There are precious few opponents capable of killing me at present, with the exceptions of my dear Revis, Ottar, and the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
Even Asterius possesses high potential, but that bull is my younger brother's rival, so I have no intention of interfering with him.
In the current state of affairs, Revis seems to be the one whose hands might bring about an entertaining development should I die by her blade. However, in truth, there is a talent that surpasses even Revis.
It is Filvis.
She is currently Level 3, but she was transformed into a creature—a hybrid being—due to the implantation of a defiled spirit's magic stone into her body during the "Nightmare of the 27th Floor" in the past.
One might think she appears quite weak, but that is only because Filvis constantly splits her abilities in half using her cloning magic. Her true strength, once that magic is dispelled, is equivalent to the upper tiers of Level 7 in the original story, making her eventually stronger than Revis in her final stages.
I will say it again: she equals the upper reaches of Level 7 in the original narrative and is ultimately more powerful than Revis.
Despite everything, she has continued to dive into the Dungeon with me for a full year. We maintained a grueling and relentless schedule, battling Floor Bosses and Enhanced Species. I do not know if a creature can rank up, but her current abilities are very close to Level 4; if she dispels her cloning magic, her power might reach the heights of Level 8.
Furthermore, unlike Revis, her soul remains closer to humanity. She lives in a state of brokenness and melancholy due to her completely altered body and the loss of her companions—even before I did anything.
Not only is she capable of killing me, but deepening my relationship with her will only make those features of despair more beautiful.
"My God, is she an angel?"
I have thought it over; I will bring my relationship with Filvis to the utmost level of intimacy, and then I will have her kill me. I will ensure that she alone survives.
Originally, I wanted her to kill me in front of Lefiya and the others, but since Filvis's psychological fragility is the highest among the characters of DanMachi, seeing her broken face alone would be enough to satisfy me.
Even if she could not achieve it alone, her coming together with Revis would certainly guarantee my death.
I wait for that moment with bated breath.
●○●○●
Shortly before Ais separated from the Hermes Familia, the trio—Lefiya, Filvis, and Bete—had reached the 24th Floor, their target destination.
Along the way, they fought several battles against monsters, but Bete and his companions crushed them without the slightest danger until they arrived here.
Lefiya and the others steeled their resolve and advanced cautiously. Upon reaching the 24th Floor, they found countless drop items scattered a short distance from the northern main route, where intense monster sightings had been reported. These items likely belonged to the adventurers who had preceded them.
The sheer number of monsters required to cause such a loss was more than the Level 2 or 3 adventurers who typically explored this floor could handle. It was the "power of numbers" that could crush any team unless it consisted of dozens of highly organized, high-level adventurers.
However, there were no signs of a desperate struggle nearby. Only corpses severed with extreme precision and fragments of shattered weapons lay scattered about.
It appeared as though a powerful entity had annihilated them in a single instant. Reflecting on this, only one possibility came to the minds of Lefiya and her companions: Ais had gone ahead of them and done this.
"Purify them, O sacred staff that drives away evil."
Filvis swung her slender blade to cut down a Lizardman carrying a flower-shaped shield. She remained calm even when exposed to lethal toxic spores that would end the life of any high-level adventurer lacking the "Poison Resistance" skill, then she raised her short staff.
"Dio Thyrsos!!"
She aimed at a Dark Fungus monster spreading the toxic spores and unleashed lightning magic from an extremely short incantation. The staggering light spread in the blink of an eye, painting her vision white as it pierced through more than five monsters.
With a single strike, she annihilated nearly half of the monsters, which had numbered in the dozens. While confusion reigned among the survivors, Filvis charged toward them all at once.
Filvis swung her blade with expert movements, harvesting the monsters' lives with clinical precision.
This combat style, based on the precise switching between "Magic" and "Sword" within the flow of a fast-paced battle, was a skill Filvis had acquired over many years.
This style did not rely on crushing enemies with brute force as first-tier adventurers did; rather, it was the art of identifying and striking an enemy's weak points to eliminate them. Filvis possessed supreme mastery in this arena.
"Amazing..."
"Hmph."
Lefiya was nearly entranced by Filvis's fighting style without realizing it, and even Bete muttered a word of admiration. Filvis was a "Magic Swordsman," a type entirely different from rear-guard mages like Lefiya.
