGRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The dwarf's mighty roar met the oncoming inferno—

The explosion was beyond measure.

Everything turned red. The blast hurled Aiz and the others back with incredible force. Their skin and armor sizzled and charred as the crimson cyclone tossed the first-tier adventurers about, yet they clung to their weapons. They couldn't even scream. The searing hiss of destruction swallowed the world.

They tumbled across the ground again and again—

Lefiya, Raul, and the other supporters were spared the worst, thanks to Finn's protection. The flames purged everything.

"Grrn...hnn?!"

The storm finally subsided, revealing Aiz and the others scattered like corpses across the scorched earth. Nothing remained but ash as far as the eye could see—no monsters, no magic stones, not even the jungle behind them.

Everything had turned to cinders and dust. The dungeon floor had become a different world, with only the spirit at its center unchanged. They'd escaped the full brunt of the blast, but the aftershocks left them battered—armor and bodies marred with cuts and burns. Moaning in pain, they shakily rose, silent. Riveria lay facedown, the magic gem of her silvery staff cracked, her holy robes burned to tatters. Gareth lay a short distance away, charred and faceup, his armor blackened. The elven mage and dwarf warrior were still. Silent.

Lefiya, Raul, Tiona, Tione, Bete—they could only stare, despair twisting their faces. They were gone. All the familia's leaders except Finn. Two of Loki Familia's mightiest had fallen. It was an unprecedented crisis.

"Riveria... Gareth..." Aiz's voice rasped as she spoke their names. The loss of their familia's pillars crushed morale. The sight broke the young adventurers' hearts. Even Finn, propped up by his charred arms, narrowed his green eyes.

"Moan, mighty earth—"

But it wasn't over.

The spirit began her next spell, a coy smile on her lips.

It was too fast. A black magic circle formed beneath her, its obsidian hue distinct from before. She didn't pause to recover from the last spell's toll—her next chant was already underway, rooting Aiz and the others in place with its sheer impossibility.

"Rise, rise, RISE! Husk of the earth! Sheen of iron! Hammer of the cosmos! May genesis's pact upheave rock and stone! The sky shall burn! The earth shall split! The bridge shall rise! Heaven and earth shall become one! May the axes of the ether rain down and bring about calamity's ruin—!"

Another long, drawn-out chant. Destruction loomed.

"Your envoy beseeches you, Gnome! Incarnate of the land! Queen of the earth—!"

No hesitation. No pause. She wove her melody with astonishing ease, completing it. Shock spurred the first-tiers into action. As they scrambled, the spirit sang her final note, a dark cloud of black light enveloping her.

"Meteor Swarm!!"

The circle flashed, light shooting upward to coat the ceiling in shadow. Thousands of meteorites formed in the dark mass.

"Protect Raul and the others!!" Finn shouted, lunging to grab a supporter's arm.

And then the storm began.

"WhuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Raul's scream echoed across the fifty-ninth floor as they were caught in a vortex of destruction and exploding rock. Bete grabbed him as they were knocked off their feet. Aiz clutched Lefiya, holding her tight as they vanished into the darkness. Tiona and Tione threw themselves toward the remaining supporters, and Tsubaki shielded them with her body. The dungeon shook as black meteors pummeled the earth over a vast radius.

Aiz's gauntlets flew off, but she didn't care, never loosening her grip on Lefiya. Riding the shockwave, she saw Riveria's and Gareth's bodies mercilessly battered by the swarm. She screamed, but no sound emerged. Everything was ruled by those savage chains of light.

"...ghn... ah."

"D-dammit...!!" Bete clawed at the scorched earth, Raul moaning faintly in his arms.

A massive crater had formed. The adventurers lay sprawled near the hole, smoke and black particles swirling above them. The spirit smiled sweetly from atop her colossal frame as they stirred, somehow pushing themselves up. Their quick instincts and desperate maneuvers had let them weave through the meteor storm and barely cling to life.

