"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!"
The creature's roar shook every last pebble on the eighteenth floor.
Even Saphira gave a slight grimace, while the monster rose into the cavernous space and spread its crooked wings, shedding black motes.
"Wh-what is that?!" cried Neze. "Some kind of winged serpent… Is that a dragon?!" yelled Alise.
"How does something that big manage to fly?!"
"It's disgusting…" said Kaguya. "I think I'm going to throw up! I've never seen a monster so hideous!"
Its head alone was enormous and misshapen, with a ragged jaw resembling that of a demon spawned from the deepest abyss.
The creature itself was massive, but its limbs were thin and spindly, like a chimerical amalgamation of a snake and a malnourished human. It was only after much difficulty that we correctly identified it as a dragon—a creature that stood at the top of the monster food chain as an apex predator.
"An anomaly born from divine transgression on the thirty-seventh floor. As for a name…how about Delphyne?"
The dark god named the beast on the advent of its ascent.
"Can you see that hole, children? It goes all the way down to hell." He spoke with excitement, brandishing his divine might.
"That right there is a gate and symbol of the underworld, my friends. And we're taking it all the way to the top. Once Babel falls and the Age of Gods is over, only then can a true legend be born."
"Grh…!"
"Yes…an Age of Chaos." As we watched on, Erebus flashed a twisted smile.
"Rejoice. And die. Accept the oblivion I offer you. This new world has no need for the light of justice."
As if agreeing with his words, the creature from below, Delphyne, let out an ear-shattering roar. The god was calm, but his followers were already panicking.
"L-Lord Erebus!" one of them said. "H-hurry and get to safety!"
"W-we will not be able to keep you safe much longer—" It only took an instant. The whole world flashed black and crimson, and all that remained of the Evils lieutenant was his arm and the echo of his words.
"E-eeeek!"
The other Evils fell over themselves. Erebus, on the other hand, merely cast a glance over his shoulder. "A little close for comfort, that one," he said without a care. "I suppose it is me you're after, isn't it?"
Smoke still billowing from its mouth and nostrils, Delphyne glared at the dark god.
"Very well, then. This is your last job, my followers. Get me safely to Saphira's side, and it's all over."
"…!"
"We can't let the leading man make such an undignified exit so ahead of schedule. Else this show would turn into a comedy."
"You already are a comedy," I called out, His face turning to look at me.
"Empty words, let's see how long you can keep that bravado, High Human."
Saphira stood and watched the monster, evaluating it, while the flames bathed her pale skin in a scarlet light. Meanwhile, all of us dripped with sweat. With the creature's arrival, the temperature on the eighteenth floor had spiked, but that wasn't the only reason.
Now that we had seen with our own eyes the undeniable proof of the beast's ability to smash through floors, we quickly realized that time was running out.
"Blast!" growled Gareth. "That thing doesn't care what side anyone is on! And its power is unbelievable…not only did it burrow a tunnel between floors, but all of Under Resort will soon crumble at this rate!"
"We have to fight it!" yelled Riveria. "But Saphira's still a danger as well…"
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It was at that moment, while Finn's two most trusted lieutenants gazed up at the avatar of destruction circling overhead, that it happened. The pair suddenly heard a wind. They turned to see Ais, her sword rattling in her hands, her shoulders rising and falling with every heated breath. She looked like she'd lost her mind.
That thing… That thing… That thing…!!
It was like she'd come face-to-face with an archnemesis she'd sworn to get revenge on. There was no light of reason in her eyes, just anger—a burning, seething fury.
The world blinked in and out of focus. Her magical energy spilled forth like a storm. And the beating of her tiny heart rang in her ears and refused to stop.
"Aaaaaaaaaaghhh!!"
Her hair fluttered out behind her like a glittering golden trail as she threw herself at the dragon.
"Ais?! Wait, come back!!" The girl couldn't hear Riveria's plea. She was the wind. Words had no meaning for her now.
