__Earlier__
"Everyone, we've got intel that the Rudra familia has been loitering around the lower floors." Alise announced.
"Good, we should immediately take them down." Ryuu nodded at Alise.
"Don't be hasty, this must be a trap. They have hidden themselves just fine in the past." Kaguya squinted her eyes.
Everyone then stopped for a moment. "Hey, didn't Lars and his group say they used firestones?" Lyra raised.
"Ooh, that's really good information... They might have turned the lower floors into a minefield." Alise nodded at Lyra.
"Okay, we should be careful of firestones. Prepare at all times to flee." Alise ordered and they went towards the dungeon.
Making their way downwards as they dived, Lyra who was experienced in making explosives checked every nook and cranny.
"This is a trap." Lyra saw some places that had something buried in them.
"What should we do, Alise?" Ryuu questioned and Alise rubbed her chin.
"Isn't it obvious? We stop their villainy, once and for all." Alise grinned.
"Hah, as usual. You are quite reckless, captain." Kaguya sighed at her antics.
"Come on, let's go. I'll scout the area, we should avoid the places with a lot of firestones." Lyra went ahead.
Their dive went pretty well, but when they arrived at the lower floors. Something just felt wrong.
It was too easy. When they got to the 32nd floor, the place was too quiet.
"I think something bad is gonna happen." Kaguya could feel her instincts squirm.
"Yeah, I can't find the buried firestones here in the dense forest ravine." Lyra looked at the jungle.
"Should we push forward, captain?" Ryuu looked at Alise and the redhead was having second thoughts.
"I think. Hmm?" Alise saw a hellhound. Her eyes widened and she shouted.
"Retreat! It's a tamed monster that's the detonator!" Alise warned them and they ran for their lives.
Everyone ran back to the upper floors and a terrible chain reaction started.
The hellhound exploded, carrying a necklace with a firestone pendant.
And when it began, all of the planted firestones exploded like the place was carpet bombed.
Worthy of its name, firestone. Everything in the dungeon was set ablaze.
The walls were turned to smithereens by the explosions and the Astraea familia ran as fast as they could.
And when they arrived at the 30th floor, the explosions finally stopped following them.
"That's crazy... Good thing Lars' group brought us valuable info." Lyra got out of some rubble.
"So, this was a trap. It almost made me want to laugh at how predictable it was." Kaguya squinted her eyes.
They then felt a group above a small cliff that was watching them.
"How are you still alive? You bitches!? Do you have any idea how many firestones we used?" Jura gritted his teeth.
He was fine in getting the Astraea familia. The trap has been set and they prepared for it for a long time.
Lars' group didn't matter at all in the grand scheme of things.
The Astraea familia has more bad blood with evilus. They were like water and oil.
"Hmph, you thought that this kind of trap can kill us?" Ryuu snorted.
"Let's settle this here, Rudra familia!" Alise brandished her rapier.
"There's nowhere to run away." Lyra grinned at them.
"Don't mess with me! I can't let things end here!" Jura started to walk backwards.
And when he stepped on a branch, the whole floor got silent.
The dungeon seemed to scream and everyone froze.
"Eh?" One of the members of Astraea familia just stared at something falling down from the ceiling.
She then got sliced by something that was too fast for her eyes.
"N-noin!" Neze shouted and she was also taken down by the silhouette.
They finally got eyes on the thing and it looked like an evil lizard with swords for claws.
It was quick and agile, using the trees around as footholds.
And another one of them got caught by it. "Urgh!" Their dwarf companion was chewed on and blood squirted off of its jaws.
Ryuu couldn't believe it, three of her sisters in arms just died like that. They didn't even have a chance.
"Argh!" Ryuu went into a blind rage and she charged at it.
"You idiot! Lion!" Kaguya tried to stop her, but the elf was too fast. Not fast enough though.
The tail of the monster crashed onto her and she was sent sailing through the air.
Ryuu bounced like a pebble on the ground as she coughed up blood.
"Lion!" Kaguya went up to her and Ryuu was in shock.
The monster was about to finish Ryuu, but Kaguya went in front of her.
Ryuu opened her eyes and she gasped. Kaguya's arm dropped to the ground as she kneeled down.
"Celty! Fire magic at it! Let's do it at the same time!" Their mage shouted.
"In three, Ryana!" The elf nodded and they charged up their magic.
Lightning magic and fire magic came out of their staves.
The monster who can't dodge in midair formed a spherical shield around it though.
And their magic disappeared for a split second.
The lightning hit Celty back and she was fried in an instant. While Lyra who was nearby got hit as well.
Ryana's eyes widened as she saw her fire get thrown back at her.
Ryuu's acute hearing then heard her scream bloody murder as she burned alive.
"R-Ryana... Celty..." Ryuu blinked in absolute shock.
Iska released a flurry of blows on it. But the monster's shell was too hard.
