Anya Fromel—she was the younger sister of Allen Fromel and a formidable Level 4 spearwoman in her own right.
Squelch—!
"Nyaaa!!!"
Splatter—!
She thrust and slashed, instantly disposing of the Voltimeria lunging at her. As she did, a black shadow flickered past her side.
Snip, snip—!
The figure was Chloe Rollo. Once feared as the [Black Cat], she was a master assassin of the fourth tier.
Though she had retired due to certain circumstances, her lethality remained undiminished. With a few casual flicks of her daggers, several Voltimeria were carved into pieces.
"Oraaa!!!"
Lunoire Faust—she too was a powerful Level 4 adventurer and a master of hand-to-hand combat.
Thud-thud-thud-thud—!
She had once belonged to a Familia in a distant Empire, but even after going into hiding at the Hostess of Fertility, her combat prowess had not rusted in the slightest.
"They're so strong...!"
Lilliluka was stunned by their overwhelming martial might. She realized instantly that their reinforcements were far more potent than she had imagined.
"Heh... Talk about reliable!"
—Skreeeee!
"Ah."
Welf, perhaps feeling a moment of relief, let his guard down. His face went pale as a Voltimeria closed in from behind, but—
Slice—!
"Welf-kichi!"
"Tsubaki!? You... why are you here?"
Tsubaki's blade bifurcated the monster instantly, saving Welf. However, her eyes were fixed solely on the magic sword in his hand.
"You... that magic sword...!"
'That aura...'
"...Just focus on the monsters for now."
"....."
The magic sword in Welf's hand radiated a terrifying energy even at a glance. More importantly, it bore a resonance similar to the aura emitted by Akumo's [Gram]. Tsubaki's pupils trembled for a moment.
Slash—!
That fleeting unease manifested as the brutal slaughter of the monsters before her.
"Wait...!! The armed monsters!"
"I know, I know!"
Meanwhile, an unexpected reunion was taking place among the Xenos.
"Lyd!!"
"Marie!?"
Dash—!
Lyd, spotting Marie, rushed toward her in shock.
"You were in a place like this!?"
"Lyd, Bell is..."
Grip—!
"Bell went down! To the bottom!"
"Bell-chi!? Marie, you met Bell-chi!?"
Lyd was struck with horror. If Bell was in the Deep Floors, his life was in absolute peril.
"Grooooar!!!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lyd immediately let out a howl to the others, conveying the news he had just received.
""""Raaaaagh!!!""""
Rumble—!
Upon hearing the signal, the Xenos began charging toward the 28th floor—toward the abyss. Distraught, Lily approached Let and asked for a translation.
"What did Mr. Lyd say?"
"He said Mr. Bell, the elf adventurer, and the one called Akumo were dragged to the lower floors..."
"!!"
"According to Lord Ouranos's message, it must be the Deep Floors."
'The Deep Floors...!'
"And a powerful monster is said to be pursuing Mr. Bell's party."
Lily was shaken. The difficulty of the rescue mission had just escalated to a different dimension. However, Let's next words snapped her back to reality.
"Lastly, a message from Lyd."
Step—!
"If you're coming, then come! We'll take you there!"
With renewed resolve, Lily rushed toward Anya.
"Finally, everything's cleared up—"
"Anya-sama!"
"Nya-nyah!?"
"What is your Level?"
"W-Why are you asking that all of a sudden, nya?"
Anya hesitated, fearing a leak of information, and looked around for Ryu instead.
"Where is Ryu, nya?"
"Just. Answer. Me!!"
"!!"
"Please, answer now!!"
Overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of Lily's spirit, Anya blurted out the truth.
"Nya... I'm Level 4, nya..."
"And Chloe-sama and Lunoire-sama!?"
"T-They're the same as me, nya!!!"
"Level 4...!"
Clinging to that hope, Lily shouted to the entire group.
"Everyone!"
"We are pushing through the Water Capital!"
Some looked confused, but her next words made their eyes widen.
"It is highly likely that Bell-sama, Akumo-sama, and Ryu-sama were dragged to the lower floors by a monster!"
"""""!!!"""""
