( At the same time. )
( In another place. )
[ The 8th Floor ]
" The monster here are endless... "
" But it seems, my Gift can still hold on to it. " said the Battle Maiden who is currently fighting against the monsters with A Rank Hunter Park Ignis at her side.
" Keke... guess the monsters here are more resilient than I thought!!! " he says while attacking the monsters.
" Silence Hunter, if it wasn't because of your fellow A Rank Comrades then we would've been here for now... " the Battle Maiden commented to Ignis as he burns all around him.
" Kek..., so what...!!!? "
" Even though we were both A Ranks, doesn't mean we're even friends!!! " Ignis says while burning the swarming monsters in front of him.
" After all, we Hunters are selfish beings... "
" We fight not for the gods but for ourselves... " Ignis explains the Hunters' way of fighting to the Battle Maiden.
" Greedy bastards!!! " she says to him as she comments on how the Hunters totally surrendered themselves to the mundane ways of worldly desires which was then commented back by Ignis as he told her that the 'mundane ways' that she just says it called the 'materialistic ways' by Hunters like him as he told the Divine Avatar, the Hunter believes that Riches and Prosperity should be gained both in the Earth and in the Heaven, unlike those rigid divine believers who sacrificed the worldly joys for the often boring heavenly ways.
As the two comment on each institute's ways, they then use their abilities to clear the Floor while ascending to the top. While Ignis use his [Furnace Fire] and [Ares Wrath] (His Gifts comes from the God of War, Ares, and the God of Fire, Agni.), he then burns all monsters in his path as he kills the big monster who happens to be the Boss of the 8th Floor.
" Hope those who were late can now easily venture the 8th Floor after we deal with it. " Ignis says for he now files with his [Fire Repulsor] to the skies as he flies and ascends into the 9th Floor first, leaving Battle Maiden behind.
" I'm off first, Battle Maiden!!! "
" I'll see you at the top if you can manage to chase me... "
" But sadly, even if you can, it will all be too late. "
" For I will already kill Adrian before you came, sorry!!! " Ignis laughingly says while Battle Maiden had to deal with many Demonic Monsters that are in her way.
"( A Rank Hunter, Adrian Waterson. )"
"( He's already worked with the Demons too much, for too long even. )"
"( So long that I can finally understand why the Demonic Monsters didn't bother to even attack him at the first glance. )"
"( He has a [Sin Mark], and also..., his Mark had already produced a [Sin Core].... )"
"( Which means he is now one of those who has the Mark but found a way to use it as their weapon. )" Battle Maiden says as she remembers that those who had the [Sin Core] had the chance to communicate with the Demons of the Abyss since their Sins had slowly aligned themselves to them.
"( Because of that, now that A Rank Hunter is nothing more than a Demonic Monster that needs to be eliminated by the gods' Justice. )" Battle Maiden says as her sword glows the light of Divine Justice, the light that immediately scares the Monsters for its radiance is so bright that it pierces every darkness in the Floor's corner.
* Monsters growl in pain of the light. *
* Monsters fear the light and try to leave. *
" Begone foul creatures!!! "
" You will not stand in my way of bringing Justice to 'he' who betrays humanity!!! " Battle Maiden vows while unleashing her Divine Justice Light.
" Ooo goddess of Justice...!!! "
" Allow me to use your Divine Light and Wipe out these Foul Creatures!!! "
" And I pray for you to let me bring Justice for the betrayer of humanity that had led our People astray!!!! " Battle Maiden prays to Athena for her blade is now filled with her light as it begins to fire the monsters' skin.
* Monsters growl in pain of the light. *
" Prepare yourselves foul and tainted creatures!!! "
" Let Athena's Divine Light of Justice erase you!!! "
" [Divine Judgement: Licht Saber]!!!! " Battle Maiden slashes the whole place with the light as she wipes out all of the monsters there with ease, leaving none breathing and moving as she precisely cut the life out of them.
After she slashes them, the monsters were slashed off and die as their body slowly dissipates because of the light's burning radiance that will turn anything dark into ashes, and after it turns into ashes, the light will make the darkness ash disappears for good as it cleanses and purged it completely.
" The monsters here are strong, even I a Tier V and a Divine Avatar had to use a portion of my goddess's power to defeat them completely. " Battle Maiden says as she recharges her power.
" PANT, PANT "
" Guess Ragna was right... " she says for she remembers her talk with Ragna earlier before they depart on the 4th Floor.
" We should've stayed together... " she regretted even departing herself from the others too since she is already too fixated on her suspicions about Adrian ever since entering the Abyss Tower.
Back then, Battle Maiden had already noticed Adrian's suspicious movement during the Tower Raid despite her covered eyes, at the time, she notices that many monsters attacked the Hunters but they somehow left Adrian and those close to him behind while the monsters just attack the other Hunters as if they were afraid on hurting Adrian at the first place.
Second, on the Second Floor, Battle Maiden remembers how Adrian just easily killed all of the monsters inside the tower as the monster suddenly goes into fear when he showed up and slashes them with ease as if he owns the Demonic Monsters.
" I think, I should rest here... "
" While regretting my mistakes I must prepare myself fully before facing the 'betrayer' on his Floor, the place that would likely become his current domain. " Battle Maiden says as she decides to wait for Ragna and the other Hunters to come.
" Ragna..., that boy..., "
" My eyes are covered but without it, I can already sense that the boy had already anticipated almost everything inside this Tower. "
" And most of them are proven to be true... " Battle Maiden says as she recounts her promise to Ragna's grandmother, Rory Kent.
" Mrs. Kent..., just what is your grandson, anyway? " she wonders to herself while meditating on the 8th Floor.
( Meanwhile. )
" Adrian!!! " Ignis burst into the 11th Floor as he flights towards the upper Floors informally, without even attacking any Floor Guardians since he can use his Fire to flight.
As he landed on the 11th Floor, he can see the place is filled with fire and on top of that.
* GROWL *
A growl suddenly came from the darkness on that Floor as it came towards him, revealing itself to be the Beast that is the Secret Monster Weapon of this Abyss Tower as it came with its Fire Blade...
" No way, you're... " Ignis was shocked as he then prepares his Fire.
" So this is how it's going to be, huh? "
" Fight fire with fire!!! " he says as the monster comes and roars, revealing its face in full, revealing its identity, as the Abyss Tower's Balrog.
__________________
( At the same time.)
[Pressure Point Attack: Organ Damage Strike]
" Arrgghhhh!!!! goddamn you!!!? " said the Hunter who screamed due to his pain after Galen struck at his Pressure Points and destroy some of his organs.