"Everyone alive back there?" Tsubaki smiled weakly, her right arm charred and useless.

"Just barely..." Tione replied, freeing herself from the supporter she'd shielded. Tiona opened her eyes hazily. Narfi, teary-eyed, administered a healing potion.

"M-Miss Aiz...?"

"Hnngh... hah... hngh..." Aiz could only gasp in response to Lefiya's plea. Her instinctive Airiel had lasted mere seconds against the meteors, and their golden hair was a tangled mess.

The spirit's golden eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scene. Spreading her arms, the two giant flower buds on her lower half bloomed.

"Is she..."

"...absorbing magic power?"

First the black particles, then red embers drifted back to her vibrant ring. Tiona and Tione stared in awe as the spirit replenished her magic. It was unthinkable—she should've exhausted her reserves, but by reabsorbing the particles, she'd be fully charged again. The adventurers' hearts sank.

She devoured everything—even the jade residue of Riveria's shattered Via Shilheim.

Fully recharged, she could unleash her devastating spells once more. As beautiful as she looked amid the light particles, all Aiz and the others saw was death's scythe poised to strike.

"Laa—..."

The spirit raised her chin, a new melody lilting from her lips. Her high-pitched, innocent voice wove a cherubic song, and shadows formed behind her.

Lefiya stared at the scene. She'd seen it before—in the illusion created by the Mad Wizard. But now it was no vision. Bete, Tiona, Tione—they were still sprawled on the ground.

The last thing they wanted was to give up, but the situation seemed beyond dire. Raul and the other supporters couldn't tear their eyes from the earth.

Still on the floor, Aiz gripped Desperate's hilt, her gaze fixed on the writhing monsters approaching. But she couldn't lift it. Lefiya's eyes welled up as she bit her lip.

Around her, her companions' weapons lay scattered on the ashen ground—swords, spears, axes, staves, shields. A desolate scene reminiscent of that illusion. Clenching her teeth, her body trembling under the overwhelming power, she pushed herself up. This was nothing like training; even the Mad Wizard had held back. Gritting her jaw, she forced herself to stand.

"Ha... Even so..." She let out a mocking laugh. "You can't compare to her."

Then she charged. Ignoring Bete's skeptical glance, Tsubaki's curious look, and Aiz's surprised cry—"Lefiya?"—she gripped her trembling staff and shouted, "Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree!" Ignoring her shaky steps, she ran straight at the enemy, bewildering everyone.

Finn watched her, momentarily stunned, then smiled. Standing, he drove his spear into the ground and roared, "We'll destroy that thing!" His green eyes blazed as he stared down the Corrupted Spirit, still smiling with haughty sweetness.

Tiona swallowed hard, Tione froze, Bete gritted his teeth. Finn glanced at the stunned adventurers, his voice booming: "I beg of you your courage. Tell me, what do you see before you?"

A grotesque creature—a fusion of spirit and monster.

A being beyond human comprehension, commanding an army of beasts.

"Do you see fear? Despair? Destruction? I see only an enemy we must bring to its knees. We will prevail!" A tremor ran through the team.

Finn pressed on, his small frame standing between them and the terror ahead. "We've never needed an escape. And we don't now. I'll carve a path with this spear!" He shouted, eyes blazing with resolve as he looked back at his team. "I swear by Fiana, we'll prove our victory! So follow me!"

Their bodies shook. Tiona, Tione, Bete—their chests heaved, eyes burned, limbs trembled with fervor. Raul clenched his fists, staring at Finn's back. If inspiring a team, igniting hope regardless of time or place, was a hero's trait, then Finn Deimne "Braver" was a hero above all.

"Or is following a kid in front of you too much?" Finn teased, glancing at Bete.

"Damn it, I won't let some smug brat outdo me!" Bete roared, leaping up in fury.

"Getting a bit cocky, are we?" Tione smirked, brushing back her bangs as she stepped forward.

"This is our adventure too!" Tiona sprang up, beaming.