She did not fire magical projectiles of immense destructive power as the rear-line "Artillery" did. Instead, she relied on a style that evaded enemy attacks at the front lines while repeatedly firing short and super-short incantations to finish the opponent with certainty. In close-quarters combat, she locked with the enemy and exchanged blows like a front-line warrior, making her the ideal mid-line combatant.
What distinguished her from warriors who merely used magic was her possession of the "Magic Circle" skill, which allowed for the deployment of magic circles. The most famous Magic Swordsmen in Orario are the "Black Elf's Blade" Hegni Ragnar and the "White Elf's Staff" Hedin Selland of the Freya Familia.
Generally, Al is titled the strongest Magic Swordsman, as he can temporarily gain the "Magic Circle" skill through his unique abilities and deploy circles, thus technically falling under this classification. However, he is considered a "complete entity" combining warrior and mage, treated as a swordsman who uses magic uniquely.
Among these Magic Swordsmen, Filvis possessed exceptional skill. She excelled in the speed of repeated magical firing due to her super-short incantations, and the power of each of her strikes was high.
Furthermore, she was adept at close combat depending on the type of opponent. Combined with her breathtaking beauty, she possessed a strength truly worthy of the title "Flower of the Battlefield."
She occupied the role of a "High-Level Mid-Fighter" who focused on speed and could fight on the front lines—a position highly sought after in any team for its extreme flexibility. And above all, she was beautiful (an important point).
Lefiya felt deep admiration for Filvis's strength within her heart; at the same time, she began unleashing her own magic so as not to be outdone. Lefiya's magical power was not at Riveria's level, but it was far stronger than what ordinary mages produced.
Filvis felt surprised by the powerful attack emanating from the younger Elf girl. She shifted her position to stand back-to-back with Lefiya, and the two began exterminating the monsters one by one.
Even long after the battle ended, Lefiya remained moved by Filvis's combat prowess.
Although she had not reached the level of Riveria or Alicia, Lefiya was an excellent mage; indeed, her sheer destructive power surpassed Filvis's.
However, she still lacked experience in field movement and could not make precise decisions or fight in the mid-line like Filvis. Filvis's style served as an incredibly useful reference for Lefiya.
Yet, while she was captivated by the beauty of Filvis's fighting, a sense of inadequacy awoke within her, causing her to bite her lip unconsciously.
"If only you could do something like that as well."
Bete's words fell upon Lefiya like a lightning bolt. The comparison was clear between Lefiya—a rear-guard mage who had not mastered "Concurrent Chanting" and could not fight without the protection of warriors—and Filvis, who handled close, medium, and long distances without gaps.
Lefiya could not find a response to Bete's words. It was frustrating, but it was the truth. She had heard that Filvis was in Al's previous team, but she had not expected her to be this powerful.
Her level was 3, the same as Lefiya's, but her movement skill rivaled that of first-tier adventurers. Lefiya looked at Filvis with admiration while feeling the bitterness of her own helplessness. Filvis overheard the dialogue between Lefiya and Bete and stepped in to defend her.
"It is cruel to demand that much from a mage specialized in destructive power. What we need in decisive moments is the strength of Viridis."
Indeed, rear-guard destruction specialists like Lefiya, who mastered "Concurrent Chanting" and the techniques Bete demanded, were very few.
This deficiency was the tax paid for absolute specialization in power, and Lefiya knew of no mages with such skill other than Riveria and a few members of the "Elf Squad."
Bete mocked Filvis's sharp defense of her with a muffled laugh. Filvis felt resentful of Bete's attitude, but Lefiya did not utter a word because what he said was correct.
"I see you two have become close friends, you Elves."
Bete sneered, laughing mockingly and referencing the improvement of their relationship on the 18th Floor after hearing from Bors about the "Banshee" moniker given to Filvis. He then directed his gaze toward Lefiya.
"Are you satisfied with this? Can you not even protect yourself?"
Toward Bete, who was smiling with a mockery mixed with his usual contempt, Lefiya bowed her head, her shoulders trembling.
"It seems those foolish Amazons pamper you, but I will not. As long as you think magic is your only asset, you will remain a burden your entire life."
"You are weak."
