The monster siege before them was something the Takemikazuchi Familia had never experienced before.
Normally, the logical choice would have been to retreat immediately—
not to face the threat head-on.
Now, there were far more factors to consider.
Liang Yue and Lili were here as part of the joint expedition, and their respective gods were on familiar terms.
On top of that, the other side's god had offered an extremely generous reward.
Kashima thought quickly for a countermeasure, then issued his orders.
"Mikoto, get ready to use your magic to briefly hold off the monsters."
"Chigusa, take Lili and Liang Yue and start retreating."
"And you, Captain?"
"I'll stay with Mikoto and help hold them back.
As long as we can delay them, the others will have time to withdraw."
Kashima's reply was firm and without hesitation.
If they were dealing with strangers, he would have simply ensured his familia's safety by using Monster Offering.
But that wasn't an option here.
He and Mikoto locked eyes for a moment—no further explanation was needed.
She understood the unspoken message in his gaze, took a deep breath, and made her choice.
In a low voice, she began chanting her magic.
"—In the supreme name, I call upon you, with reverence and awe."
"Understood."
Knowing this was Kashima's carefully considered decision—rooted in his introverted, slightly timid nature—she turned to deliver the evacuation message to the Hestia Familia.
But before she could, she saw Liang Yue approaching, his face drawn with fatigue.
Compared to her usual reserve around Kashima, Chigusa's gaze toward the boy of similar age held more respect.
"Liang… Liang Yue…"
The girl had intended to say she would lead the retreat first,
but seeing his tired expression, she watched him wave it off casually.
His calm eyes swept over the sizable monster horde ahead.
In the narrow tunnel, there was no room to dodge, making it the perfect environment to unleash the full effect of Battōzan.
If not for his drained stamina, even Pojun Shōryūgeki would have been a good choice for breaking through.
Ignoring the worried looks from Kashima and Mikoto, Liang Yue stepped past them to the front line—
just as Mikoto's magic, Futsunomitama, activated.
Under the intensified gravity, the ground began to crack like a spiderweb.
The monsters caught in her magic zone couldn't advance, while those in the rear were being pushed forward by their kin.
From an objective standpoint, the sheer strength of her gravity-based Futsunomitama was on par with Haruhime's fabled Level Boost.
"This is your magic, right?"
Liang Yue glanced at her serious profile, then said with an easy tone:
"Mikoto, buy me some time."
"…Alright."
Her excessive mental strain was already turning her face pale—her magic stat was nothing special, after all.
She couldn't hold Futsunomitama for very long.
But if Liang Yue had chosen this moment, it meant he had full confidence in finishing the monsters here.
And indeed, he didn't disappoint.
Instead of charging in dual-wielding like usual, he stood still—something entirely out of character.
"…What is he—?"
Confusion flickered in Mikoto's eyes, but the next moment shattered her understanding of swordsmanship.
The price of using Muga Kenki—No-Self Sword Qi—was physical exhaustion.
His right hand rested on the opposite sword's scabbard,
his white demon hand lightly supporting it.
Taking a forward stance, he assumed the opening form of a battō-style iaijutsu slash.
His eyes were as calm as a still lake.
He continued to build power.
When already fatigued, any extra strain would take a toll on the body.
Even so, he felt anticipation welling up inside.
"If I can improve the quality of my No-Self Sword Qi…"
"The area-of-effect damage will be even greater. The principle is simpler than I thought!"
He poured the sword qi into the upgraded shortsword forged by Tsubaki, compressing and refining it.
A resonant hum rang from the blade—its unique response to his will.
Liang Yue felt his body and sword intent merge completely.
The fatigue didn't vanish, but it was replaced with a deep, exhilarating sense of freedom.
Ahead, Futsunomitama was beginning to falter.
So many monsters… the gravity could only restrain, not kill.
And Mikoto's mental energy was at its limit—her face white as a sheet, her knees starting to buckle.
When the magic broke—
"…Sorry, I… I'm at my limit."
"What a terrible line to say right now."
Suppressing the urge to quip, Liang Yue focused on the tide of monsters now surging toward him.
He poured the last of his stamina into the swing.
A flash of sword light—fast as lightning.
Battōzan.
A sweeping slash of radiant sword qi tore forward, cutting down everything in its path.
Even the tough Minotaurs were cleaved cleanly in two.
In the tight tunnel, the sword qi gouged deep scars into the rock walls without losing any power.
Chunks of stone fell, kicking up dust.
Monsters crumbled to black ash where they fell.
The narrow passage had become a slaughterhouse.
Every creature packed in here was erased.
This was the essence of a Sword Soul—efficiency in clearing enemies.
In the mid-level Dungeon, these caves were like natural monster-farming pens.
One Battōzan was enough.
If not… then two.
Looking at the now-empty tunnel, Liang Yue felt the same rush as mowing down enemies in a game.
Sheathing his sword with satisfaction, he muttered:
"…Yeah. This is the feeling."
Even though they'd expected a lot from Liang Yue's strength,
seeing this new combat method in action still left them shaken.
Once Futsunomitama ended, the monsters should have overwhelmed them like a flood.
Kashima knew they couldn't have survived.
The expedition would have ended here.
The Takemikazuchi Familia would have been wiped out.
And yet—
after fighting so hard already, when he could have withdrawn,
Liang Yue had stepped forward and taken the burden himself.
Using that unfathomable sword technique,
he had cut down every single monster in sight, regardless of type.
"…That's it? It's over?"
Kashima stared at the wall scarred by sword qi.
Knowing how solid Dungeon walls were, the fact that the attack had done this was staggering.
He could only gape.
Even at full power, he could barely chip the rock—
and this boy had done that while wiping out the horde.
No one could answer his unspoken questions.
Mikoto, realizing Liang Yue must be completely drained, ignored her own pounding headache from overexertion.
She didn't care how he had done it—
only that she hadn't been able to help.
Before Lili could react, Mikoto moved to support him.
"We should find somewhere to rest, Kashima-dono."
"No problem."
With the tunnel cleared, progress was smoother than expected.
They followed their planned route and found a safe spot to camp.
In the quiet, Kashima kept his complex thoughts to himself,
standing watch again—his own way of contributing.
If he could give the team a safe night, that was enough.
They were both Level 2 adventurers.
And yet the gulf between them was an uncrossable chasm.
"…Kashima-dono?"
The voice breaking his thoughts was Chigusa's, her short hair covering half her face.
Hugging her knees, she tilted her head, studying his expression.
"Are you… feeling down?"
"I wouldn't put it that way."
They'd made it out alive from a mass monster attack—he should be glad.
As for his gap with Liang Yue, the thought no longer weighed him down.
Level 2 was already rare in Orario; there was no need to compare himself.
He spread his hands in a half-shrug.
"Level 2 might be my limit.
For Liang Yue… it might only be his starting point."
"Sometimes, the difference between people is just too big."
The rest of the expedition went more smoothly than the first two days.
With Battōzan—a true DPS godskill—his stamina consumption was far lower than expected.
It became his main attack method: adaptable to any terrain, any number of monsters.
All fell to his blade.
By the time they sped through the 16th floor, his stamina had recovered,
and his level had risen to Lv3.
They were ready for the next floor.
Before they could proceed, Lili stopped him, giving a full briefing for safety's sake.
"Ahead is the 17th floor. That's where the floor boss, Goliath, appears.
Its stats are close to a Level 4's—it's absolutely not something we can handle."
Seeing his expression, she added:
"But it's safe to pass right now.
According to the Guild, the Loki Familia took care of it on their way back from an expedition."
"…So…"
"It should respawn the day after tomorrow."