Aiz rose, her eyes gleaming as she adjusted her grip on her silver sword. They retrieved their weapons from the ground—twin blades, polearms, greatswords—all gleaming with renewed spirit, as if infused with their owners' will.

Raul and the supporters watched in awe as each first-tier adventurer stood, brimming with life. Pain and despair melted away, leaving only the fire in their hearts.

...

Lefiya charged forward at full speed. A swarm of giant caterpillars roared and lunged at her, but she didn't falter. The ring on her finger gleamed, now emitting a soft silver light.

Far away, at the logistics camp, Anakitty Autumn was meticulously inspecting supplies. Suddenly, her sharp beastman senses made her freeze—a strange clattering sound echoed from somewhere nearby. She swiftly approached the tent where the noise originated, only to see Lefiya's broom trembling violently. Before she could react, the broom sprang to life, shooting out the door like an arrow. Anakitty leapt aside to dodge it, watching it vanish as she muttered, "Lefiya?"

Back on the battlefield, the caterpillars closed in on Lefiya, their mouths spewing streams of green acid aimed straight at her. But she didn't flinch. With a high leap aided by wind magic beneath her feet—

"Asmodeus." A faint whisper escaped her lips, and then—

Boom! A deafening explosion erupted from behind the Loki Familia team. A surge of energy burst forth, wiping out the caterpillars in an instant, leaving behind smoke and charred fragments. The flying broom streaked in like lightning, catching Lefiya as she descended. Without hesitation, she steered it skyward, heading straight for the Corrupted Spirit—the corrupted entity reigning over the battlefield.

A flurry of tentacle-like vines lashed out, attempting to pierce her. It was Lefiya's first time truly flying, yet strangely, she felt an inexplicable familiarity. Relying purely on instinct, she weaved and dodged the near-miss attacks, her body moving like a dancer in midair. The skills she'd struggled to master were finally paying off.

Only a hundred meters remained—the final distance between her and the Corrupted Spirit, still greedily devouring magical energy from its surroundings. Lefiya's magic faltered as she channeled power into her next spell. Sensing this, the Corrupted Spirit roared, summoning a steel-like armor of petals to encase its body. Before her, it raised its petal shields—ten massive barriers stored behind its lower chassis—while beginning a chant: "Your envoy beseeches you, Salamander! Incarnate of fire! Queen of the flame!"

Quick as a flash, Lefiya pulled out a black cloth and hurled it forward, obscuring the monster's vision. The fabric disrupted its magical energy, rendering its senses useless beyond the veil. Vines pierced through the cloth in pursuit, but Lefiya had vanished.

BOOM!

Before the monstrous sound could fully register, the enchanted broom exploded forward, piercing the armor, interrupting the chant, and tearing through the Corrupted Spirit's lower half. Moving at terrifying speed, this was a broom imbued with magic to traverse the cosmos, capable of piercing the stars themselves.

"Aaahhh!" The monster howled in agony. Lefiya, now clinging to a vine with her own conjured tendrils, slid down at breakneck speed.

"Captain!"

She raised her staff, chanting: "Arcs Ray!" A brilliant beam of light began to gather as she poured all her magical strength into it. The Corrupted Spirit hastily erected layers of tentacles and armor in defense, confident that Lefiya's magic couldn't penetrate.

But she wasn't aiming at the monster. From above, two alchemical vials tied with rope—tossed earlier—plummeted downward.

"Raaaghhhh!" Finn's roar thundered from behind. His spear shot forth like a golden bolt, crossing the hundred-meter gap instantly, piercing through tentacles and armor, dragging the rope, and striking the monster's body, ripping it open once more.

"Alio!"

