"...I'll go." Ais stepped out with a deadpan face.
"Ais-san!?" Lefiya exclaimed.
"If you're going, then I'll go too!" Tione also stepped out.
"Of course, you're including me!" Bete felt some sense of rivalry against the masked man and also stepped forward.
"Don't forget about me." Tiona couldn't let herself be excluded.
"Eh? Eh!? T-that... Me too! I've also recovered some of my Mind!" Lefiya was dragged by the flow.
"...Wait." As all five of them about to go, Finn stopped their advances, "Ais... You go alone."
"Captain!?" Everyone except Ais exclaimed.
But instead of Finn, Kisuke answered and supported Finn's decision, "Deimne-san is right. She should go alone."
"Huh!? Who are you to butt-in!?" And as always, Bete has something to say against Kisuke.
Kisuke, however, didn't mind him and continued speaking while shrugging his shoulders, "I'm just stating my opinion~. And if you want to know why, putting it nicely, Wallenstein-san is enough with her magic. And putting it badly, you're just going to hold her back."
"What was that!?" Bete couldn't take it anymore and was about to attack Kisuke when Finn blocked his way, "Finn! Move away!"
Sighing, Finn agreed with Kisuke, "He's right. Ais should be safe from its corrosive attacks with her Ariel. However, you lot are not the same. Ais would have to protect you lot from that acid which will just hold her back."
Bete stopped with an ugly expression on his face, "But...!"
"I'll be fine... I'll go alone." Ais then tapped his shoulder and looked towards the girls, "I'll come back."
"Be careful, alright?" Tione understood what the masked man and Finn meant and didn't push forward the idea of her joining any further.
Ais nodded and turned to the monster, "Ariel." With a gust of wind, Ais flew straight towards the giant monster.
Seeing her leave, Finn then turned to Kisuke, "What's your goal?"
"Eh? Well, nothing much. We're just on our own exploration when we saw your camp being overrun by disgusting monsters. As fellow Adventurers, we choose to help~." Kisuke explained herself.
"And I assume that this isn't for free?"
"Of course, I already told Alf-san that I'll be sending an invoice of the service rendered to the Twilight Manor later. Whether you pay or not, it'll be up to you."
Finn stayed silent and looked at Riveria who nodded at him. He then turned his attention towards Gareth who also nodded at him. All three of them reached a consensus that rather than making an enemy out of them, they'd rather have a friendly relationship. That way, they would also have a bigger chance of uncovering the identity of the two.
However, that doesn't mean they trust him and put an appropriate cautiousness against them.
Kisuke was about to say something else when the movement of Mana around sped up which was also noticed by Riveria, "What's going on?"
Kisuke and Yoruichi jumped down from the barrier and dispelled it. Finally out, the Loki Familia members rejoiced while the leaders looked at him in puzzlement.
"If you don't want what's coming next, then leave." Kisuke only said such before he resumed watching the fight between Ais and the monster that is now releasing explosive powders that Ais easily dealt with using her wind.
The always friendly Tiona then asked, "Hey, what do you mean?"
"What? Could it be that you forgot?" It was Kisuke's turn to asked in confusion.
"What?" Still not getting it, Tione asked again.
Kisuke then pointed at the hole on the ground which was created by Yoruichi, "Miss Totallynotsuspiscious here just punched a hole through several floors..."
Tione, Tiona, Bete, and Lefiya and the rest of the Loki Familia expect for the captain and two vice-captains only looked at them in more confusion.
The trio, finally getting it, immediately reacted and Gareth shouted, "Curses! A Juggernaut is about to spawn! A 50th floor Juggernaut!!!" They couldn't believe they forgot something so simple just after seeing that much destruction.
Hearing him, everyone shuddered. A Juggernaut of floor 50 is unheard of, but if they were to estimate it's strength, it should be at least a Level 7. But that's still underestimating it as it's most probably a Level 8.
"Take the bare minimum and withdraw as fast as possible!" Finn immediately ordered everyone while Riveria shouted at Ais, "Ais! Either retreat now or finish it off!"
Ais don't know what's happening as she focusing on her battle but when she heard Riveria, she started charging for the last big attack.
While everyone is clamoring, Tiona noticed that Kisuke and Yoruichi haven't move and were only watching Ais, "Why are you still not moving!? Could it be that you don't know!? A Juggernaut of the 50th floor could be a Level 8! In the history of Orario, only the Hera Family had ever had someone like that! And most important of all, boss-type monsters are generally stronger than an Adventurer with the same level!"
Kisuke and Yoruichi then looked at each other, "Hey, Miss Sexybutt... Level 8 she says..."
"Yep, Totallynotascammer, I heard her... And it sounds dangerous..."
When Tiona thought that both of them understood the dangers, she suddenly heard both of them chuckling while simultaneously saying, "How exciting~."
The top executives of the Loki Familia stopped momentarily to take a look at these two crazy people. But then, a sudden possibility emerged from their minds and Tiona asked them, "Are the both of you Level 8s?"
"Hmmm... Let see..." Kisuke then pretends to think deeply.
Yoruichi elbowed him in response, "Stop putting on airs... You're still far from becoming a Level 8."
Yoruichi's words made everyone else more confused but they couldn't question it as they suddenly heard the cries of the monster Ais is fighting. When they looked in that direction, everyone saw a big hole in the middle of the monster's chest. A few seconds later, it dropped down, spilling all acid inside its body. But thanks to the hole that Yoruichi created, it acted as a funnel and the acid went down on the deeper floors.
Ais sighed in relief and satisfaction after seeing the monster go down, however, her companions don't have the same feeling, "Ais!!! Behind you!!!" Riveria shouted in extreme concern. The fastest of the Loki Familia also tried to reach Ais's position.
Hearing Riveria's shout and seeing her companion's actions, she looked behind and saw a giant hand threatening to flatten her. Ais panicked and tried to get away but it's already too late as the hand is too fast.
Ais crossed her arm and controlled the strongest wind she could to receive the impact. She doesn't know if she can survive after being slapped away, but she can't give up. Not yet when there are still things that she has to do.
For the first time since her reawakening, she experiences flashing lanterns of memories. Ais gritted her teeth as she hates this feeling because it's the same thing that happened to her before she lost something very important.
But just as the giant hand is a few meters away from her and nobody could possibly reach her, Ais suddenly felt a tug behind her as someone grabbed the collar of her clothes, "Geez, don't let your guard down just because you defeated a boss. You don't know if it still has a second or third form~."
A tone of voice that doesn't match the situation, but also strangely calming even though she doesn't know what he's talking about.
Within a split second, she saw his arm and sword appearing in front of her from over shoulder and she felt her back landing on something soft before hearing, "Chikasumi no Tate (Blood Mist Shield)."