Standing between her and her target were hordes of monsters driven equally mad by the roaring flames and overwhelming fear.
The girl slaughtered all of them. Her golden eyes glimmered in the dark like the flashing steel of her blade.
"Ruuuuuughhh?!"
A violent tempest. Severed limbs. Gouts of flames and showers of blood.
"Out of my way! Out of my WAAAYYY!!"
Nothing could divert the young Ais. She moved like an arrow in flight. Soon, the wall of monsters blocking her path was gone.
"Ais! Curses, I never expected her to lose her temper like this!" The roar of the wind joined the bursting fireballs, causing the entire floor to shake even more. It was like an act from a heroic legend, watching the young girl depart to face the monster alone, and Riveria frowned as she envisaged what tragic fate lay at that tale's end.
"Ais cannot face that thing alone!" shouted Gareth. "No matter how crazed she is, it's too powerful!"
"Grh…!" Riveria was torn. She wanted to go save Ais, but she couldn't turn her back on the Level 7 standing before her. To even stand a chance against Saphira required the combined strength of their entire party, and if Riveria left, only a crushing defeat awaited those who remained. But just as she began to struggle under the burden of command…
"Riveria go!!" someone called.
Riveria and Gareth went wide-eyed with shock. It was Arin's clear voice that cut through the battlefield.
"Go ahead and get Ais back to her senses. We will handle Saphira until then somehow."
Riviera could not believe what she was hearing at first, but before she could refute Arin, again spoke up.
"Besides, you won't be able to focus on the battle without Ais by your side, will you?"
"You and old man Gareth go save the Sword Princess!" she said. "We'll handle Saphira somehow!" Alise spoke in support of Arin.
"Our justice is as unbreakable as we are pure, pretty, and perfect, don't you know?! Heh-hem!!"
Then she adopted a serious expression.
"So please trust us, okay, Gareth?"
The old dwarf was silent. Without affirming or denying her words, he adjusted his helmet."
"Let's go, Riveria."
"Grr! I'm sorry!" Riveria made her decision. Both Arin and Alise had seen through her facade completely. All she could do was leave those brave souls with one last parting gift.
"Gather, breath of the earth—my name is Alf! Veil Breath!"
Her sacred protection enveloped every member of the raid party in a verdant glow. It was armor that would protect them against magical and physical attacks. "This shall keep you safe so long as the magic lasts! Please, take care!"
"When this is all over, we'll have a feast, and I'll treat you to some real dwarven spirits!" With that, the two departed. With staff and a great axe in hand, they left to assist Ais.
"All right, girls! Drinks with old man Gareth confirmed! And Nine Hell gave us this nifty buff as well! Can't complain about that, can you?"
"Yes, we can, you idiot!!" came Lyra's swift rebuke. She looked like she wanted to strangle the life out of her bigmouthed captain and their pseudo-familial member. "What the hell do you think you're doing, makin' promises we can't keep?! We're gonna die out here, and it's gonna be all your fault!!"
"Oh, Lyra, you're so pessimistic! We're not going to die yet, don't be silly!"
"You absolute moron…!" cried Lyra, clutching her head in her hands. It was all the other girls could do to keep the smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, Kaguya, who had been examining the aura bestowed by Riveria, stepped forward. "Under normal circumstances," she said. "I would agree with the prum here, but just this once, I have to side with the captain and this brute." The smile on her face was sickeningly sweet.
"After all, I have a debt to settle with that woman there," Kaguya said, glaring at Saphira. "I will have my revenge, even if my decapitated head must bite out her throat!"
Ryuu appeared beside the not-so-innocent maiden and said, "If it will ease La-Miss Riveria's burden, then I'll fight as well. Somebody needs to eliminate that witch, so it might as well be us."
____________________________________________________________________________
To be honest, I was also very worried for Ais, but if I left as well, then our firepower would be tipped in favor of her. I just hope Ais gets back to her senses soon.
Saphira was waiting patiently during all this.
