"Given the unusual circumstances here, I won't keep you in suspense. I'll get straight to the point."
"If we want to obtain the water from Cadmus Spring, we must defeat its guardian—Cadmus. There's no other way."
"And you all know just how powerful Cadmus is. In terms of sheer strength, it surpasses even Udaeus."
Once Tione finished speaking, Tiona added with a grin, "Last time, we totally sliced it apart!"
As expected of Tiona—only she could laugh about something like that without a care.
Shirou wanted to complain, but held his tongue.
Right now, it was best to listen carefully.
"How should we fight?" Ais asked.
Tione replied seriously, "We'll stick to the usual plan. Ais, Tiona, and I will handle the dragon's physical attacks, while Shirou and Lefiya attack from a distance."
"Once it's weakened, we'll finish it in one decisive strike! Lefiya, Shirou—this time, everything depends on you two!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Y-Yes!"
With the strategy agreed upon, Tione led the group forward, and soon they reached the chamber at the end of the passage.
Cadmus Spring was located within that chamber.
The five crept forward on tiptoe, cautiously peering inside.
But Ais was the first to notice something unusual.
"It's… too quiet."
Dropping her attempt to hide, Ais stepped in.
"Ais!"
Seeing her strange expression, Tione and the others had no choice but to follow.
What they saw inside was nothing like what they expected.
The trees that once grew within the chamber were now broken and crushed, as if trampled by some enormous force.
The surrounding walls and floor had been reduced to powder by some unknown substance.
Even stranger were the melted traces scattered all around.
"This is the work of Virga," Shirou confirmed with a glance. After all, on the 51st floor, aside from Cadmus, there was no other monster capable of dissolving matter like this.
Virga was a green caterpillar-like monster that could spray corrosive liquid.
Searching tirelessly around the spring, Tione and the others quickly found more clues.
"These must be Cadmus's remains," Tione concluded, comparing the vast pile of ashes to her memory of the dragon's enormous size.
Noticing something, Ais reached into the ash and pulled out a shimmering golden membrane.
A Cadmus Hide.
An extremely valuable item, with only a very slim chance of appearing even after Cadmus's death.
"So it really is Cadmus's remains!"
Growing more uneasy, Tione urged hurriedly, "Quick, collect the spring water. We leave immediately!"
What had happened here was far too bizarre.
"Yes!"
Shirou and Lefiya swiftly took out their collection tools and began drawing the water.
With Cadmus dead, they were able to gather far more than expected.
"It looks like we don't need to visit two different springs anymore—this will be more than enough!"
"Indeed."
Once the bottles were safely stored, the five hurriedly exited the chamber and began making their way back.
"Who do you think killed Cadmus?"
"Common sense says it was probably another monster."
After answering, Tione mentally reviewed the various anomalies they had encountered on this floor.
"This is definitely an irregular situation… but I have no idea where it's leading."
At that point, Shirou's wariness was at its peak.
If they ran into the Virga, retreating would be the only option.
Burdened with countless concerns, they pressed onward.
"Ahhh!!!"
Suddenly, a scream echoed from deep within the labyrinth!
"It's Raul!" all five shouted at once.
They made their decision instantly and sprinted toward the source of the scream.
Soon, a monster appeared before their eyes.
A yellow-green creature, resembling a caterpillar.
From its sides sprouted a dozen legs, making it look like a cross between a caterpillar and a centipede.
It was a monster none of them had ever encountered before.
A new species.
As Shirou observed it, his eyes gleamed.
The moment the monster appeared before them, Tiona, completely fearless, gripped her weapons and charged.
"Stop, Tiona!"
Finn's voice reached her, but frenzied as she was, Tiona plunged her twin blades directly into the creature's body without hesitation.
And then—her blades, worth 120 million valis, melted away in an instant.
"Ah! My Urga!"
"Didn't Finn just say not to attack, you idiot?!"
Bete, who was being chased by the monster, barked at the sobbing Tiona.
Even Shirou almost laughed at the scene. How could anyone be so reckless?
After reuniting with the second team, the nine elite members of the Loki Familia began a desperate retreat.
"What is this thing, Finn? Where are your weapons?"
"I don't know. We were caught off guard too."
Facing the enemy, Shirou quickly reported, "There are at least a hundred of these caterpillars…"
"What?!"
Tiona, who thought there was only one, widened her eyes. A single one of these monsters was bad enough—but there were hundreds.
"Why can't we see them?"
"I have a skill that heightens my perception."
Emiya Shirou's enhanced clairvoyance allowed him to detect what others could not.
"Captain, are you alright?"
"We're fine, but Raul is badly injured. He was hit directly by the liquid."
Everyone flinched at the sight of Raul, slung over Gareth's shoulders.
His body was limp, emitting a foul stench.
Both his skin and light armor had been melted, leaving him mottled in sickly black and purple.
A single strike had left a Level 4 veteran adventurer on the verge of death.
Everyone's vigilance rose sharply.
They absolutely could not afford to be hit.
"Tiona, it was probably these monsters that killed Cadmus!"
At Shirou's words, Tione immediately shared her observations with a bewildered Finn.
"Seriously? I never imagined that thing could defeat Cadmus!"
"What a monster…"
The group dashed frantically through the labyrinth.
At that moment, Ais suddenly asked, "Finn, can you defeat these creatures?"
The question made everyone turn to him.
After a brief pause, Finn looked back at Ais.
"Physical attacks work, but as you saw with Tiona, losing a weapon with each strike isn't worth it."
"..."
"Fighting against this many of them is incredibly difficult."
Looking at the grim expressions around him, Finn continued:
"But we can use magic. If we can buy time to chant, we can wipe them out in one go."
"I can deal with them. One shot from Caladbolg should be enough to kill nearly all of them," Shirou offered.
"No. Your Caladbolg is too powerful—it could hit us too. This place is far too narrow!"
Shirou immediately understood once reminded.
Even though the passage was wide, it was still designed for close combat. If he unleashed an explosion of that scale, no one would escape unharmed.
"In that case, the only one who fits the requirements is…"
As the group's eyes all turned toward her, Lefiya let out a startled cry.
"Eh!?"
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."