P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them
CHAPTER 10
The Fool
In Orario's southeast block, one corner of Daedalus Street was
wrapped in an eerie silence.
The scene unfolding beneath the blue sky was far from nor-
mal.
A vouivre lay halfway through a building wall, pinned to the
ground by a spear. Directly in front of it, standing in the middle
of the wide street with his weapon raised to protect the monster,
was Bell. Hestia and the rest of her familia were huddled up
against the side of the road, the townspeople were watching from
farther back, and Loki Familia was gathered on the rooftops di-
rectly behind them.
As plumes of dust billowed up from the brick rubble, the boy
stood before the onlookers and their suspicious glares.
"So…what do we do about that?"
Tione's substantial breasts swelled as she sighed at the boy po-
sitioning himself to oppose them. Her twin sister, Tiona, was in
shock next to her, as Bell, Aiz, and Loki Familia's strongest ad-
venturers stared each other down.
"Wh-what should we do?"
"Just ignore him. No idea what he's thinking, but it doesn't
matter. This ends now."
Bete almost sounded bored as he took a step forward.
Just as the remainder of Loki Familia prepared to follow the
adult werewolf's lead toward the monster—"FIREBOLT!"
"?!"
Boom! A burning thunderbolt tore through the sky with a
roaring explosion.
Bete and his allies were moments away from jumping down
from the roof, but they all froze in midstep. Startled by the sud-
den explosion, Daedalus Street's residents covered their ears in
fright.
Bell had stuffed the jewel into the pouch at his waist before
thrusting his left arm toward the heavens and triggering his
Swift-Strike Magic.
It was a threat, a warning to come no closer.
He stood completely still, with sweat running down his skin in
rivulets.
"—AAh?"
"?!"
Raw emotion surged from Bete, from Loki Familia, and from
the residents.
"What's the big idea?" asked countless sets of eyes in unison.
Criticism for the boy protecting the monster wasn't the only
thing in their eyes—terrible disdain and hostility were rising as
well. He was a mere step away from being ostracized. He could
see Aiz's and Tiona's confusion, the wary gazes of the rest of Loki
Familia, and the shocked faces of his own familia.
The Hestia Knife trembled in his right hand, and the boy's
sweat and heartbeat had reached a crescendo.
—This could be the end.
One wrong word here and it was all over.
Bell Cranell would become an enemy of the people.
As for what he said next…
"…Th—"
His parched tongue tangled in knots.
Bell fixed his gaze on the people in front of him and raised his
voice.
"…This…this one's mine."
Those words came from his mouth.
"I saw this vouivre first; it's mine…!"
Bete and the others were taken aback, as Bell drove his point
home as harshly as he could.
"So hands off…!!"
Backed into a corner at the moment of truth, Bell chose to act
like an ill-tempered adventurer.
After claiming the monster's magic stone and all drop items
for himself, he brandished the weapon in his right hand at the
slack-jawed onlookers, including his own familia.
" ?!"
"!"
That's when the vouivre, who had been thrashing about, fi-
nally ripped the spear from the ground and broke free.
Spewing blood, it bolted away, as if trying to escape both the
adventurers and its own pain.
Bell turned his back on the residents and pursued the monster
without a moment's delay.
"Ooookay…So what did he mean by that?"
Tiona tilted her head in confusion. Aiz opened her mouth.
"It's against the rules for one adventurer to steal a kill from
another…"
"Ahh…vouivres are pretty rare, aren't they?"
"Punk-ass kid…That's only true in the Dungeon. Those rules
don't belong out here!"
Aiz's explanation satisfied Tiona, who nodded in agreement,
but Bete was on the verge of tearing out his ash-colored fur.
The werewolf wasn't the only one upset that the boy had prior-
itized his own gain during this state of emergency—other mem-
bers of Bete's familia and the townspeople were fuming with
anger and animosity.
"General…"
"There's no need to let a child have his way. Follow that
vouivre."
Tione kept her eyes on the monster and the boy approaching
the end of the street as she turned toward Finn, who started issu-
ing a string of orders in a steady voice.
Loki Familia's forces obeyed. Some jumped off the rooftops
while others remained above the streets per his instructions,
when…
"—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"?!"
A monster's ferocious howl echoed through the sky as if to
drown them out.
Over twenty monsters carrying weapons appeared on the
street a moment later.
"Armed monsters!"
"It looks as though there was a connection to Rivira's destruc-
tion, after all…"
Furious footsteps echoed through the backstreets as a lizard-
man jumped to the forefront and a gargoyle descended into the
dungeon-like maze of buildings from above. The two monsters
led their allies forward from both land and sky.
Chaos erupted on the street once again—the civilians
screamed as adventurers looked on in disbelief. The swarm of
monsters gathered in front of Loki Familia as if to block their
path—offering themselves as decoys—and to prevent their ad-
vance.
"Lido, Gros…!"
—Meanwhile, Fels, who had pursued the Xenos in an attempt
to stop them, watched helplessly from an alley.
"Please do not stop us, Fels."
"Rei…!"
"We've made our decision. We will help that person and our
kin. Should we leave them to their fate now…We lose the right to
pursue our desire."
The siren took a bite out of the end of her wing, smearing her
face in blood before smiling at Fels and taking flight. The black-
robed mage's gloves clenched into fists as her golden feathers
fluttered down from the blue sky above.
"Damn…You realize my feelings already move me to help you,
do you not?"
Fels left the hiding place, determined to assist the Xenos.
"Finn, your orders?"
Riveria began a counteroffensive with her bow as she ad-
dressed Finn.
"…Take as many alive as possible."
"Alive?"
Bete scoffed, but the prum general responded with a nod and
said, "Yes. There's something I'd like to know. First off, Tione,
lead a group to engage them head-on. Avoid casting powerful
magic. It'll damage the city."
"I got you!"
"Understood!"
"Fine, then…"
"Magic users will help protect townspeople as they retreat.
Their safety is our top priority. Now go."
"Sir!"
Having received the orders in quick succession, those under
his command immediately set off to carry them out.
As Tione, Tiona, and Bete charged forward with the brunt of
Loki Familia's forces right behind them, Finn called out to Aiz
before she could jump down from the rooftop.
"Aiz, you stay here."
"…?"
"Riveria, prepare a barrier. I know what I said, but I doubt the
townspeople will escape right away."
"…Too much renown poses its own problems. I understand,
we must be cautious."
"See that it's done. Gareth, I hate to ask, but would you set up
a perimeter over there?"
"Hmm? Fine by me…Ye sure they can handle those armed
monsters?"
"Yes, those three alone should be enough."
Outright ignoring Aiz's confusion, Finn issued orders to Rive-
ria and Gareth.
They glanced at the civilians, who were hesitant to evacuate
now that they felt safe—not to mention excited by the prospect of
seeing Orario's strongest familia in action with their own eyes.
Riveria sighed to herself as she leaped off the rooftop, already
casting her spell.
Gareth hoisted his ax over his shoulder and ran off in the di-
rection Finn had indicated.
"…Finn."