Like swatting a fly, its claws swiped at her and her arm was sent flying.
With more anxiety and helplessness, she punched and kicked at it. But her other arm was sent flying as well.
"Ahhh!" When she was about to run away, it bit her and started swallowing her whole.
"D-don't eat me!" One of their members wielding a mace dropped her weapon to run away.
"Maryu!" Alise tried to save her, but she was too late.
The monster chomped on her upper half and threw away her legs.
Alise who tried a thrust was suddenly outmaneuvered by it and got stabbed by its claw.
"Agh!" Alise received a large hole on her abdomen and she kneeled down.
"D-don't come near here!" The Rudra familia shouted as the monster went after them next.
"Kaguya, Lion... Are you okay?" Alise limped towards them and Kaguya tied a cloth on her stump.
"You must be blind if you think we're okay, captain." Kaguya joked.
"Lion must be too shocked by the turn of events..." Kaguya pointed at Ryuu and she was just staring at them.
"Alise... Sorry, it got me as well. I can't see a damn thing." Lyra put a makeshift bandage over her eyes.
"Kaguya, Lyra, forgive me. Give me your lives, I want to save Lion..." Alise asked of them.
Ryuu twitched and she slowly looked at her. She then shook her head in horror.
"Yes, I'm fine dying here. It seems that it's time." Kaguya picked up her sword.
"Sure thing, I'm in. I might value my life above everything, but I'll die anyways." Lyra grinned.
"But shouldn't you be the one to live, Alise? With you and Astraea-sama, justice will continue." Kaguya asked her.
"No... There are as many kinds of justice as the stars. I believe in Lion, she'll make the correct decision." Alise looked at Ryuu.
She put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't have an answer to what justice is. But Lion will stay true to her principles."
"Lion, listen. We need your magic to kill it. Start chanting here while we break its shell." Alise smiled at her.
"Promise me Lion... Fulfill your ideals... For us." Alise intertwined her pinky with hers.
"Goodbye Lion..." Alise stood up and she grouped up with Kaguya and Lyra.
"So you're there, Lion. Live for us, yeah?" Lyra smiled at her.
"Take these... Use them as you like, my worthy rival." Kaguya gave her some tantos.
Her eyes hollow, tears flowing down from her face. Ryuu looked at the ceiling of the dungeon as she chanted.
"In the sky of a now distant forest. Infinite stars scattered in the endless night sky." Ryuu's magic started to form.
"AGARIS ALVESYNTH!" Alise charged at the monster as all of the conditions for her skill to activate was met.
Lubrude Bequia: In combat, increases Str. Against an adversity, increases Dex and Vit. And when fighting a great opponent, increases Mag and Agi greatly.
Comparable to a 1st class adventurer, she started to enter mortal combat against the terrible monster.
"Haaaa!" Kaguya ran towards the side and slashed at the monster.
But her left arm was much weaker than her main sword arm and it felt like she was hitting metal.
Sparks came from her sword and the monster's hard shell clashing. It then tried to maul her. Annoyed by her weak hit.
Alise blocked the swipe of the monster and Lyra roared as she acted as a suicide bomber.
Her self created grenades exploded on it and Alise had the chance to attack.
But the monster was too fast and she was about to get stabbed by it.
Kaguya pushed her away and the young woman was stabbed in the abdomen.
"Go! Alise!" Kaguya gritted her teeth. "Ahhhh! ALVERIA!"
Alise stabbed on the shield of the monster to destroy its magic reflecting shell.
An explosion of fire magic was released from her blade. Bleeding profusely, she held on. The blazing magic from her sword shattering its shell.
"Cross the sky and run through the wilderness... Run faster than anything else. Imbue the light of stardust and destroy the enemy!" Ryuu started to wail in despair.
"Ryuu..." Alise got stabbed by the monster's tail as she heard her finish her chant.
"Ryuu! Don't hesitate!" Kaguya stabbed the monster's chink in its defense to keep it busy.
"Ahhhh! Luminous wind!" Ryuu's magic formed. Green spheres that looked like stardust headed towards the monster.
"Ravage; Bastion." A steel wall suddenly formed in front of Ryuu and blocked the stardust of the elf.
A laser beam of pure heat then hit the monster, making it jump backwards at the damage.
The breath attack then shattered the dungeon floor, piercing through multiple floors.
"Hah... I was too late." Steam escaped from Lars' mouth and he looked at the survivors.
Tossing multiple elixirs at them, Lars checked the most critical one, Lyra.
"She's alive, what a tough loli." Lars made her drink some elixir and he bathed her with it.
He was pouring out millions of valis worth of elixir for them.
"L-Lars?" Alise couldn't believe it, in their minds. He was the supporter of their group.
"Yo, Alise. You seem to be in a pinch." Lars squinted his eyes.
"A pinch indeed..." Kaguya dropped down to the ground due to blood loss.
