Despite downplaying it quite a bit, those ranks still shocked everyone from the Loki Familia.
Of them, however, only Riveria didn't make a surprised face as she already saw Koneko's basic abilities, 'If only they knew about the 'KI' parameter... They wouldn't just have this kind of reaction.'
Finn instantly noticed Riveria's lack of reaction, "Did you already know?"
"Yes. But that information is included in the non-disclosure contract that I signed."
Ignoring the two of them, Tiona approached them and asked another question, "All S-rank?! And some SS-rank?! How did you achieve it?! No... Scratch that! Sorry for asking that! However, please tell me what figures pertain to an SS-rank." Tione immediately recognized the line she shouldn't step and changed her question.
"1000 and above," Koneko answered her question.
Tione nodded in understanding. While every one of them has S-rank in their basic abilities, only Ais reached the famed limit of 999, "So it turns out that 999 isn't the limit..." She muttered.
Since it won't end if they kept dwelling on this topic and they won't get a clear answer either way, Finn urged everyone to move forward, "Let's focus on our exploration first. Let's move. Ahead is the room where the Goliath is in and it should have respawned by now."
Everyone nodded at him while Sona suddenly proposed something, "Finn-san, would you mind us having a go with the Monster Rex? We want to test our limits and I think the First Floor Boss is the best opponent for us."
"That's too dangerous. Even though you have some strange skills and techniques, you lot are still new Level 2s, not much different from top tier Level 1s. To face the Goliath, you would need at least 10 Level 3s with good equipment and a balanced party to hunt it relatively safe." Riveria protested on her decision. She, after all, wants them to be safe and just watch from behind. They don't need to take this kind of risk.
But instead of disagreeing, Finn only asked, "How confident are you?"
"Finn?"
Sona is grateful for Riveria's concern, however, this is also a good chance for them, "Confident enough that we wouldn't die instantly."
Smiling wryly, Finn agreed, "I guess that's good enough."
"Thank you. We would like your help in case we mess something up and end up in danger."
Riveria could only sigh and turned to the silent girls, "Ais, Tione, Tiona. Watch them carefully and interfere once I give you the signal."
"Got it~!" Tiona answered energetically while the other two only silently nodded. However, all of them were curious about how they'll fight the big monster and all their focus is on Sona since, from the start, she only killed monsters using her bow and her seemingly unending supply of arrows.
"Thank you, everyone." Sona then faced Aika and Koneko, "Let's go."
Once they passed their bags to Riveria and stepped in the Floor Boss' room, the ground started shaking and the wall beyond started cracking
Stopping a few tens of meters away from the cracking wall, The trio formed a simple formation of Sona staying behind the two vanguards. While the Goliath is slowly coming out of the wall, Koneko's demeanor had suddenly undergone a transformation and another tail appeared behind her, revealing her features as a nekomata. Not that anyone from this world knew about nekomata.
After revealing her second tail, another tail that is made out of white flames also appeared along with her ears also getting caught in the same white flames. Blue pigments then started painting her face while her eyes turned red-wine in color.
Compared to before, when she's fighting against the Minotaurs, Loki Familia noticed a huge change from Koneko and that it isn't just a simple berserk state, "Are you telling me that isn't a skill or magic too?" Tiona muttered but no one could actually answer her question.
"I'm actually more interested in her current form... A Cat Person with two or three tails, has anyone ever heard of such a thing before?" Finn asked, but he only got some shaking heads in response.
It was then that Sona made her move and with a wave of her right hand, 4 blue magic circles with a diameter of 3 feet instantly appeared around her, "Koneko, do an opening strike on its chin and do your best to get its attention. I'll give you support while you're at it. Aika, look for a chance to disable it. We'll all aim for its chest where the magic stone is located once an opening is available."
"...How is she doing that?" Lefiya muttered at the alien sight.
The two girls nodded at her and separated from Sona by running in opposite directions, flanking the emerging monster.
The Goliath came out fully and the first thing that caught its attention is Sona's revolving magic circles,"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" After howling, it then started running towards Sona, intending to stomp her.
