The party was able to successfully kill all plant monsters and discussed a bit about the monsters and the comprehensive countermeasures that they can implement once they encounter them again.
Although they didn't have time to talk about the trio's abilities that they just showed, the look that the Hermes Familia was giving them changed and they finally looked at them as trusty companions and not just some random addition that they had to protect.
And just as they expected more monsters came after them soon after and this time they were coming from the place they were aiming for and from behind them, "Sword Princess, can I ask you to take care of one side?"
"Understood." Ais nodded at her and took the monsters that were coming from behind them.
"Let's go!" With Asfi's shout, all of them moved out and Aika, Sona, and Koneko went with the Hermes Familia to take on the front.
But just as Ais separated from them, giant green pillars started dropping from above and pierced the ground between Ais and the rest of the group, effectively separating them, "!?"
The plant monsters which Ais was supposed to face off retreated and a red-haired woman came walking towards her, "To think you'd come on your own accord. It's just what I wished for."
Ais slowly stood up from her position and faced her target, 'She's here, just as I thought.'
"Long time no see, Aria."
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Lulune and Aika checked the pillar that separated them from Ais and both of them figured that it would take some time to break it and with the monsters coming after them, they virtually had no time.
"Lulune, what's our estimated distance to the pantry from our current position?" Asfi asked.
"If it's the same as the old map, then around 500." She answered in a worried tone.
"Five more monsters from the side!", reported a vanguard of the Hermes Familia.
"Everyone! Scatter the magic stones!" Asfi commanded and everyone who had a bag with magic stones which was previously distributed, threw it away from their group. The monsters dived towards the magic stones like they were hoping for and they used this chance to run towards the opening it created, "Run now!"
Asfi then threw her Molotov-like cocktail towards the monsters they left behind and commanded, "Nelly, use your magic sword!"
Nelly, a human girl which acted as their center guard, took out her magic sword and waved it, releasing a ball of fire that hit Asfi's creation, creating a large explosion of flame that engulfed all the monsters.
"Lulune, we have no more time to make a map. You should avoid combat and memorize the layout with all your strength!"
"Got it!"
"We'll run directly to the pantry from here!"
" " "Roger that!" " " Everyone from the Hermes Familia shouted.
"Falgar, take the lead!" Asfi commanded their tank and looked behind her and faced the monsters that didn't die from the attack just now, "I'll take the rear myself!"
"Just as I thought, they haven't been killed off properly!" Asfi deflected their attacks using her short sword, however, there were too many of them to initiate a counter-attack and so, she could only hold them off, 'Taking into account the situation and difference in levels, I'm the one who should stay behind to hold them back... Still, there's too many of them!'
But during her time of distress due to her underestimating the number of monsters, a two-meter long blade suddenly flashed in front of her, cutting off the tail of the monster, "Hey, I can help~." Aika came with a smile.
"Thanks." Asfi nodded at her and the two of them pulled away from the monsters before they took off to follow the rest.
They went straight towards the pantry, cutting through the plant monsters which blocked them.
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"Shoot, sniper of fairies! Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy! Arcs Ray!" With a beam of light, Lefiya annihilated the monsters that blocked them on the 24th floor.
"I see, you're from Wishe Forest. One of the Elves known for their outstanding magic power even among other Elves. No wonder you are able to output that much magic power." Filvis commented.
"T-thank you. This is the only trait that I have..." Lefiya blushed at her compliment, 'It's no good! My face is breaking into a smile even though we're still in battle.' She then looked towards Filvis again and thought, 'I've gotten closer to Filvis-san since that incident on the 18th Floor, at least, I think so. It feels like I've gained a companion and a friend at the same time. It makes me happy.'
But someone intruded in her happy moment, "Oi, yuri Elf, don't slow down." Yoruichi suddenly appeared in front of her face with a grin.
"Wah!" Lefiya was startled at her sudden appearance, but a certain word caught her attention, "Yuri? What's that? But I feel that's incredibly rude."
Once they reached the 24th floor, Yoruichi went behind everyone and they thought that her basic parameters already couldn't keep up with the monsters of this floor. Although Lefiya has some doubts as she has already seen how the other three from their Familia fought, and this was far from their limits, she didn't point it out as it seemed that Riveria wanted to keep their strength a secret.
And Lefiya's doubts were correct. Yoruichi was holding back because she could feel someone following their tracks and she was keeping an eye on him, 'This Mana signature is weird... A hybrid of a monster and a person? Is he one of those which Sona and the rest encountered on the 18th floor with a similarly weird Mana signature?'
Yoruichi then took a strategic position that also wouldn't garner any suspicion to take a glimpse at their stalker. Once the stalker entered the corner of her eyes, she immediately memorized his figure but couldn't find much about it as he was wearing a black cloak and a black mask that covered his whole face, including his eyes.
However, a split second later, something else came into her view, his soul, "What!? Another half soul?" Then she looked towards Filvis who was talking happily with Lefiya and, coincidentally, also had only a half of her soul, 'What's this? What's going on?'
But Yoruichi didn't have time to contemplate this as she felt the disturbance at the destination they were supposed to go and reached the green wall.
"What's this?" Bete asked as he stopped in front of the wall to inspect it.
Yoruichi didn't have time to listen to their guesses and directly smashed the wall in front of them, "No time for that! Things are heating up inside!" Then she went in first with amazing speed and left behind everyone.
" " "...What?" " "
Comment section
Alexander: My, what a satisfying chapter. The yuri erofu doesn't disappoint and the yuri/harem queen shinigami goes in for the climax while leaving the audience dumbfounded.
28th00: I feel like we're not supposed to bully Lefiya, even if she is a yuri elf… The half soul might be because of Filvis' ability to split herself in half with the skill that halves all her parameters though. That'd make the one following them Ein. I haven't read Sword Oratoria so I don't know much about her, but I do know that Ein is absolutely Pro-Enyo and Filvis is more "Why am I still alive as such a cursed existence?"
Goyya: Filvis and Ein have different mindsets. Although they came from one source, they both experience different things.