Lefiya aimed her staff at the vials, redirecting her beam through the gap Finn had created. The monster tried to block with its tentacles, but the elf's arrow pierced through effortlessly. Then it struck the vials—

Boom! A colossal explosion of fire erupted, engulfing the Corrupted Spirit in a sea of flames.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The blaze consumed the monster, withering its branches, decaying and rotting them. The once-beautiful face of the spirit twisted, aging and melting into something more grotesque than ever. The Corrupted Spirit tried to gather magical energy to heal, but the black-red flames devoured the surrounding magic as fuel, rendering it futile. Its remaining eyes glared at Lefiya with hatred as its body eroded at an accelerating pace.

The broom swooped back, catching Lefiya and speeding away from the blast. But suddenly, vines erupted from the ground, forming a solid wall to block her path. Though gravely wounded, the monster was still frantic to destroy her.

"Who do you think you're underestimating?"

Gareth's roar boomed like thunder. His massive axe cleaved through the vine wall, shredding it into fragments and clearing a path amid the monstrous storm. Sweat and blood streaked his rugged face, but his eyes burned with resolve as he turned and shouted, "Run!" Behind him, Loki Familia's top adventurers charged forward, their momentum drowning out the battlefield's roars.

Aiz, Bete, Tiona, and Tione surged like whirlwinds, their weapons slashing relentlessly, tearing through the monsters in their way. Blood and ash sprayed, the clash of metal blending with the whistle of wind and the enemies' screams. "Ha... Now!" Bete growled, his wolf-like eyes blazing as he led the charge. Finn, gripping his gleaming spear, pierced through the monster ranks with deadly precision. Tiona swung her sharp Durandal blade while Tione brought her greatsword down like a hammer, carving a path with destructive force. Aiz, surrounded by swirling winds, glided like a phantom, her Desperate sword slicing through foes, leaving silver streaks in the blood-red air.

Far off, Riveria stood at the center of a massive magic circle, emerald light radiating like blooming petals. Her eyes were shut tight, sweat streaming down her forehead, her trembling hands gripping her staff. She was casting a grand spell, draining her mind and body, her voice echoing across the battlefield: "O light of the deep forest, O strength of the earth mother..." Each word sapped her vitality, but she pressed on—she couldn't stop.

Lefiya landed with an awkward tumble, her broom crashing powerlessly as her magic reserves ran dry. The world above her was awash in red—embers floated in the searing air, smoke and the roars of battle merging into a chaotic symphony. She collapsed, hands braced against the ground, her blurred eyes fixed on the crimson storm. Pain shot through her, her bones feeling like they might shatter, her breaths rapid and faint. But she clenched her teeth, her trembling hand grasping her staff, slowly raising it. She wouldn't fall—not now.

"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree..."

Her voice was hoarse and weak but rang out amid the battlefield's din. It was her first song, the only one left in her exhausted mind—a song she'd heard from her teacher in her earliest days of magic. No matter how powerful the enemy or how overwhelming the darkness, that song was her guiding light.

"You are an expert of the bow..."

It was her answer, the final flame she could ignite to dispel the darkness threatening to consume them all.

"Shoot, sniper of the fairies..."

Her voice rose, like a fairy dancing in a deep forest, a soul racing to save those she loved. This was a song only she could sing, a power only she could summon in this desperate moment.

"Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy..."

A faint but resolute light gathered at her staff's tip, mirroring her will. She poured every ounce of remaining strength into the chant, her hands shaking, her breaths ragged.

"Arc..."

Then the world around her plunged into darkness.

For a moment, Lefiya's consciousness flickered out.

"Huh? Where am I?"

Her inner voice echoed faintly. She was surrounded by an endless night sky, with only a few dim, twinkling specks in the distance. Looking down, she saw herself—no physical body, no weight, no breath. She floated, empty, like a lost soul.

Pop!

A small sound, like a droplet hitting a still lake. Then the world exploded around her. A blazing red spread, dyeing the space. Beneath her, ground appeared—not stone, but a writhing carpet of living flesh, crimson veins snaking like jagged rivers. It wasn't naturally symmetrical but held an eerie, supernatural balance beyond her understanding.