"Oh, sorry, sorry. Aiz, you're our insurance."
Stare…Finn apologized right away once he felt Aiz's eyes on
him.
He forced a smile as if sensing the aloof, normally quiet Sword
Princess's thoughts—her disappointment or perhaps her discon-
tent.
"…Is there…something coming?"
"My thumb is a bit…you know…"
Aiz asked him to elaborate with a docile look on her face while
Finn ran his tongue across his thumb.
Now alone with the girl on the rooftop, the prum general lifted
his gaze.
The adventurers and monsters were already engaged in com-
bat before him.
The curtain rose over the battle between Loki Familia and the
Xenos.
The battle commenced as the combatants spread out across the
eight-meder-wide street.
The Xenos forces fought with the city's eastern wall at their
backs, trying to hold off the adventurers' advance. Loki Familia
came from the west, closer to Babel Tower, and the two groups
collided in the middle of the street.
A troll exchanged blows with a male werewolf; a human girl
faced a lamia in combat; a stunningly elegant elf archer fired ar-
rows toward a griffin. Each was armed with their weapon of
choice. The battlefield resounded with a nearly constant cacoph-
ony of weapon against weapon.
"GAOOOOOOOO!!"
"Lizardman, eh…"
Lido, donning a monstrous visage, clashed with the Amazon
Tione.
The former was armed with a longsword and scimitar while
the latter wielded a pair of Kukri knives. The two dual-wielding
combatants exchanged a flurry of strikes and slashes.
"...?!"
However, Lido soon felt that he was fighting against a storm
surge at high tide.
Her long black hair swirled, and her blades blurred in a surg-
ing, furious dance. Each high-speed strike was powerful enough
to inflict critical damage. Lido blocked them with his full-strength
deflections, creating tremendous metallic clangs that over-
whelmed his hearing.
The Amazon's dance continued to flow, but she mixed in her
own style of martial arts. Her supple wheat-skinned legs lashed
out like whips, breaking Lido's prized, solid red scales on contact.
What's more, her bare feet didn't have a scratch on them.
As her blades carved through the air like a net, her exceptional
hand-to-hand technique used her elbows and legs as well.
When his blades were deflected, the impact sent unbelievably
fierce shocks through his gauntlets and into the muscles beneath.
To the lizardman's eyes, to an actual monster, her savage
fighting style conjured images of wild beasts; her two Kukri
knives were fangs in their own right.
Lido found himself on the defensive almost immediately.
"Interesting…"
Tione narrowed her eyes at the lizardman that was weathering
her attacks, managing to avoid the fatal blows grazing past its
scales.
Suddenly interested in Lido's swordsmanship, she picked up
the pace as if to determine exactly how many skills and tactics the
monster possessed.
S-so strong…!
Lido's reptilian yellow eyes trembled.
He had faced many adventurers in combat today and—exclud-
ing Ganesha Familia's elite, Shakti, and the man in goggles, Dix
—he was confident he could handily dispatch any foot soldier.
That was neither an overexaggeration nor a bluff. His confidence
came from his many years of consuming other monsters' magic
crystals to acquire enhanced-species potential, as well as the time
he had spent perfecting his wild fighting style.
Against this opponent, however, he couldn't see the slightest
glimmer of victory.
Lido had no choice but to accept the fact that he, a monster,
had become the prey before this sharp-eyed Amazon.
—Freya Familia and Loki Familia.
—Lido, you must avoid them at all costs.
—They must never become your enemy.
Lido remembered the advice that Fels had imparted deep in
the dark Dungeon.
They'd gone far out of their way to avoid the two groups be-
cause of the mage's warning, and now Lido knew the true mean-
ing behind Fels's words firsthand.
But—I can't go dying now!
Lido, his eyes alight, skillfully deflected his opponent's strikes
and set his sights on a counterattack.
Once he had gained a bit of distance with a few well-placed,
deft slashes, he swung the longsword and scimitar forward with
all the might his body had to offer.
Of course, Tione knocked the blades away with ease—prompt-
ing Lido to lash forward with his tail, and the waist-level ap-
pendage connected with incredible force.
"!"
The third strike caught Tione off guard, and the two Kukri
knives were knocked from her grasp.
How'd you like that?
The moment Lido slashed the scimitar for the finishing blow—
Tione disappeared.
Too fast for his eyes to register, she grabbed hold of Lido's
head from the side with her bare hand and slammed him into a
nearby wall in one smooth motion.
"—GHAA!"
The blackened brick wall burst on impact, burying Lido in rub-
ble as one eye widened in horror.
"…You're not just any lizardman, are you?"
The one who had flung the lizardman's entire body into a wall
with one slender limb said it matter-of-factly as she tightened her
grip, cracking his skull under the pressure.
The monster's tail thrashed forward in pain, and Tione
jumped back immediately. Now free, Lido pulled his body from
the rubble but could barely stand.
" !!"
"Oh shut up…"
—Near the edge of the street, away from Lido and Tione, Bete
covered the wolf ears on top of his head to shield them from a
sound wave blasting overhead.
A monstrous-looking siren easily dodged the arrows and other
weapons thrown its way while unleashing high-frequency sound
waves over a wide area. Bete nearly lost his sense of balance to
the powerful onslaught despite the considerable distance between
them. Adventurers directly in the line of fire didn't stand a chance
and collapsed hand-first to the ground with blood leaking out of
their ears.
Menace burning in his eyes, Bete kicked off the ground.
"?!"
The siren Rei flinched as he rocketed toward her from the
lower left. As Bete tore through the air like a ravenous wolf hell-
bent on devouring the moon, she immediately ceased the attack
and banked to evade him.
The two slid past each other in midair, and the siren broke out
in a cold sweat as the werewolf's fist brushed against her face in a
near miss. At the same time, her opponent seemed to have antici-
pated this and landed against a nearby building. Whipping his
body around in a split second, he sprang off its surface.
Again, he closed the distance like a bullet.
" ."
Rei, a flying monster, was about to take an attack from the
rear. There was no time to gawk.
Bete grinned, his mythril-metal boot flashing in the sunlight
as it arced high over his head.
"Crash."
Despite being wingless, Bete slammed his foot into the air-
borne monster's back.
"?!"
Rei plummeted to the ground like a meteorite.
Unable to breathe or break her fall in any way, she shattered
the stone pavement on impact.
It was over in a single blow.
"Why'd you have to go and give that annoying order, Finn…?"
Cursing his instructions to take the monsters alive, Bete
walked over to Rei to see if he'd held back enough. His injured al-
lies watched, wanting nothing more than to pay the siren back for
what she'd done to them, as he walked over to the small crater
where she lay facedown and rolled her over with a careless kick.
The siren's shapely chest shuddered beneath a single layer of
battle cloth as she landed flat on her back.
"Ahhn? The hell…?"
Sliding across the stone pavement had wiped away a part of
Rei's mask of blood.
She had long, dark golden hair, eyes as blue as the sky, and el-
egant facial features on par with the elves.
Bete cocked an eyebrow at the form Rei had purposely con-
cealed and grinned.