"Alise, carry them back to Ryuu." Lars looked at the monster and Ais was holding it back by using Ariel. The beast struggling due to his surprise attack.
"Ais! Get back here!" Lars shouted immediately and she nodded.
"So this bastard is the one responsible for all this, huh?" Lars saw some sliced up members of the Astraea familia.
His expression went blank and he equipped his gauntlets.
"Ais, protect them." Lars ordered her and she didn't question him.
Scales covered his body. A tail formed and a golden horn appeared on his head.
"COME! I WILL TEAR YOU APART!" He started the battle with the breath attack of a Valgang dragon.
A shockwave exploded with him as the epicenter. The laser of a breath attack sundered everything in its path.
The survivors covered their faces and ears from the shockwaves and flying pebbles.
"I-is that really Lars?" Alise asked in shock. She already knew he was capable. But not that strong.
They watched him fight the beast and seeing him fight was the exact opposite of his cheerful personality.
He swung his blades like he was dancing with death. The orichalum and adamantite claws clashed with the monster's sword-like appendages.
Shockwaves exploded at every hit, and the adventurers watched him stand his ground against the brutal hits.
"H-he's much stronger than I thought..." Ais couldn't help but be in awe at the sight.
The monster charged at him, wanting to take a bite out of him.
"Aaaaah!" Lars caught the monster's maws that tried to chomp on him.
He stopped it with brute force as obsidian formed on his heels as anchors. Slowly stopping the monster's advance.
Lars then flipped it over itself, suplexing the monster upside down through its mouth. Making the ground tremble at the force he threw it.
"Ravage; glaciate." He froze the body of his opponent and it struggled violently.
Pouring mana inside of his weapons, he began attacking the hard head of the monster.
Sparks flew and the slashes of his clawed gauntlets deepened bit by bit.
The tail of the monster escaped from his magic and it swiped at him.
He flew away like a bullet and a thick tree snapped in two when he hit it.
"Lars!" Ais shouted. Alise and Kaguya stopped her though, not wanting a repeat of Ryuu's actions.
"Let me go!" Ais was about to break free from them, but a laser beam hit the monster and Lars walked out of the dust cloud.
"Let's finish you off, fucker." Lars charged and he exchanged blows with it once again.
The monster is approximately a high level 5. But it has a really good defense and offense.
Specialized in killing adventurers, unlike monster rexes that are more like raid bosses.
Claws against metal. Metallic body against dragon scales. The two clashed with each other violently.
"Ravage; Incinerate." He raised his hand and a stream of fire escaped from his palm.
"Tempest!" Ais had to use Ariel as the flames threatened to swallow everything. Fires raged like a tsunami.
"Ravage; Glaciate." Lars used an ice spell next. Encasing the monster in an iceberg.
He then continued for a couple of times. The monster losing its strength as it stopped struggling.
"Burn into ashes." He breathed in deeply and a pulse of mana was released into the air.
His breath attack vaporized the monster as it got hit by it fully. Sundering everything in a straight line.
"A-amazing... Who in the world are you?" Alise couldn't help but blink dumbly.
"He's our savior, thank him at least. Alise, Lion." Kaguya snorted at them.
Ryuu who was shocked out of her mind still, saw him walk up to them.
His golden eyes were as thin as slits, his face had scales on them. Yet he looked otherworldly beautiful.
"You can move right, Ryuu? Carry Lyra while my team arrives." Lars drank a couple of mind potions.
He was actually about to gas out, but passing out in front of ladies wasn't cool.
"Lars, explain later." Ais pointed at his appearance and he remembered that she didn't like dragons at all.
"Okay, I will." He sighed and Ais nodded reluctantly.
"You guys are terribly late." Lars chuckled as Airmid, Tiona, and Tione arrive.
"What in the world happened here?" They asked immediately.
"Talk later, reattach Kaguya's arm first." Lars pointed at the arm lying around near Ryuu.
"Bring them to Monstro, I'll pick up the remains of the Astraea familia." Lars frowned.
The others had grim faces on, but they followed and they went deeper in the dungeon to arrive at Monstro.
"Now then... I guess I should kill you once and for all?" Lars sniffed the air and he noticed him.
The cat man who ambushed them from back then.
"D-don't come any closer!" Jura crawled backwards and Lars sighed, revealing his sharp teeth.
"This will be more unpleasant for me, than it is going to be for you." Lars grabbed his hair and smashed him face first on the ground.
"Ahhhhhh!" Jura screamed like a bitch as Lars bit off one off his fingers.
"How long will you last, I wonder?" Lars breathed on his face and Jura pissed himself in fear.
"Ew, fuck. I guess I'll just have to make do with your upper body." Lars iterated what he was going to do.
"Please! PLEASE! I'll change! I'll live a good life from now on!" Jura begged.
"That's what they all say. And too bad for you, I don't give second chances." Lars bit his whole hand off and Jura's screams resounded on the 30th floor.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.