She looked up, her breath—if she could still breathe—catching in her throat. Firestorms raged in the sky, molten lava cascading like deadly curtains. Around her moved grotesque creatures—half-centipede, half-rat, their warped bodies skittering on sharp legs. They were hunted by a horrific entity: a bulging, barrel-like mass with thin, spoke-like arms spinning endlessly. At its center was a pitch-black void, devouring everything in reach—flesh, blood, and desperate screams.

Towering black stone pillars rose from the fleshy ground, glinting like metal but shifting colors in the chaotic light—red, deep purple, then pitch black. They didn't belong to this world, defying all logic she knew. Wails echoed through the space—painful, despairing, yet mesmerizing, drawing her toward an inescapable abyss.

In the distance, a colossal palace emerged, formed from endlessly flowing lava. Its shape morphed constantly—sharp towers one moment, curving walls the next—like a living, breathing entity. Black pillars pierced the sky, majestic yet cold and artificial. It all felt illusory, ready to vanish, yet the terror was too real.

Then she looked up.

She saw 'IT'.

A black sun hung overhead, radiating a paradoxical light—both brilliant and dark. It swirled like smoke, spun like a swarm of insects, and flowed like a bottomless abyss. When her gaze met it, an indescribable sensation flooded her—a stripping of her soul, a pull into an endless void where meaning dissolved. Then she thought ████.

Lefiya collapsed. Her invisible "body" crumpled like a marionette with cut strings, blood pouring from her ears, nose, and eyes—crimson, scalding, streaming onto the fleshy ground. Her mouth retched blood in thick spurts, staining the path beneath her. Her vision blurred, the stench of blood and smoke faded, and the sounds around her distorted—screams and fire blending into a distant, maddening cacophony.

"Caw! Caw!"

A black raven cawed, perched atop a pillar, its red eyes watching her. Her pocket burned—the talisman within flared, emitting a shimmering silver barrier laced with gentle green leaves. But under the black sun's horrific light, it was as frail as a candle in a storm. The talisman's glow dimmed, signaling her end was near.

Suddenly, the raven dove, its sharp wings tearing through the barrier and piercing her stomach. Unbearable pain erupted, even without a physical body. Her spirit was flung back, dragged by an unseen force.

"Lefiya!"

A scream from reality pierced the boundary between illusion and truth. A cold, tangible tentacle impaled her stomach as she returned to her physical form. She toppled backward, blood gushing from the wound, her vision fully red. Explosions of magic sounded somewhere, but she heard nothing. Her eyes closed, her body slumped amid ash and smoke, her staff slipping from her grasp and rolling across the ground.

Before her consciousness faded entirely, she faintly heard Aiz's desperate cry: "Lefiya!" But it was swiftly swallowed by the relentless roar of battle—and the final darkness pulled her into the void.

...

Bang! Boom!

Explosions echoed through the air, the atmosphere trembling as sparks flew wildly in the fierce clash of powers. Accelerator stood firm, his crimson eyes narrowed in intense focus, manipulating vectors to counter the terrifying force unleashed by Specineff. Small rips tore through the space around him, warping and vibrating, forming unstable cracks in reality itself.

"Phew!" After a tense moment, he exhaled, wiping the sweat trickling down his forehead. "That's enough for today." He turned and walked away.

If his hunch was correct, this device was designed to stabilize reality, preventing the encroachment of Chaos. This time, he'd grasped about 10% of its operational mechanism—a significant leap from his previous attempts.

"It's weaker than last time. Or maybe its energy is running low?" He frowned, thoughts racing through his mind. If true, this could pose a major problem in the near future once he fully deciphered the device. "Irena, record today's data."

"Yes, sir," Irena's mechanical voice responded from a nearby screen. With that done, he left the lab, his footsteps echoing down the long corridor.

As he passed a secluded corner, his bracelet vibrated faintly.

"Hm?"