"Quite the looker for a monster, aren't you?"
Then he lifted his right leg and mercilessly drove it straight
into Rei's stomach.
"…ah!"
"But monsters can go to hell."
The siren's lower body lurched upward on the boot heel's im-
pact. With a smile of scorn and anger, he pounded the divide be-
tween people and monsters into Rei.
A beautiful yet harsh sun burned into Rei's eyes.
She had yearned to see the surface light for so long, and all it
did was illuminate her cruel reality.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
"Do any of them know how to shut up?!"
A gargoyle dove for the werewolf with his boot on Rei.
Bete jumped backward, avoiding Gros's rage-filled charge, and
shattered the swiping stone claws with a kick before they could
rip his head off.
Time stood still for the gargoyle as the stone-claw fragments
flew past his eyes, and Bete's metal boot bore down on him with a
high roundhouse kick.
"Gwah?!"
"Your kind doesn't belong here."
The brutal werewolf followed up with another kick, telling the
gargoyle to hole up in the dreary underground.
"One…and two!"
"?!"
Denied an aerial escape route, the gargoyle desperately fended
off the barrage while Tiona disarmed her opponent, a red-cap
goblin. The ax was far too big for its tiny wielder, and she sent it
skyward with a few skillful swings of her giant, double-bladed
sword.
—It's a goblin, but it's about as good as a Level 4, maybe?
Tiona thought to herself, both impressed and bewildered by
her most likely enhanced-species red-cap-goblin opponent, as she
threw several kicks in a variant of her sister's fighting style.
"Hi-yaaa!"
"GUH!"
In the blink of an eye, Tiona defeated the especially challeng-
ing monster.
"I'm not Bete or anything, but it's hard to hold Urga back."
Balancing the double-bladed weapon over her shoulder with
one hand, Tiona jogged her way through the clashing adventurers
and monsters. "Can't have any fun…" she mumbled to herself in
search of prey.
"KIIH!!"
"Heh? An al-miraj~?"
Round red eyes looking right up at her, it had fluffy, cotton-
like fur.
It was charging her with one arm held high as if screaming,
"This is for my kind!"
The monster resembling a certain boy didn't perk Tiona's in-
terest in the least, and she stuck out her arm to slap it.
"KYU!"
SMACK! An unbelievable sound burst from its cheek as the
wide-eyed al-miraj rolled back down the street and slammed into
a wall.
The blank-eyed al-miraj—Aruru—lost consciousness with a
soft squeak. "Kyuu…"
Her hellhound partner left her there and hid behind a nearby
building.
"This is very bad…!"
Fels anxiously whispered, surveying the battle from the roof of
a tall apartment building before rushing into action.
One Xenos, then another and another fell to Loki Familia.
Even the weaker members behind Tiona and the other captains
demonstrated considerable strength and outstanding teamwork.
Having been in continuous combat since the Dungeon's eigh-
teenth floor didn't help matters as the lamia, troll, and the in-
jured harpy had reached their physical limits.
The writing was on the wall. It had come to this. Grinding
bony teeth together beneath the black hood, Fels looked up from
the street and scanned the surrounding area.
"The battle is taking place in a corner of Daedalus Street, rela-
tively close to the Coliseum and East Main Street…!"
Catching a glimpse of the amphitheater from between two
buildings, Fels's mind was set.
"My apologies, Ouranos…I'm using it!"
Fels withdrew a golden wand from beneath the folds of the
cloak and sprinted off to the north.
"…An earthquake?"
Fwump. The lizardman collapsed to the ground in front of her,
and Tione glanced at her feet.
Bete had taken down the gargoyle, and with very few monsters
left standing, tremors raced through the earth. They were getting
stronger—no, closer—and the members of Loki Familia were
united in their surprise and disbelief for a moment. And then…
The ground split open with incredible force to reveal a mass of
shining metal.
"Uwoah?! What is that?!" Tiona cried in amazement, followed
by her allies' surprised yells.
"A metallic monster?!"
"A new species?!"
Just as the adventurers said, the thing was made of a silver-
like metal.
Its arms and legs were thicker than any large-category mon-
ster. The head looked like a small mountain due to the position of
its neck and had parts that resembled eyes. A symbol, deeper
black than any language could describe, was just above its eyes.
Standing over three meders tall and lacking symmetry on either
side, the thing might as well have been cobbled together from
large chunks of metal. Its crooked body shared some similarities
to flame rocks, a type of monster that resided in the Dungeon's
deep levels.
"A Golem…It's my own magic item, dispatched into the sewer
system after the Monsterphilia incident…!"
Fels monologued on the verge of desperation, announcing the
trump card.
The creator could channel magic energy through a wand to
control it at a distance, but it was autonomous for the most part.
A metallic warrior that carried out simple instructions.
An unquestionably loyal combatant without a soul of its own—
an extremely high-quality magic item requiring a level of skill
that only Fels, formerly known as the Sage, possessed.
Fels used the wand to order the warrior into battle and assist
the Xenos.
"What is this?! One of their friends?!"
"How the hell should I know?!"
Tione and Bete immediately moved to engage the rampaging
Golem, attacking at close range.
"—Damn, that's hard!!"
"It's made of adamantite?!"
However, the tips of both Kukri knives snapped on impact,
and the shock of his metal boot striking the solid mass reached
Bete's foot.
"You're absolutely right…!"
Fels, looking down from high above, would have been smiling
with satisfaction had there been the muscles or skin to do so.
The Golem's entire body had been created using adamantite.
And not just the standard form but a purer form of adamantite
mined from the deep levels. Not even the first-tier adventurers'
weapons could easily break it. In terms of money, it would be val-
ued at one billion valis, an ace in the hole that Fels had kept hid-
den for centuries.
" !!"
As the mage chuckled with glee far overhead, the Golem ef-
fortlessly deflected Tione's and Bete's attacks while advancing to-
ward the other adventurers without so much as a scratch. Its
movements might have been clumsy, but the sheer weight and
density of adamantite made each wild swing of its arms extremely
powerful.
Many adventurers thought better of their attack while others
were launched skyward along with their shields. Bete clicked his
tongue, when suddenly—
"—Oh-ho-ho! Now that's what I'm talking about!!" Tiona's
eyes sparkled; she was grinning from ear to ear.
Fels froze in place, watching as the tide of battle shifted before
his eyes.
"Everyone, get out of the way!"
"That idiot…!"
"Hey! Kick all those fallen monsters out of the street!"
Tione's mood turned sour when Tiona appeared, whirling her
double-bladed sword over her head like a windmill in both hands,
and Bete snapped at her. They were rattled.
The same was true for their allies. "Run away!" "She's com-
ing!" they yelled to one another, desperate to get out of her path.
The townspeople—and Hestia Familia, still in the same spot—
glanced around in confusion as Finn smiled wanly, Riveria let out
a long sigh, and Aiz watched with a hint of envy.
The Golem slowly turned around, suddenly alone on the aban-
doned street.
The metallic warrior charged her head-on as Tiona flashed an
innocent smile at her target—and attacked with her double-
bladed weapon.