But before it could approach, two of the magic circles spouted jetstreams of water aiming for its face, "▅▅!" Without much choice, the Goliath had to use its arm to block.
The water attack was successfully blocked, however, it also lost its view of Sona for a moment. While blocking the streams of water, it suddenly felt something pushing its left leg which was in midstep, resulting in it tripping and losing its balance.
On the spot where it was supposed to fall, Koneko appeared using her Flash Step and jumped towards its head while swinging her Warhammer, "Eiii!" The head of the Warhammer squarely hit the Goliath's chin, breaking some of its teeth and launching its head upwards.
Due to the impact and skill of the user, the Warhammer couldn't take the stress and its handle broke, prompting Koneko to throw it away as she landed and retreating back to Sona's spot.
Using this chance, while the Goliath was down and disoriented, Aika went to its right leg and aimed at the back of its knee, "Nadegiri (Clean Sweep)!" Pulling her nodachi from its scabbard, Aika executed a basic Zanjutsu technique that allows for a precision cut of extreme force and speed. Since she's just a beginner in it, she's only hoping that the Goliath's tendons will be cut when her blade flashed, however, her cut went deep until its kneecap which is more than two meters, essentially cutting off its leg.
"▄▄▅▅! ▄▄▅▅!" While admiring her work, the Goliath's left leg immediately swiped towards her, however, she dodged it using Flash Step and reappeared on the other side of its body, intending to cut the next leg. She could have gone after the Goliath's back and attacked its magic stone, but she has a feeling that she won't be able to easily pierce it due to the large amount of Mana gathered there strengthening the defenses around it.
But before Aika could execute another attack, the Goliath started thrashing around when one of its arms went towards Koneko and Sona. But instead of dodging, Koneko took a stance, and the ground below her cracked, sending both of her fists towards the incoming giant arm.
Koneko's fists clashed with the Goliath's arm, however, she doesn't intend to have a contest of strength as hers is just an instantaneous power up due to Ki manipulation and technique, so she instead deflected the arm towards Aika who already took a stance, expecting this to happen.
"Nadegiri (Clean Sweep)!!!" With a better stance, Aika was able to pull off a faster strike that anyone could hardly follow and she bisected the Goliaths arm, "▄▄▅▅!"
Sona saw this as a chance of sealing the monster's movement for good and put her hands together and gathered a large amount of water in it and manifested a magic circle as tall as she was in front of her. Sending the water she gathered through her magic circle, she summoned a water serpent that is as thick as its arms and it immediately coiled around the Goliath's waist and remaining arm.
Koneko's arm then became covered in white flames and she shouted to the two, "I'll take care of its defense!" She then jumped up and gathered her flames before sending it as a ball of fire towards the Goliath's back. As of now, all of them already discovered the strong defenses around its fatal weakness and knew that they wouldn't be able to pierce it without combining their firepower.
"▄▄▅▅!▄▄▅▅!▄▄▅▅!" The Goliath tried thrashing around in pain again, but due to its binding, it would take a few seconds before it could break free which is already enough for the trio.
Due to the nature of Koneko's flames, it absorbed and weakened the magic defense around its chest and the only remaining thing is its thick muscle before the magic stone.
"Sona-kaichou! Use mine!" Aika shouted towards Sona before jumping up. Sona nodded at her in understanding and conjured another water serpent.
Reaching a suitable height, Aika swung her nodachi downwards while shouting, "Dragon Fang!" Two red and black half-crescent waves came out of her sword. It's a watered-down version of her Shikai's attack which she learned so that she can use it without releasing her nodachi. However, this version is a lot weaker as it doesn't have much velocity and force behind it, making it's piercing ability almost useless.
At this point in time, Koneko's flame already ceased burning but it was then that another one Sona's water serpent manifested and caught Aika's attack in midair, wearing it as its fangs. The serpent then dived towards the already unguarded back of the Goliath and pierced its back, reaching its magic stone and shattering it into pieces, killing the Goliath.
Editors: 28th00
Alexander
Garan