He paused, pulling a black notebook from the bracelet. Without him touching it, the notebook flipped open to the exact page needed. Distorted, wriggling text—like living creatures—crawled across the paper before settling into a clear message:

/This is a test. Keep this with you./

Before he could react, another book shot out from the page, flying straight at him. Accelerator caught it swiftly, feeling its unfamiliar weight in his palm. The black notebook snapped shut, reverting to an inert object. He inspected it again, flipping through the pages for any additional notes or signs, but found nothing. A faint smirk tugged at his lips—"It" always did this, preferring he figure things out rather than provide clear instructions. With a soft sigh, he tucked the black notebook into his pocket and turned his attention to the new book.

Its dark brown cover was worn and weathered, exuding an ancient aura like a relic from a bygone era. He opened the first page—inside were lines written in a strange, unfamiliar language, unlike any script he'd studied. Though alien, the layout and illustrations suggested it might be a scripture or holy text. On a middle page, a striking drawing stood out: a goddess with elf-like features, delicate wings unfurling behind her, surrounded by a gentle glow. He closed the book; the current time and place weren't suitable for deeper study. With a practiced motion, he stored it in his bracelet—a special storage device—and continued walking.

He stopped at the garden in front of the lab complex. The clock struck 4 a.m., the sky still cloaked in thick darkness, with no hint of dawn. The air was cold and still, broken only by the faint rustle of wind through the trees. Today, he decided to dedicate time to his daily physical training—a recent habit he'd adopted to improve his naturally frail body.

After basic warm-ups—ten steady laps around the courtyard, followed by fifty push-ups and a review of basic martial arts moves without using his ability—his body began to warm, his breathing steadying. But today, he wanted to try something new. His hand brushed the swordstick at his hip, drawing it from its sheath. The silver blade, etched with intricate, shimmering patterns, gleamed in stark contrast to its simple black handle.

This was no ordinary sword. Its blade was thicker than standard, not overly sharp, designed for durability rather than cutting or piercing. A masterpiece forged by Goibniu, the blacksmith god, it blended Mithril, Spirit Tree resin, and Orichalcum. Accelerator had collaborated closely with Goibniu on its design, creating a unique weapon: indestructible, with exceptional magical conductivity, though it sacrificed sharpness, penetration, and the flexibility of a typical blade. Its value exceeded 200 million Valis, despite being slightly shorter than a standard sword.

He typically used it in magical rituals requiring a blade, thanks to its conductivity. But recently, during close-combat practice, he'd conceived a new idea—pairing it with vector manipulation to enhance his fighting prowess. Though he lacked natural talent for physical improvement or swordsmanship—having trained for just over a week—and his scrawny frame showed little muscle (better than his former "stick figure" days), he realized his ability could compensate. By controlling vectors, he could mimic a seasoned swordsman's refined movements, at least at a basic level. He'd seen its potential after sparring with a first-tier adventurer, even if his opponent hadn't taken it seriously.

He took a deep breath, assuming a stance—feet staggered, body slightly angled, hands gripping the sword tightly. His crimson eyes flared with focus. Whoosh! The blade sliced through the air, producing a crisp sound in the quiet courtyard. He started with the basics—overhead swings, horizontal slashes, then thrusts—each strike slow but precise. Gradually, he sped up, weaving vector manipulation into the mix to refine force and trajectory, making the blade move smoother and stronger.

Under the pitch-black pre-dawn sky, Accelerator's lean silhouette darted across the courtyard, the silver blade in his hand catching faint starlight. He trained alone.

---

That night's tale.

The fire crackled beside them, casting shadows onto a quaint wooden table. A delicate wooden teacup steamed with the subtle aroma of jasmine and herbs. Outside, birds chirped melodiously, blending with the rustling leaves to create a soothing symphony that eased the soul. Everything moved slowly. Relaxing on a simple wooden chair, the elf took a small sip of tea. She exhaled a faint wisp of steam, as if time had paused to honor this moment of peace. After a taxing day, Lefiya savored the pastries, tea, and dinner Wander had brought. Speaking of Wander—

"Teacher, where's Wander?" she asked.