His words dug into the wounds many carried. Lefiya could not respond; she tightened her grip and bit her lower lip. Despite the cruelty of Bete's words and their lack of mercy, they were devoid of error.
As Bete said, Lefiya—having not mastered "Concurrent Chanting"—possessed high magical power, but if attacked during an incantation, she became defenseless and unable to evade.
Lefiya's magic possessed immense power and wide range, serving as the finishing blow against multiple monsters, but on the other hand, it could not be used in situations where Lefiya was forced to handle matters herself.
For this reason, Lefiya settled for providing magical support from the rear. But in this way, she would never evolve. When this was pointed out, Lefiya fell silent.
Her destructive power certainly did not reach Riveria's level.
She was poor at close combat.
She could not perform Concurrent Chanting.
This was Lefiya now.
The reality hit her—the fact that she remained a burden to the girls she aspired to reach. She felt as though she were being told she lacked the merit to stand beside them, so she could do nothing but endure, biting her lip.
She had to aim for the top once again. To become like Riveria and Ais, whom she adored, she had to become stronger. Lefiya swallowed her frustration with Bete and her anxiety, and a powerful light ignited in her eyes.
While sensing Filvis's worried glances, Lefiya suddenly raised her head.
She saw Filvis advancing while glancing back at her with concern, and Bete, who had said his piece and moved ahead. As she looked at their backs, Lefiya sensed something strange in the surroundings; she stopped and focused her senses.
(Magical energy...?)
Lefiya felt a magical energy that was neither a monster nor any of them. She looked back toward the path they had come from, but no one was there, so she resumed her advance.
However, in that corridor she had been watching, at the corner of a side tunnel, a shadow wearing a purple robe and a terrifying mask was creeping soundlessly, as if stalking them.
●○●○●
Relying on the scattered monster corpses, Bete and his companions carved their way toward the Pantry. They broke through a thick wall of green flesh blocking the corridor and entered a shifting green labyrinth leading to the storage.
The path paved with moving green flesh invading the labyrinth itself conveyed the gravity of the situation to Lefiya and her companions. it heralded a fierce battle waiting ahead.
The team walked cautiously along the path where crystal fragments were sprinkled at regular intervals like guide markers. They then bypassed the single path drawn by the green flesh and crystal fragments and entered the Pantry.
It was an unbelievable sight within a dungeon. The vast space stretching before their eyes was completely covered in green flesh. At its center, a massive monster coiled around the large crystal representing the heart of the Pantry like a parasite.
Three forces were on the field: dozens of adventurers who appeared to be allies, swarms of the Viola (man-eating flowers) seen frequently of late, and individuals in white robes emitting an extraordinary aura.
Lefiya deemed the latter two forces enemies and began her incantation to annihilate them.
"Clothe yourself in fire, O torches of the forest. Unleash the fiery fairy arrows──"
"Rain down, and incinerate these barbarians!!"
A magic circle emitting golden-yellow magic glowed. A massive fireball appeared above Lefiya's head.
"E-everyone, run?!"
The mage Meryl, from the Pallum race, screamed in terror at the size of the raging magical energy, which resembled a dragon. Lefiya unleashed that fireball, which contained magical energy capable of striking fear into the hearts of even high-level mages.
The fireball expanded in an instant, transforming into countless fire arrows, and created massive explosions with a terrifying roar upon impact. The green flesh collapsed under the shock, and explosive winds carrying immense heat swept through.
A rain of fire that could only be described as a deluge poured down. It was a wide-range attack magic that wiped out the battlefield, shaking the foundations of the place in a heartbeat. The group in white robes was hurled away as they tried to escape the blast effects, and the Viola burned without mercy.
Furthermore, the presence of the first-class adventurer Bete Loga, who had charged even before the magic was fired, was decisive. The monsters and suicide soldiers, lacking individual strength, could not stop the wolf who boasted divine speed. With the help of the Gale Wind (Ryu), who began to assist, and Filvis—the master of the super-short incantation who had been freed from protecting Lefiya—the battle was decided easily—far too easily.
"Hah, is this all you've got? Now, where is Ais? She's─────"
Bete, the only first-class adventurer here, was the first to notice "it."
The Bud.