"Heeereee I gooo !!"
Then, SLASH!
" ."
The townspeople, Hestia Familia, and the fallen Xenos
couldn't help but watch.
The massive blade came down at an angle.
Sparkling metal fragments scattered as the adamantite body
collapsed to the ground with a thunderous bang.
Still as an eroding statue, Fels stared blankly at the two halves
of the cherished Golem.
"...!"
"Huh? The thing's still moving?!"
Crick, crick, crick! Its severed upper body reached outward,
startling Tiona as she slashed again.
Light left the Golem's eyes the moment her blade cut through
the symbol on its head, and its arm collapsed to the ground. The
metallic warrior became silent as the grave.
"Oh! So the head was the weak spot! Finn, I did it!"
"Tiona, you idiot!! The general said to take them alive, didn't
he?"
"Ah."
Tione's rebuke struck her sister like a lightning bolt as the
younger girl waved. Having given in to her berserker instincts,
Tiona froze on the spot.
Her custom-made, double-bladed sword—two massive blades
on either end of the hilt—was huge even by adventurer standards.
The hulking weapon glinted in Tiona's grasp.
A few moments passed before the quiet crowd once again
erupted with cheers.
"Hah, ha-ha-ha…It's no use, Ouranos. They are the true mon-
sters after all…!"
After coming out of the daze, Fels could only force an empty
laugh.
A mixture of awe and fear had taken hold of the mage after
seeing Loki Familia's true strength.
And, right then…
"Finn's hunch was right on the money. Sharp as a tack, as al-
ways."
" ."
A dwarf's low voice came from behind Fels.
It was Gareth, his battle-ax at the ready.
Finn had reasoned that there must be a tamer—or someone—
calling the shots, due to the timing and coordination of the
Xenos's appearance, and ordered Gareth to circle behind the
strange figure watching over the battle.
"Are you the monster mastermind?"
"..."
"Are you a person or a monster…? Well, taking that robe of
yours away should make it clear enough."
The mage froze, unable to come up with a way to escape the
first-tier adventurer's overwhelming presence.
Beneath the black robe, Fels remembered the sensation of cold
sweat, despite not being able to feel it anymore.
"...!"
With the Xenos's cries of pain and the townspeople's cheers of
joy in his ears, Welf tightened his grip on his greatsword.
Hestia Familia hadn't moved from the street side. They hadn't
been able to pursue Bell due to the Xenos suddenly appearing in
their way, but above all else, they'd been in awe of Loki Familia's
teamwork and skill in battle.
The young smith's vision was filled with badly injured Xenos,
bleeding as they crawled across the ground. Welf couldn't take it
anymore and stepped out from their hiding place.
"You mustn't, Mr. Welf!"
Lilly jumped out right behind him, grabbing ahold of his waist.
"Let go, Li'l E!! At this rate, they'll all—"
"We can't! Mr. Bell's situation is still unresolved, but should
any of us protect them as well, Hestia Familia will be…!"
Lilly was also fighting against fear.
Fear of what would happen to their soon-to-be-denounced fa-
milia and fear of the first-tier adventurers' unparalleled power,
scarier than any of the monsters.
Welf bit his lip, seeing Lilly tremble as she warned of persecu-
tion and retribution.
"…It's fine. Go to it, Welf."
"Lady Hestia?!"
"Just say your goddess told you to. Followers can't go against
their deity's wishes, can they? Deities are always after entertain-
ment…If it looks like my whim, people shouldn't be too hard on
you."
Lilly couldn't ignore her goddess's words and compassion for
Wiene's comrades. Letting go of Welf's jacket, she thrust her
hand into her item pouch as though determined to assist their
cause.
"…I shall attempt to weigh the adventurers down with my
magic. Use that opportunity to reach the Xenos."
"Miss Mikoto…"
"Lady Haruhime, would you lend me your Level Boost? To be
blunt, I doubt my ability to restrain top-tier adventurers for
long…"
"…But of course!"
Mikoto stepped up to Welf's side, sheathing her katana.
Haruhime gave her a firm nod.
Everyone sweated as the tension escalated, and Mikoto and
Haruhime were just about to hide behind the nearest building so
that the renart's spell wouldn't be overheard, when suddenly—
A rumbling howl filled the air.
""
Aiz, Finn, Riveria, Tiona, Tione, Bete, and Gareth—each
stopped what they were doing on the battlefield and immediately
turned toward it.
Welf, Mikoto, and the rest of Hestia Familia froze at the sight
of the trembling sky.
"What…was that…?"
The cheering crowd was suddenly silent.
The combatants of Loki Familia had come to a sudden halt,
but even the noncombatant Haruhime stood completely still, her
fox tail twitching, her instincts telling her to flee in terror. Hestia,
a deity, was stunned.
Then…thud…thud…
The heavy, threatening echoes and shuddering earth heralded
the arrival of a newcomer.
No one needed to see it to know those were footsteps. They
were approaching, steadily, from behind the wall that the vouivre
had broken through on its arrival.
Every set of eyes focused on the wall, still shrouded in smoke.
Many monsters were still lying facedown in the street, and all
other sound disappeared from the battlefield.
Moments later…
A shadow appeared in the smoke, crushing rubble underfoot
as its form took shape.
"—What the…?" one of the adventurers whispered.
It had skin so black it could have been born from the deepest,
darkest bowels of the Dungeon. Over two meders tall with mus-
cles built like boulders, it was equipped with adventurer's armor.
A nigh-indestructible breastplate, shoulder armor, gauntlets,
waist plates, and greaves.
The full set of plate armor couldn't cover the entire body and
almost resembled light armor on its massive frame. Holding an
enormous Labrys aloft with one hand, the new arrival had an-
other massive ax strapped to its shoulder armor. Each weapon's
blades were dyed red with the blood of its victims.
Both of the horns on its head were crimson.
The sight called to mind the words raging bull.
A creature absent from the Guild's files and unfamiliar even to
Loki Familia—an "unknown" monster stood before them.
The ever-calm Finn unfolded his arms and stepped forward,
suddenly anxious.
His thumb convulsed, sending spasms down his arm.
" ."
Huff, huff. The monster rotated its thick neck in their direc-
tion, and its ragged breathing sounded in their ears.
The instant it saw the adventurers and the fallen monsters—
—it roared with all its might.
"oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
A dreadnought Howl obliterated the silence.
The residents of Daedalus Street tumbled to the ground one by
one, their eyes rolled up in shock after the dust-raising roar.
" a."
"Supporter! Haruhime!"
A pale Lilly and Haruhime weren't far behind the townspeo-
ple, knees buckling until they were sitting on the street.
Welf, Mikoto, and many members of Loki Familia were blown
back, fighting tooth and nail to remain standing as Hestia
screamed.
A Howl, far stronger than normal.
A monster's intimidating song that bound living creatures with
primitive fear.
Those unworthy to meet the challenge were immediately ren-
dered motionless—the roar restrained its victims.