"He left right after dropping off dinner," her teacher replied evenly. Earlier, per Qliphap's instructions, Wander had delivered the meal, glanced at them with a sly grin, and said, "I'll leave you two alone... Haha..." before departing with that cryptic smile.

Back in the present, her teacher remained engrossed in his book, seated a short distance from the table, as if deliberately avoiding the food.

"Eat as much as you like, don't worry. It's all for you," he said, his tone indifferent.

"You're not eating, sir?" Lefiya looked up.

"No need. I've got this anyway." He lifted the lid of his thermos, taking a sip of dark coffee.

The surrounding forest had been tidied—felled trees repurposed, frozen ground thawed. Qliphap lay exhausted on his lap; the child's condition seemed worse than he'd thought. 'Damn it,' he'd wronged them both. He sighed softly, setting the coffee down, a pang of guilt flickering within him. Then he glanced at her.

"Well, I won't hold back then!" Lefiya sat up straight at the small table, looking like an eager child. Before her were fragrant sweet rolls, a bowl of golden pumpkin soup garnished with parsley, and a wooden board artfully arranged with cheese, cold cuts, pickled cucumbers, and sliced tomatoes—a rustic, heartwarming meal.

"Gurgle." Her stomach let out a faint, embarrassed rumble. He gestured for her to dig in, and Lefiya didn't hesitate. She tore off a piece of soft white bread, dipped it in the soup, and popped it into her mouth.

"So good!" The sweetness surprised her. She tore another piece, pairing it with cold cuts and cheese. Though a bit rich, she savored every bite today.

"I didn't think you could cook this well, Teacher," she praised.

Her teacher—Accelerator—sipped his coffee and replied, "Wander and I didn't make it. This is from a tavern." He glanced at her, adding, "You worked hard today."

Fatigue made the meal taste even better. Lefiya nodded at his rare compliment, nibbling her sandwich slowly. She thought of the Hostess of Fertility—the only tavern Accelerator might visit. No wonder the flavors felt familiar and divine. Recalling the cat-eared waitress who'd helped her become his student, she silently vowed, I should thank her someday.

Looking at her teacher, he was as stoic and reserved as ever. Not wanting this delicious dinner to pass in silence, Lefiya decided to liven things up.

"Um, Teacher, I've been learning some interesting stuff lately. Want to test my skills?"

"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It's Tarot reading! I only know the basics, but would you like to try?" She recalled how, upon arriving here, he'd given her an Arcana card.

Accelerator looked up, studying her for a moment, making her a bit nervous. "Sure," he finally said.

"Yeah! Ahem... ahem..." She got so excited she choked, quickly covering her mouth.

"But finish eating first," he reminded her.

"Yes, sir..." After finishing, she washed the wooden dishes with a hot water spell circle. Though he said it wasn't necessary, she couldn't leave them dirty. Once done, she stacked them in the bag and returned to the table.

"So, do you have a Tarot deck, Teacher?"

He stared at her shameless expression for a moment before turning away. His left hand dipped under the table, then rose, a Tarot deck now in his palm.

"Oh! Before we start, I only know basic readings, okay? Past, present, future. Is that alright?" It was simple enough, and he nodded.

"Great! Please shuffle and pick your cards."

He took the deck and shuffled it deftly. His Tarot deck was deeply personal, each card crafted from a unique charcoal blend—red wine, iron oxide, and soggy bread crumbs—taking three hours to fully prepare. It held mysteries even he, an Abyss Walker, couldn't fully unravel. After shuffling, he placed the deck on the table.

Lefiya clasped her hands, stretched her fingers, and drew the top card, placing it to his left with a low voice.

"This represents the past."

"This is the present." The second card went in front of him.

She placed the third to his right. "And this is the future."

"Which do you want to see first?"

"Just go in order," he said, unconcerned.