"Oye! Ardee! Use your magic already, you useless perverted girl." I called out to Ardee.
"Stop calling me that already!" She cried and started chanting her magic. "Sacred light of ancient wisdom, Divine radiance that flows through generations—Mend the wounds of those who fight with honor, Grant them strength to face what lies ahead. By the blessing of Lord Ganesha's grace, Rise and flourish, warriors of justice—Dia Kaumundi!"
A white light envelops Ryuu, Alise, Kaguya, and me. I could feel my strength increase ever so slightly. This was her magic that boosted a certain number of people's stats, Similar to Haruhime's magic, if a little inferior. Right now, the limit is four people.
"Are you done?" Saphira asked. Standing in the same spot like a doll.
"Yeah, thanks for waiting," I said, my Astrum cordis, bursting to life. Golden and Silver light en
"Agallis Arvesynce!"
Alise's chant summoned a torrent of magical energy that burst forth from her body, followed by the sound of dynamite. Her arm, her legs, and her sword—all were bathed in the same fiery glow, the color of her crimson hair.
"A fire enchantment?" said Saphira, unperturbed. "Is that the best you have?"
"You bet your butt it is! A pure, pretty, and perfect girl like me needs a pure, pretty, and perfect spell to match! What do you think? Now you know why they call me the Scarlett Harnell! Heh-hem!" Alise's proud look lasted only a moment before she got down to business.
"Form up, Everyone! Formation A!"
"""Got it!"""
When Alise and I lunged forward, the mages quickly covered our assault. When Lyra and the other support crew in the center of the formation launched their projectiles, Ryuu and Kaguya were there with perfect timing to press the advantage. Healing spells and buffs from the rear constantly kept us fighting fit.
"Ignite." Another short chant was all it took to fling us back by the resulting explosion.
Alise wasted no time in giving her command. "Maryu! Healing!"
"Leave it to me! Rea Vindemia!" The eldest member of the familia cast her spell without delay, and the curative light enveloped all those who were injured.
"She's a monster!" spat Kaguya in frustration, after her blade failed to so much as nick a single strand of Black hair on the witch's head. "How many of my attacks has she avoided so far?!"
This time, both Kaguya and I were flung away from the battlefield. We quickly got up to join back in, until a voice stopped us in our tracks.
"Oh, I see you've already started without me. My fault for arriving late, I suppose."
"!"
We spun toward the direction of the new voice. "However, it seems the feast is far from over. I can't wait to join in."
It was a man sporting hair the color of boiling blood—the Evils lieutenant known as Vito. He arrived on the eighteenth floor with a contingent of eight troops.
"It's you!" growled Kaguya, recognizing the man as the one she had fought in this very place not two weeks past. "Why are you here?! Did you come via Babel?!"
"Oh, it hardly matters, right? The fact is, I am here, and eager for our second dance." He opened one eye a sliver and flashed a fearless smile. "Aren't you?"
"Kaguya, I am joining the others to eliminate him quickly and join back in." We can't afford to have two frontliners missing from the battle against Saphira.
"Oh, I did not know that you were a coward who can only hide behind a woman?" Said Vito, trying to upset me. But..
"The only coward here is the one who needed eight goons as backup," I said, taunting him back. "Kaguya, finish it quickly and get your fat ass back in the main battle."
Kaguya's eye twitched dangerously at my comment about her "fat ass," but her glare quickly shifted back to Vito.
"Fat ass?" she repeated icily, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "I'll deal with you later, you brute."
Then she turned to face Vito fully, her blade gleaming as she drew it. "But first, I have some unfinished business with this red-haired fool."
Her smile was razor-sharp and utterly without warmth. "Several days were far too long to wait for this rematch. I hope you've prepared yourself properly this time, Vito, because I won't be holding back."
"GYAAAAHHHH!!!"
I left, but not before taking down those goons Vito brought with him. My flames were creeping up from their legs until they burned to cinders.
I sprinted back to the other girls fighting Saphira.