Welf and Mikoto dropped to their knees. They both stared into
the palms of their quivering hands; even their higher Levels
couldn't save them from its effects. There were many within Loki
Familia's ranks who were on the verge of losing their will to fight,
jamming their swords into the ground for support to keep on
their feet.
"...!!"
With only the worthy remaining on the battlefield, the mon-
ster charged.
The rocketing, massive black shadow's first target was Tione.
"!"
Tione glared at the monster descending upon her like a night-
colored storm surge.
Raising her two Kukri knives, she planted her feet to meet the
attack with her own.
"Get out of there, Tione!!"
The air whistling past the Labrys drowned out Finn's desper-
ate call as the silver blade streaked straight down—into the
ground one meder in front of Tione's feet.
There was an explosion and shock wave, followed by sudden
weightlessness.
Awe flashed through Tione's eyes.
Her feet left the ground, robbing her of any chance to evade as
swirling dust and stone debris blinded her. The monster immedi-
ately descended upon her, its left arm homing in on her.
Tione crossed the Kukri knives at the last moment to defend
herself, but the two blades could do nothing in the face of that
massive palm.
They shattered.
" GHaHH?!"
The blow broke through her defense and collided with the left
side of her body—strikingly similar to Aisha's fate—and sent
Tione hurtling into the corner of a nearby house.
"Tione?!"
It all happened in the blink of an eye. However, the scene was
more than enough to rob the adventurers of their will and sense
of time.
The monster stood tall, roaring at the other adventurers before
Tiona's scream could reach their ears.
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
As it stepped forward with a ground-shattering stomp, the
monster swung its clenched left fist in a wide semicircle with the
force of a hurricane. Every single adventurer standing over a
Xenos was swept up in the blast and launched backward, just like
Tione.
Bones broken and coughing up blood, the adventurers collided
with their allies who happened to be out of range, screaming at
the top of their lungs.
"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
As the men's screams rose into the sky, Loki Familia lost more
than half of their forces in one devastating fell swoop.
"You'll pay for that—!!"
"Cruz, move it! Outta my way!"
Tiona charged forward, double-bladed sword held high with
Bete right behind her, jeering with all his might.
First-tier adventurers collided with the raging bull as other ad-
venturers dragged those affected by the Howl and the injured to
safety.
The double-bladed sword couldn't power through the Labrys's
solid strike. A wide-eyed Tiona managed to absorb the heavy
blow and fight it off, immediately opening a window for Bete to
come in low and attack its legs.
The monster was knocked off balance. Two Level 6 adventur-
ers worked in tandem to drive it back.
"Elfie, get all the unconscious people to safety! Now!!"
"S-sir!"
Finn called down to the pale, cowering magic users at the back
of the formation. Startled at their general's direct order, the
women quickly moved to the bodies sprawled out nearby to speed
up the evacuation.
"Finn, shall we support them with magic?!"
"No. That would only draw the enemy's attention toward the
bystanders around us. Your barrier is powerful, but it won't hold
up against a direct hit."
Riveria looked up from her position at street level as Finn told
her to hold off until the evacuation was complete.
With a magic circle spreading at her feet, the high elf shifted
her completed spell to standby mode as she frowned at the front
lines, frustrated.
"A black minotaur…?"
"I don't think so…Looks more like a black rhino subspecies to
me."
Aiz kept her eyes on the rampaging monster that was paying
little attention to Tiona's and Bete's wave upon wave of attacks.
Finn noticed the girl looked anxious to join the fight, following
her gaze and theorizing that the creature was an Irregular from
the deep levels.
That, and that it was an enhanced species like the rest of the
armed monsters.
"…A-Asterios…"
The fallen Xenos looked up from the ground to face the black
shadow.
Badly injured, Lido whispered the name of their final com-
rade.
"…Damn show-off."
—Elsewhere, amid a pile of brick rubble…
Tione emerged from the debris and, coughing up bloody
saliva, smoothly pulled back the bangs that hid her eyes from
view.
Then her eyes flared to life.
"So you think you're hot shit, bovine bastard?"
Completely ignoring her broken ribs, she exploded with anger.
Tiona and the others didn't have time to react to her snarling
howl, barely recognizable as a person's voice, before Tione raced
back into battle, unarmed.
Clearing Tiona and Bete in a single bound, she hurtled toward
the raging bull with her left fist held high, challenging the beast
one-on-one.
The monster shifted to meet her head-on, pulling its own left
fist back and setting its feet.
"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
Tiona slammed a punch directly into the enemy's clenched,
metal-like fist.
The resulting bloodcurdling collision made bystanders want to
cover their ears.
The tremendous impact drove the monster's fist straight back
and snapped every bone in Tiona's hand.
She clenched her fleshy, broken, bleeding blob of a hand tight
and threw another punch.
"?!"
Taking a hit to its solid midsection for the first time, the raging
bull staggered backward.
"I'll make mincemeat outta you!!"
Tione didn't stop.
Consumed by a fiery rage that became her strength and fueled
her onslaught, she unleashed a rush of punches and kicks onto
her enemy's large body. Heel, elbow, knee, fist. As her long black
hair trailed behind like a snake, her furious dance of physical
blows shook the monster's metal-like frame from head to toe.
"—UoHoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The black bull didn't flinch, taking each blow head-on and re-
sponding in kind.
"Wh-what are you doing, Tione?!"
"Shut the hell up!!"
Tiona called out despite being knocked back, but Tione would
have nothing of it and yelled at her furiously.
Bete and Tiona looked at her with fatigue.
"No use. She's pissed…"
Her true self had been exposed—Tione was even more of a
berserker than her younger sister.
Her offensive continued to escalate no matter how much of
her skin was torn up on contact with her enemy's towering, solid
body or how many of her leg bones cracked in the process. Evad-
ing the occasional counterattack, she had every intention of oblit-
erating the enemy in her sights.
Living up to the sea serpent of her title, her hair whipped back
and forth as she fought with extreme ferocity.
"SHII!!"
Then, after weaving past her enemy's massive arm, Tione put
all her strength into a left-footed kick that caught the bull square
in the face.
It was a shattering blow, even for monsters from the deep lev-
els.
Tione, who had launched the hit in the air, glared up at her op-
ponent only to go wide-eyed in disbelief.
Even with her foot buried deep in its jawbone, the black mino-
taur was still standing.
Damn, this, thing .
She had no answer.
An adventurer could never attain this amount of resilience,
this toughness no matter how hard they trained. Not only was its
defense powerful enough to break Tione's foot on impact but its
two legs were still firmly planted on the ground.
The black raging bull grabbed Tione's left leg, still wedged in
its face, and flung her.
"?!"
Tiona threw down her double-bladed sword and dove to catch
her sister just before she careened into a wall. However, that
didn't prevent the ensuing explosion from the building.
"The heck's gotten into you?!"
"Keep your nose out of it!! I told you to shut the hell up, didn't
I?!"
The two went through the wall together, pulverizing it as they
argued back and forth. Meanwhile, Bete moved in to engage the
monster one-on-one. The werewolf unleashed a barrage of kicks
no less potent than Tione's, while the bull howled and countered
with the Labrys. The two went back and forth, alternating offense
and defense until Tiona and Tione rejoined the battle, their argu-
ment escalating to the point of exchanging insults.