Lefiya nodded and flipped the left card. It was number 4: The Emperor, depicting a stern man on a throne, clad in armor, holding a scepter and orb. Her blue eyes met his.

"The Emperor."

The Emperor symbolized rulership and authority. It aligned perfectly with his past as the head of Academy City.

Lefiya smiled faintly, pointing at the card. "This suggests that in your past, you held a high position—not just to rule, but to protect something." She glanced at Accelerator, hoping for a reaction—a frown, a flicker in his eyes—but he sat like a statue, his red gaze unreadable. She cleared her throat, masking her awkwardness, and flipped the second card—the present.

The Magician appeared: a man before a table laden with symbols—wand, cup, sword, coin—holding a staff pointed skyward, as if commanding the universe. Accelerator raised an eyebrow slightly, though he wasn't surprised. He'd expected The Hermit—a solitary truth-seeker—or The Chariot—a relentless warrior. But The Magician oddly reflected his current self.

Lefiya tilted her head, her blue eyes sparkling as she began.

"The Magician represents will, action, and creativity," she explained, her voice growing confident.

"It reminds you that you have the talent and resources to turn goals into reality—use your power wisely." She looked at him, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Accelerator nodded faintly, saying nothing, though his gaze turned briefly pensive.

She took a deep breath, sensing the air grow heavier. Her hand reached for the final card—the future. "Alright, now the exciting part!" she said, injecting cheer to break the silence. As her fingers brushed the card's edge, another hand stopped her. She looked up, startled. Accelerator held her wrist—not hard, but firm enough to halt her.

"That's enough for tonight," he said, his voice low and soft, tinged with an unusual note unlike his typical coldness. "Pack up. We're heading back."

She blinked, her mind lagging. "But... the future..." she stammered, curiosity flaring. Before she could press, he swept his hand over the deck. The cards vanished instantly, as if they'd never existed. Lefiya froze, mouth agape but silent. Accelerator stood, hands in his pockets, gazing at the forest darkening under the fading sunset.

"Yes, sir," she finally replied softly, then hurriedly gathered the wooden dishes, teapot, and leftover food. Though questions about the unturned card swirled in her mind, she didn't dare ask. Something in his demeanor told her he didn't want her to dig deeper. Is he afraid of something? She shook her head. No way... Just my imagination.

Once she'd packed the bag, Accelerator had already taken a few steps ahead, his tall, lean figure blending into the dimming forest light. Extinguishing the magic lantern and hoisting her broom over her shoulder, she let the gentle starlight guide her as she hurried to catch up with his retreating back.

...

Blink... blink...

Beneath the faint, ethereal glow of a magical lantern hanging in the tent, Lefiya slowly stirred from an endless slumber. Her azure eyes crept open, hazy and heavy, veiled by a thick fog. Her eyelids trembled, rusted and stiff, struggling to adjust to the dim light filtering through the cramped space. Her throat was parched, the metallic tang of blood lingering on her tongue.

A sudden, sharp pain flared from her abdomen, causing her body to twitch faintly. Pain! It hurts so much! She wanted to move, to do something, but her body felt unnaturally sluggish, as if shackled by its own weight. The faint hum of the logistics camp drifted in from outside—sounds of adventurers moving about, the clank of metal, and low voices discussing plans. Yet within the darkened tent, a stillness prevailed, broken only by her feeble breaths mingling with the soft crackle of the lantern. Lefiya tried to lift her hand, but her slender arm quivered, heavy as lead, and fell limply back down.

She whispered, her hoarse voice barely audible, dissolving into the air: "Am I... still alive?" A dull ache spread from her wound, anchoring her to reality, yet offering a fragile comfort—she was still here. Her gaze shifted sideways, catching a glimpse of green hair flickering in the shadows. Riveria sat beside her, head bowed, her figure weary but steadfast. A faint smile ghosted across Lefiya's lips. She closed her eyes again, letting herself sink back into rest, reassured that she wasn't alone.