Tramp, tramp—
"No signs of enemies or monsters at all, sir..."
"The scent of Man-eating Flowers lingers everywhere... and the monsters from the waterways definitely passed through here."
"....."
'Judging by the location, it's close to the 1st and 2nd floors of the Dungeon... The atmosphere and structure suggest this is essentially a Man-made Dungeon.'
Despite its grand scale, the interior was eerily devoid of life. The lack of even a hint of a monster's presence created a psychological pressure more unsettling than an ambush.
"Akumo."
"I know. This place is larger than we imagined."
'Piecing together the incidents from the 18th to the 24th floors, this structure must descend at least to the Middle Floors...'
"Just who built this, and for what purpose?"
"...There might not be a purpose at all."
'Building a Man-made Dungeon is a form of madness that requires a singular, obsidian-hard will more powerful than any simple objective...'
While Akumo and Finn Deimne contemplated the mystery of the artificial labyrinth, the terrain shifted.
"This... is a massive hall."
Clang—!
"The passageway is sealed!"
"Aki, take everyone except Finn, Bete, and me to the rear."
"We take the point."
The gargantuan chamber ahead appeared vacant. With the retreat cut off, the only option was a violent push forward. Just as Akumo prepared to lead Finn and Bete Loga deeper—
"Fiiiiiiinn!!!!!!!"
'That voice!?'
"I've been dying to see you, you prim and proper Hero!!! You still remember me, don't you!?"
"If you play dumb and say you forgot, I'll rip out your entrails, mince your face, and gouge every inch of your body until my existence is engraved onto your very soul!!!"
A voice dripping with manic obsession filled the room. The source of the killing intent was [The Murderer], Valetta Grede.
"Oi, Finn. Do you have some kind of chronic illness that attracts psycho women?"
"Watch it, Bete. Even as a joke, you shouldn't compare that thing to Tione."
"Heh, just sayin'."
Finn maintained his clinical composure as he analyzed Valetta, his old nemesis. Unlike the veteran calmness of Akumo and Bete, the rear guard—including Raul and Otam—were visibly rigid with tension.
"Valetta Grede. She was a key executive of Evilus, the worst collective of villains that sparked the Dark Age fifteen years ago."
"The coalition of Familias supposed to have wiped them out after the Great Feud..."
"As I suspected, she survived."
"I already had my doubts since she didn't show her face even when we killed the White-Haired Demon (Zard)."
As Finn and Akumo dissected her presence with indifferent professionalism, Valetta's face contorted with hysterical rage.
"You wretched bastards!!!!"
"That day! When you lot sent most of the Evilus Gods back to the Heavens!!!!!!!!"
"Do you have any idea how it felt? To have my Patron Deity sent back, to have my Falna sealed in the middle of the Dungeon? The terror of nearly being eaten by monsters dozen of times!"
"That's why I'll never forgive you!!!"
"I'm going to hack off your limbs and ride your mangled bodies until I've defiled you to my heart's content!!!"
The bloodcurdling declaration failed to move Finn or Akumo. They were merely baiting her, waiting for a crack in her psyche to execute a lethal strike.
"Is that a one-night stand proposal?"
"Sounds like she's starving for attention."
"Unfortunately, I have the long-cherished wish of my race to fulfill. My partner must be of the same blood."
"I'm already spoken for."
""Besides, you have absolutely no class.""
Snap—!!
The female members in the back blushed at the blunt provocations. Valetta's veins pulsed in her forehead as her killing intent flared without restraint.
"That smug arrogance ends today!!!"
"We've been waiting for you to stumble into our fortress!!!"
Thud—!!
"Be consumed by this [Knossos] and die!!!!!!!!!!"
'[Knossos]?'
Boom—!!!!
Rumble—!!!!!!!!!
As Valetta raised a specific seal, every door in the chamber slammed shut, accompanied by an ominous, earth-shaking vibration.
"The vibration is coming from the sealed doors!!"
"Everyone, back away!!!!"
Swish—!!
CRASH—!!!!!!!
"Everyone below Level 4, stay in the center and provide cover fire!!!"
Akumo, having pulled several members away from the doors just in time, shoved them toward the center of the room. He turned just as a swarm of Man-eating Flowers burst through the walls, lunging with feral hunger.
**
Dash—!!!!
"Lefiya and Filvis, mark the flowers coming from behind!"
"Yes!" "Understood!"
Following Valetta into the corridor, the group surged forward. Finn and Akumo placed their trust in the two mages to handle the pursuit from the rear.
"Filvis-san!"
"Right, leave it to me!"
Lefiya and Filvis took their positions, initiating a synchronized dual-casting defensive line.
"[Become my shield, Grail of the Cursed Break.]"
"[Released streak of light, bow of the sacred tree, thou art the master archer. Sniping elf archer, pierce with the sure-hit arrow.]"
Whoosh—!!!!!!!
"[Dio Grail]!!"
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!
Filvis's defensive magic absorbed the majority of the vines' lashes, buying Lefiya the precious seconds needed to complete her incantation.
"[Arcus Ray]!!"
KABOOM—!!!!!!!!!!
"It worked!"
"This tactic seems viable in the Dungeon!"
"I'll let you experiment as much as you want once we get out, so stay focused on the remaining enemies!"
Lefiya and Filvis expertly decimated the secondary wave. Seeing the rear held firm, the advance team threw their full weight into the monsters blocking the path.
Slice—!!!
"It's a spider-type New Species!"
"Who cares what it is!"
Slash—!!!!!!!!!
"Just crush them before they get close!"
Bete and Akumo were a whirlwind of precision, butchering Man-eating Flowers and spider hybrids with effortless lethality. However, more monsters began emerging from hidden floor grates, threatening to swamp their formation.