The double-bladed sword and the Labrys violently collided,
the metal boots redirected attacks, and a frenzy of physical blows
connected with the creature's armor.
Neither adventurers nor monster surrendered a step. The rest
of Loki Familia watched in awe, and then they saw it.
"Th-that's a grin…"
The ferocious smile on the monster's face.
Its large white teeth had appeared from beneath a split in its
cheeks. No doubt, the raging bull was having the time of its life.
Taking on three first-tier adventurers at once and absorbing
countless hits did nothing to deter the colossal fighting spirit
pulsing through its body.
The black bull swung its head and loosed a ferocious roar.
Is it just me, or does this feel like…?
Tiona's skin broke out in goose bumps as she weathered the
roar and brought her double-bladed weapon down for another
strike.
This sensation, I've felt it before…!!
Clicking her tongue in frustration at the ineffectiveness of her
attacks, Tione dove out of the Labrys's path.
This creature, it's almost…!!
Bete felt as though he were fighting against an extremely small
floor boss. His metal boots were a blur.
This excessive strength.
It was the same as something else, a distant shadow lurking in
their memories.
The young adventurers were reminded of a certain man.
"..."
Ottar watched the battle unfolding in the dungeon town from
the highest floor in Babel Tower.
"Do you recognize that minotaur?"
One rectangular wall was constructed entirely out of glass.
Standing before it, watching the entire scene at once from
Orario's highest point, Freya addressed her attendant, who was
fixated on Daedalus Street.
"That…No, then again…Impossible."
Ottar's face remained stoic as he faced forward, fumbling
around to find the right words to respond to his goddess.
Stepping beside the warrior and taking a sip from the wine-
glass in her hand, Freya looked away from Loki Familia's battle.
Even at this great distance, the deity's silver eyes could see a
blur of color and a shimmering, transparent streak.
It was the vouivre, weaving a path of destruction through the
dungeon town, and the boy, hot on its tail in pursuit.
"Helen."
"My Lady."
A girl standing nearby straightened her posture at the god-
dess's call, but Freya kept her back to her as she continued.
"Any word from Alfregg and the party I sent to the Dungeon?"
"They have yet to return."
"I see…Could you catch up to the charging vouivre if you de-
parted now?"
"…I do not believe that I would make it in time."
Taking her follower's honest opinion in stride, Freya ordered,
"That's fine. Go."
As the girl made a bow and exited the room, Freya whispered
quietly under her breath:
"To think monsters like this existed."
Marveling at this world's unpredictability, the silver-haired
goddess smiled from ear to ear.
"—Like I've been telling you, my brats have been catching
those monsters."
Gareth narrowed his eyes as a god's confession dissolved into
the sky.
"They were after money in the black market, but the darn
things escaped, as you can see."
"And you're expectin' me to believe that?"
"If my word isn't enough, I'll tell you right where to go in the
sewers beneath Daedalus Street. You'll see the cages where these
monsters were kept."
Ikelos had appeared on the rooftop with Gareth and Fels mere
moments ago when the dwarf was distracted by the black bull's
entrance. Then, he suddenly began explaining his involvement in
the situation.
"So, how about letting Black Cloak here go, eh?"
"..."
"The poor sap's got nothing to do with my brats. Just got
caught up in all this, is all."
Ikelos pointed his finger a few times at the black-robed figure,
who was still as a statue, facing away.
While he wasn't lying, he was also not telling the truth. After
decades of training under Loki, Gareth could see through Ikelos's
faint grin and decided to press for an answer to what had been on
his mind from the start.
"And why are you tellin' me here and now?"
"Because I lost…Had to do what the winner wanted."
Right after he said that…
The black-robed figure jumped from the rooftop, slipping
away during a lull in the conversation.
Gareth sighed as he saw his quarry disappear over the edge
but made no efforts to pursue.
"…I'll be askin' fer details later. For now, ye're comin' with
me."
"Yeah, sure. Just be gentle, okay?"
Ignoring Ikelos's words and his grin, Gareth grabbed hold of
the deity's collar.
As the battle escalated out of the corner of his eye, the dwarf
knew that time was of the essence and paid no attention to the
screaming god as he bounded through the air.
"Looks like he's on his way."
"…You have my thanks, God Hermes."
—Hiding in a backstreet, Fels watched Gareth disappear from
the rooftop above and turned to thank Hermes, standing before
him.
Not only had Hermes been observing the battle from his van-
tage point on top of the brick tower, he had also witnessed
Gareth's approach behind Fels and convinced Ikelos to intervene
with a one-sided negotiation. Knowing that the mage functioned
as Ouranos's right hand, he had saved Fels by offering up the
deity instead.
"What can I say? The way things are now, we're gonna need
your power to get through this, Sage."
"…I go by Fels now, God Hermes."
The black-robed mage sounded bashful, but the dandy god
simply shrugged.
But Hermes knew that there was no time for small talk and got
right to the point.
"All right then, Fels. As a way to thank me for saving your life,
I've a favor to ask…Bell is alone right now. Please help him."
"But…were I to leave now, the Xenos…"
"Thanks to that black minotaur, things should work out okay,
don't you think? And from what I've seen, Braver wants to cap-
ture them alive. Worse shouldn't come to worst today."
Hermes carefully crafted his argument.
A few moments passed in heavy silence, and then the deity
narrowed his eyes behind the brim of his hat.
"I have a lot of things I'd like to sweep under the rug as well,
you know? I'm sure Ouranos's right arm understands."
"..."
"This won't make amends for the past but…could you find it in
your heart to do this for me?"
Hermes leaned in close to whisper beside the silent mage's
hood.
Fels took a few moments to think before extending a hand to-
ward Hermes.
Then several black spheres, smaller than an oculus, fell from
the black glove into the palm of his outstretched hand.
"These are for an emergency. Break them to use them."
"…Understood. I am Hermes and swear by my name. Lulune."
Hermes handed the spheres to a chienthrope girl who ap-
peared from deeper down the alley.
Watching her disappear, Fels set out in accordance with Her-
mes's will.
"Bell and the vouivre were headed south. I bet they're out of
Daedalus Street, probably somewhere in the Pleasure Quarter re-
construction project by now."
"Acknowledged."
After Hermes had imparted what he saw from on top of the
tower, Fels sped down a path leading southeast.
The battle raged on.
Combat between first-tier adventurers and the black minotaur
had reached a fever pitch. One step forward, one step back. Of-
fense and defense switched sides every second in an epic back-
and-forth while the other adventurers gawked. However, num-
bers were on the adventurers' side. Once Tiona and Bete ignored
Tione's raging fury and showed some semblance of teamwork, the
monster was forced to give ground.
Just as the tides of combat appeared to be flowing in their
favor…
The monster's next action turned the entire battle on its head.
"WOOOOOOO!"
As yet another blow connected with its armor, the black mino-
taur reached behind its right shoulder.