It sat at the center of the arena where the Viola corpses were scattered. A terrifying bud with tentacles resembling flower petals, driving its roots into the ground covered in green flesh. Bete's face paled in an instant; his primal instincts as a beast-human told him this thing was extremely dangerous.
Without a moment's delay, Bete lunged and swung his fist toward the bud. His movement was like a lightning strike, his speed allowing no reaction; and yet, his fist did not reach the bud.
It was a strike carrying enough power to crush the ground itself, but before touching the bud, thick leaves—seemingly woven from metal—suddenly appeared and parried the blow.
While Bete clicked his tongue at his attack being deflected by a single leaf, a section of the green flesh covering the bud's surface emerged and attacked Bete like a living being.
The bud shifted its target to Bete and began to swell, swallowing the surrounding green flesh. A shockwave resulting from the bud hurled Bete away, and the bud continued to expand until its diameter exceeded two meters, then it exploded all at once.
Before the expanding bud, Bete stood up immediately and struck the ground with his foot. In that moment, the explosion-like shockwave pushed back and scattered the approaching masses of green flesh. But they began to regenerate again, and Bete bared his fangs in frustration.
Meanwhile, the bud's growth speed continued to accelerate until its size finally reached nearly ten meters. It no longer looked like a flower, but like a massive tree.
The strength of the leaves that deflected Bete's strike rivaled the monsters of the Deep Floors, yet no one had ever seen or heard of a plant monster of this form. As Bete stared at the massive body, his thoughts raced.
(What is this clumsy giant thing... no...)
He remembered the female-shaped monster he had faced previously on the 51st Floor. Was it of the same species? While he was thinking, the bud's growth did not stop.
"Is it the 'Jewel' monster we saw that time...?"
So judged Lefiya, who had twice seen parasitic monsters linked to the "Jewel"—once in the Deep Floors and once in the city of Riviera.
Bete and Lefiya's judgment was correct. This massive plant monster before their eyes descended from the same origin as the previous two.
The only difference was—the "Quality."
The veins protruding on the bud's surface, composed of the same material as the leaf that parried Bete's attack, were contracting and pulsing like blood vessels. At the same time, new pieces of green flesh began to extend from the bud's base, intertwining and uniting. In the blink of an eye, the bud transformed into a single shape.
Then, it opened.
"── Ah"
Just as a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, the bud unfurled. What emerged from within was a humanoid form. The upper body of a woman of captivating beauty, in a form unimaginable from that hideous bud.
Her entire body was covered in shiny green scales like the bud, and in the center of her chest, a red jewel was embedded.
Green skin, black hair reaching her waist, two long antennae protruding from her head, and wings on her back. Entirely red eyes without pupils—nothing remained of human features except above the neck. In place of missing arms, she was draped in thin green leaves.
As for the lower body, it was entirely a monstrosity: a massive tree trunk covered in countless fine tentacles. Just as when it was a bud, there was a massive flower from which countless red tentacles grew.
The female monster that emerged from the bud—though her upper body was far from human—radiated a mysterious beauty.
"Ahhh, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh──!!"
The cry released by the female emerging from the bud was one of jubilation and joy. A cry overflowing with a sense of liberation because she had finally emerged into the world. She touched the green flesh clinging to her body tenderly, like a mother cradling her newborn.
In that moment, the green flesh touched by the bud began to boil and froth as if it had reached a boiling point. Then it began to multiply at a staggering speed around the bud, swallowing the Viola corpses.
The sea of green flesh transformed in a heartbeat into a large lake centered on the bud, swallowing all the floating Viola corpses. Immediately afterward, the bud absorbed all the water of that lake.
The adventurers stood stunned, capable only of watching the green flesh vanish as if absorbed into the water's surface.
At that sight, Bete's complexion changed. His features were painted with astonishment, and sweat poured from his face.
"Is she even stronger than Uduaeus...?"
The pressure emitted by the bud monster was stronger than any monster Bete had faced before, with the exception of the Monster Rex with the magic eye; it was clear she was an entity of a much higher level.
And then ──────.
"Ah──. S-shall we play?"
The bud monster opened her mouth. What came out were nothing but clear human words. Her tone carried playfulness with a glimmer of murderous intent.
And those words ──
"[O darkness, fill ───]"
── were directed toward the adventurers like a chant to weave miracles.
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