"Valetta's intent is clearly to lure us deeper!"
"Bete, stay sharp for any hidden ambushes!"
Throb—!
'My thumb...!!'
The moment Finn recognized Valetta's trap, a sharp dull pain erupted in his thumb—a warning beyond any previous scale. He opened his mouth to shout—
Rustle—!
"The monsters...?"
'They're forming ranks and clearing a path?'
Step, step—
"That's....!"
'The assailant from the 18th floor!'
Akumo and Finn watched as a red-haired woman walked calmly through the parting ranks of monsters.
Her appearance was identical to the mystery assailant from before, but her speed was now on a level that defied standard visual perception as she closed the distance to Finn.
'S-so fast...!!'
CLANG—!!!!!!!!
"What!?"
'Even her strength...!! How many magic stones did she have to consume to reach this level...!!'
Faced with Revis's overwhelming combat prowess, which had evolved into something utterly transcendental, one critical thought flashed through Finn's mind.
'I can't use magic yet...!!'
Crack—!
That split-second defensive prioritization gave Revis the opening she needed.
Shred—!
Finn's spear shattered, and he was struck by a devastating horizontal slash across his chest.
"AKUMO!!!!!!!!!!"
Whish—!
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even as he fell, Finn's voice carried the command. Akumo, moving like a lightning strike, intervened with [Gram] drawn, intercepting Revis's massive black greatsword.
CRASH—!!!!!!!
"[Pioneer]!!"
"How about you show some courtesy and introduce yourself properly?"
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!!
'The situation is deteriorating. We have an assailant who's returned as a Level 7—no, something higher. Then there's the Level 5 Valetta, and a swarm of new monsters...!'
The indifferent gaze Revis had when striking Finn vanished the moment she faced Akumo; her grip tightened on her hilt, acknowledging a predator of equal or greater status.
"Hahaha!! That pretty face is finally cracking!!"
"Raul!!"
Whish—!
Clang—!!!!!!
Valetta lunged to finish off the injured Finn, but Raul, moving on pure instinct, scooped up the Captain and hurled both of them down into one of the pits created by the monsters.
"Follow them!!"
"!!"
'Damn it, we're being divided again...!!'
"Bete! Take the others and—"
"Where do you think you're going!!"
As Raul, Aki, and several other members fell below, Akumo tried to direct Bete to follow, but Valetta cackled as she activated another magic item, dropping a massive partition that separated Bete and the remaining troops from Akumo's position.
CRASH—!!!!!
'That magic item! I have to neutralize that first!!'
Whoosh—!!!
CLANG—!!!
"Tch!"
'This woman is in the way every time I try to aim for Valetta!'
Left in the isolated segment were Revis, Valetta, Akumo, Lefiya, and Filvis.
Clash, clash, clang—!!!!!
Thud, thud—!!!!
'In pure combat capacity, I have the advantage. But it's impossible to tell what else they have hidden in this labyrinth...!'
Swish—!
"Lefiya! Filvis! Provide cover fire!"
Deciding that Revis was too dangerous to leave unchecked, Akumo determined to land a heavy blow and then regroup. He drew [Balmung] from his waist—Gram in the left, Balmung in the right. Wielding two masterpieces of the ancient age, he stood against Revis.
Whish—!!
"....!!"
Spark—!!!!
'He's faster...!! With dual blades, his attack patterns have tripled in complexity!'
Clang, clang, clang—!!!!!!!!!
"[My experiences, my adventures, bloom according to my will.]"
"..!!"
Vroom—!!!!!!
'I have to stop the chant!'
Whish—!
CRACK—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hearing the chant, Revis lunged to disrupt him, but Akumo utilized high-speed concurrent chanting, weaving through her strikes while delivering a devastating kick to her midsection to widen the gap.
"[O blood-color within the darkness, thy power shall be my blade. Cast forth the lustrous shadow toward sublimity!]"
Shing—!
"[Critical Shade]. "
Flicker—!
"He vanished...!"
"What!?"
The moment the chant concluded, Akumo's form dissolved into the shadows. Revis spiked her sensory awareness to its limit, and Valetta raised her greatsword in a frantic defensive stance.
Slice—!
"!?"
Spurt—!!!
"God damn it!!"
They couldn't track his trajectory. In an eyeblink, Revis's arm and Valetta's leg were sliced open. Revis managed to twist away, suffering only a shallow gash, but Valetta's wound was severe enough to require immediate pressure.
Slide—!!
"!! Watch the shadows!"
'Whenever he overlaps with the shadow of an object or a person, there's a slight distortion!'
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!
"Valetta, strike in front of me!"
"Raaaaagh!!!!!"
"[Dio Grail]!!"
BANG—!!!!!!!!!
'It was blocked...!!'
While Revis locked blades with the unseen Akumo and called for help, Valetta swung blindly toward Revis's front. However, Filvis's magic barrier intercepted the strike. This distraction proved fatal to their defense against Akumo.
Thrust—!
"What made you think I was in front?"
"Gugh...!!"
'[Pioneer]!!!'
THUD—!!!!!!!
"!!"
Revis took a direct stab to the gut from Akumo appearing at her flank. However, the duration of the stealth expired in that moment, and Akumo took the full brunt of Revis's counter-swing, flying back toward Lefiya and Filvis.
'One of my trump cards is exposed... and the tactical situation is a mess. It's time to pull back.'
Whoosh—!
"Lefiya! Filvis! There's no choice—follow me now!"
Akumo caught the blow with Gram, but the raw kinetic force made his arms vibrate. Judging further combat here to be disadvantageous, he ushered the two mages toward another branching path, prioritizing a tactical retreat over a desperate brawl.
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