Those five meaty fingers wrapped around the elongated metal
ax hilt.
—Dual Axes?
Faced with the prospect of an abrupt change in battle style, the
three watched the black minotaur's every move with nervous
eyes.
" ."
The first one to recognize the danger wasn't in Loki Familia's
ranks—it was Welf.
"—We're getting out of here, now!!"
"Eh?!"
"Just move it!!"
Shaking off the last effects of the Howl, Welf willed his body
forward, picking up Lilly's unconscious body and grabbing hold
of Hestia's hand. With Mikoto carrying Haruhime in her arms
close behind, Welf ran headlong in the other direction, toward
where Riveria stood with her staff held high in front of Loki Fa-
milia's forces.
"!!"
Arm and shoulder muscles pulsing, the monster swung the
bloodstained ax down with its right hand.
The instant it connected with Tiona's double-bladed sword—
thunder struck.
"""?!"""
A flash of light engulfed Tiona along with her weapon, and
Tione and Bete on either side of her were also swept up in the
shock wave.
Crackle! An electrical current danced across the blade in front
of the dumbstruck trio.
The blood coating it was blasted away, and the weapon's true
beautiful golden hue came to light.
Tiona, Tione, Bete, and the rest of Loki Familia all recognized
in that moment the weapon for what it was.
The blood-splattered ax—was a magic weapon.
Finn's face contorted, Aiz watched in amazement, and Riveria
readied her staff with incredible speed thanks to her abilities as a
magic user. Welf, who had prioritized his own familia, gritted his
teeth while the rest of Loki Familia, still on the battlefield, froze
with fear.
"OOO "
Still reeling from the unexpected electrical shock, the three
momentarily numbed adventurers watched as the hulking black
shadow's right arm swung the ax yet again.
The weapon rose high into the sky. The beast prepared for an-
other volley to blow all of them away.
Finn called out, and Riveria triggered her magic at nearly the
same instant.
"Riveria, the barrier!!"
Just as the last member of Hestia Familia dove into the magic
circle…
Riveria's magic—an enormous dome barrier—took shape.
"—ooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
The Howl tore through the air along with the shock wave.
"—Damn you!"
Bete forced his tingling foot high into the air and brought it
straight down onto the magic weapon. Brutal lightning bolts
burst forth the instant his metal boot touched the black mino-
taur's weapon.
Blinding yellow light drowned out their surroundings. Each
bolt raced forward like one of a hydra's many heads, with electri-
fied fangs that tore up the street and turned the vicinity into a
swirling whirlpool of destruction. Being so close to the blast, it
went without saying that not only Tiona, Tione, and Bete but ad-
venturers still out on the street had no chance to evade. They
were all caught up in the barrage.
The bolts advanced all the way to Riveria's barrier. Ka-boom!
An immense shower of sparks flared on impact. The barricade of
green light shielded the unconscious townspeople, the young
magic users, Finn, Aiz, and Welf without so much as a quiver.
As their ears recovered from the blast, they all waited for the
smoke to clear…only to see an utter ruin before their eyes. Every
house and building that once lined the street had been razed, the
stone pavement was carved up as if by dragon claws, and the
burned, smoldering bodies of adventurers were scattered
throughout.
It looked as though the apocalypse had arrived, but they all
were still breathing by some miracle.
"S-so tingly…! I'm paralyzed~!"
"Damn it…! Why couldn't you take the whole thing, you damn
werewolf!!"
"Want me to smash your head in, damn Amazon…?"
Just before the explosion, Bete had put his body on the line to
block the blast at close range by sticking out his metal boot—the
mythril absorbed the electricity—and greatly reducing its power.
But of course, he couldn't block the entirety of a discharge on that
scale.
After hurtling through the air and rolling across the debris, the
three badly burned first-tier adventurers were on their knees on a
corner of the street. They were the only ones still moving, but
they exchanged harsh words despite their injuries.
Although they managed to get through the blast in one piece,
sparks traced their bodies like flashing thorns, and none of the
three could move from the spot.
"…"
Apart from where the monsters lay on the eastern side, not
even a shadow remained of the buildings on the central road
where the minotaur was standing. Everything to the west was
completely unrecognizable.
Finn narrowed his eyes as he took in the destruction, glancing
over the mountains of rubble and the monster staring up at him.
"Forget about taking them alive."
Golden hair shifting on his head, the prum general opened his
mouth to speak.
He said from his spot, alone on the rooftop:
"Do it, Aiz."
Suddenly, thump!
""
With the unmistakable sound of boots on stone, the blond-
haired, golden-eyed knight landed behind the monster's back.
"Understood."
A soft chant left her lips at the same moment she withdrew her
silver saber.
"Awaken, Tempest."
Her beautiful voice sounded on the breeze.
The extremely short trigger spell activated her magic.
"—VUOOOO!"
Its back vulnerable, the minotaur immediately turned to swing
with the magic weapon in its right hand.
The blond-haired, golden-eyed knight saw the electrified blade
coming toward her and quietly whispered:
"Airiel."
Wind blew.
The moment it enveloped her body, she slashed forward with
blinding speed.
Her blade—pierced the enemy's arm.
" ."
Time stopped for Hestia Familia, the Xenos, and the black
minotaur.
The wind-lined blade sent the magic weapon spinning along
with most of the monster's right arm. It twirled through the air
until it slammed blade-first into a broken piece of stone pave-
ment with the handle sticking straight up.
Electrical energy pulsed through the ground underfoot as the
gigantic monster reared back.
" ?!"
As the minotaur screamed into the sky, blood gushed from
what was left of the creature's upper arm; everything from
halfway above the elbow was gone.
Protected by the wind currents around her body, Aiz avoided
the fountain of blood entirely. Every drop of blood was blown
away.
Her Magic was called "Airiel."
A wind enchantment that enhanced the user's weapon and
physical attributes.
As they didn't belong to her familia, that was all that Welf,
Mikoto, and even Hestia understood.
—Aiz Wallenstein.
The only being other than adventurers not to be affected by
the Howl, Hestia was taken by the girl's majestic appearance in
that moment.
The Sword Princess. Aiz Wallenstein.
A prominent adventurer in both name and reality. Orario's
strongest female knight.
Bell's idol.
Engulfed by wind, blond hair flowing in the breeze, she had
the air of a fairy straight out of a hero's tale, and she was so beau-
tiful that Hestia had to accept her as worthy of the boy's admira-
tion.
The only one unfazed by the monster's Howl shaking the bat-
tlefield, the girl whipped her sword through the air.
" OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The minotaur, eyes wide open, swung the Labrys down in a
counterattack.
It was a blow that had permanently removed many adventur-
ers from battle. The monster's mobile guillotine.
And Aiz knocked it away with a single flick of her thin saber.
There was no time to take pride in her successful ambush that
claimed her enemy's arm, nor could she let her guard down.
She stared down the flabbergasted monster, her golden eyes
narrowing.
"Here I come."
She attacked at full strength, sword and wind combining into
their own melody.
" AAH!"
It was a series of unrelenting, merciless strikes.
Aiz carved into her opponent's towering body, slashing from
countless angles seemingly all at once.
Diagonal over the shoulder, upward arcing, spinning, down
from overhead—the now one-armed minotaur had no hope of
blocking them all. Gashes opened in the beast's incredibly tough
black skin; lines appeared in the thick armor covering its body
with every movement.
Facing a bladed storm, the minotaur stepped back for the first
time.
"You know, Aiz's magic is sooo unfair!"
"You've only just noticed, bonehead…?"
She moved faster than Bete, hit harder than Tiona, and struck
more often than Tione.
The Amazonian girl, unable to join the fight, watched in an-
guish. Next to her, a werewolf clicked his tongue in frustration at
one of the main reasons the girl had become known as the Sword
Princess: the power granted to her by the wind.
The monster stopped trying to defend itself and went on the
attack. Aiz charged to meet it, their blades clashing with incredi-
ble force.
Saber crossed ax. There were no sparks in the air, only deafen-
ing wind. The currents pounding against the unyielding minotaur
were far more powerful than normal, allowing Aiz's unholy tech-
nique to land three strikes in the time it took for her opponent to
swing once.
She picked up speed.
Her face devoid of emotion, Aiz saw only the minotaur while
blocking out everything else.
Her precise strikes escalated, as if she were pushing herself to
a higher plane, progressing further than ever before.
Blood spewed from her enemy's large body with every howl of
wind and every flash of silver.
"Th-that's…"
Although already taken, Hestia watched in shock, her face
twitching as she gulped.
Mikoto was much the same, pale as a ghost and voice quiver-
ing.
"That's…the War Princess."
She'd heard the term somewhere before.
"War Princess."
A monster slayer wearing a girl's skin. The one standing atop a
mountain of dead beasts. Fearless, ever prowling the deepest
bowels of the Dungeon without tiring.
Welf, and even the other members of Loki Familia, beheld the
incredible girl with a mixture of awe and fear as she danced amid
the fountains of blood, though her wind protected her from the
spray.
The wind screeched louder still over the battlefield.
"!"
The large body staggered. The enemy was off balance.
Wounded yet again, the minotaur had shown weakness. Aiz
took the opening, determined.
Kicking off the ground with enough speed to turn the stone
pavement into gravel behind her, Aiz put all her strength into a
diagonal, over-the-shoulder blow to finish it off once and for all.
" OO!!"
"?!"
However, the enemy's next move took Aiz by surprise.
Realizing that there wasn't enough time to counter with the
Labrys, the minotaur swung its head instead—its mighty horns.
The crimson projections deflected Aiz's wind-coated saber strike
on contact.
With a suddenly vulnerable girl in its sights, the minotaur
stuck its foot into the ground and swung the Labrys with all its
might.
"?!"
Wind howled.
The beast's sheer strength tore apart the gale protecting the
silver blade.
Blown back by the overwhelming force, Aiz's feet carved up
the stone pavement before she finally came to a stop and exam-
ined her saber.
It was trembling, the wind enchantment completely obliter-
ated.
Aiz's hand had gone numb after absorbing the devastating im-
pact and could no longer maintain a strong grip on the hilt. While
her face was still aloof, her golden eyes opened a little wider be-
fore looking up at what stood before her.
Huff! Huff! The blood-covered minotaur gasping for breath
was smiling.
Even now, the beast was ferocious, gruff, and fearless.
Aiz's eyebrows furrowed, her eyes wide.
"Awaken, Tempest."
Airiel's currents engulfed her tingly arm once again, forcibly
tightening her grip with the power of wind.
The minotaur howled at its powerful, unyielding adversary,
swinging its ax directly into the charging Aiz's path.
Their blades collided as the battle started anew, the resulting
clash knocking Hestia Familia and other onlookers backward,
when suddenly…
"NGAH!"
"GOOH?!"
Just as Aiz appeared to have gained the upper hand, the battle
was interrupted.
It was Gareth, equipped with heavy armor. Finally returning
to the battlefield, the dwarf had dropped off Ikelos on top of a
nearby building after a constant stream of complaints from the
deity ("Brats these days, I swear…"), and then he had jumped
down behind the minotaur and sliced the beast's back with his
massive battle-ax.
"Aiz, pincer attack."
"…! But Gareth, I—"
"Ye're puttin' us all at risk, actin' like that. Tone down that ego
—don'cha agree, Finn?"
A long spear answered Gareth's question by hurtling toward
the monster.
"...?!"
"That I do. Then again, I might not be needed with you here,
Gareth."
Having retrieved his spear, Finn had thrown it again, and he
shrugged as it pierced the minotaur's shoulder. Whether he had
sensed an issue with Aiz or not, he had temporarily set aside his
duties as commander to join the battle himself.
Under his stern gaze, Aiz reluctantly nodded. Three seasoned
first-tier adventurers surrounded the minotaur.
The monster put up a fight despite being seriously wounded,
but it wasn't long before…thud!
"...!"
The battered, bruised, and bloody frame fell to one knee.
"Asterios…!"
Lido grimaced at the sight of the minotaur kneeling before the
adventurers and their silver saber, massive battle-ax, and spear.
And so the last of his kind had been rendered unable to fight.
He sensed the other Xenos like Gros and Rei shifting nearby as he
glared at those adventurers' backs—when from out of nowhere,
three black spheres were thrown into the middle of the street.
"!"
They broke open on contact with the pavement, spewing a
stream of black smoke.
Lido's, Gros's, and Rei's eyes flashed with immediate recogni-
tion.
Fels's magic items.
"!"
"Smoke screen…!"
"This smoke, it's spreadin' out fast!!"
Aiz, Finn, and Gareth were stunned to see the swirling, inter-
twining smoke not only rushing toward them but threatening to
engulf the entire battlefield.
A few seconds ahead of the first-tier adventurers, Lido and his
two comrades exchanged knowing glances, gathered the last of
their strength, and all moved as one.
" !!"
The gargoyle roared.
Other Xenos began to stir as the cry reached them, the mino-
taur immediately looking skyward.
While the tremendous roar was still ringing in their ears, the
siren took to the air and unleashed a powerful, ever-expanding
sound wave.
"""?!"""
The threatening wall of sound targeted only the first-tier ad-
venturers. The three of them froze in place, bracing against the
attack coming from behind.
Visual and aural senses.
They might have been first-tier adventurers, but a momentary
lapse was inevitable without sight and sound.
! The minotaur's aura is…!
Gone.
Limited by the smoke obscuring their vision, her ears under
assault, Aiz couldn't believe it when the monster's presence
seemed to disappear into the darkness.
"I've seen that…!"
—Meanwhile, Hestia's memory flared to life as she watched
the black smoke inundate the street, hiding Aiz and the other ad-
venturers from view.
On the moonlit night when she had met Fels for the first time,
only a few days prior, this same smoke had come pouring from
the black-robed figure's sleeves before the mage brought her to
Ouranos. Another black sphere landed right in front of Hestia's
group only a moment later, engulfing the area in a black fog.