"We will head to the Safety Point with our current members and reorganize!"
Clench—!
"Then, we are going down to rescue them!"
Her cry was filled with a stubborn refusal to give up, anchored by hope and certainty.
"Wait a minute! There's no proof the [Pioneer] and [Rabbit Foot] were dragged down, and no guarantee they're even alive!"
"I'm going."
"Bors!?"
""""We're going too!!""""
"You guys..."
Daphne tried to argue realistically, but the hope in Lily's eyes had already spread to Bors and the others. They had decided to save Akumo no matter the cost.
"I don't really get it, but if Ryu is in the lower floors, I'm going, nya~"
"The Dungeon just gets more dangerous the further you go, right? What a pain..."
"This isn't profitable unless we get a massive bonus, nya."
Anya was determined to save Ryu, and while Lunoire and Chloe grumbled about the risk, they were more than willing to jump in for their comrade.
"....Welf-kichi."
"He's alive. I know it."
"Understood...!"
Tsubaki gritted her teeth, joining Welf in his resolve to save Akumo.
"Those armed monsters... it's like they saved us..."
"Explain it later, blacksmith."
"I will! Now, let's go!!"
"Haah...! Haah...!"
'It's getting worse...'
Clang—!
Ching—!
Bell, Akumo, and Ryu were engaged in a desperate struggle against a swarm of monsters in the [Deep Floors].
—Grrrr...!!!!!
Slice—!
Akumo calmly parried the lunges of the [Loup Garous], pinning them against walls or tripping them, neutralizing the threats with surgical efficiency and minimal movement.
Slash—!
"Haaap!"
Crack—!
Bell, utilizing Ryu's teachings and observing Akumo's movements, fought with newfound conciseness, expertly using the terrain to handle the beasts.
'To think he's still growing even in a place like this...'
"No, calling it growth is an understatement."
Bell's fundamental techniques and his caliber as an adventurer were synergizing with [Liariis Freese], resulting in an absurd rate of evolution.
Step—!
"Bell, get ready."
"Got it, Brother!"
Thud—!
Squelch—!
Boom—!
They succeeded in hunting down at least twenty Loup Garous. Just as they tried to catch their breath—
—Graaaaa!!!
"""!!"""
A pack of over ten [Barbarians] charged toward them, screaming with murderous intent. No words were needed to coordinate.
Whirrr—!
"Brother!"
"Akumo-san!"
"I know!!"
Akumo immediately prepared the magic to repel them.
"[Shock Wave]!!"
KABOOM—!
A massive explosion of mana swept through the Barbarians, instantly snuffing out the lives of half a dozen monsters.
Thud—!
"I'll leave the rest to you...!!!"
Dash—!
"Right! Brother!"
"Let's attack together, Cranel-san!"
With the enemy formation shattered by Akumo's strike, Bell and Ryu lunged forward.
Slice—!
'Faster...! More concise!'
Slash—!
'I won't be a burden to Akumo-san...!!'
Ryu, wielding her Green Fang, severed the tendons of the first Barbarian's weapon arm, spun to dodge a punch, and shattered its magic stone with a precise strike.
Spin—!
"Haap!"
Thrust—!
She then threw the Green Fang at a charging [Lizardman Elite], piercing its magic stone and felling it instantly.
"Haah... haah...."
"Ryu-san... we won...."
However, their stamina was reaching its limit. Ryu slumped to the ground, gasping for air, while Bell stood still with weary eyes.
"First, let's rest... both of you."
Seeing their state, Akumo took the vanguard alone, leading them toward a stairwell area.
Thud—!
"Phew....."
They managed to secure a moment of respite.
".....Brother."
"Yeah?"
"That monster I met... can you tell me its name?"
"The [Juggernaut]."
Bell had been curious, noticing that both Akumo and Ryu seemed to recognize the creature.
"Have you and Ryu-san... met the Juggernaut before...?"
"".....""
At Bell's question, Ryu's mind flashed back to that day. Akumo, too, drifted into silence, recalling the memories of that time.
"Then and now... I only ever receive help...."
—'Someone... please!!!'
"Let's just drop it. Recalling it won't do any good."
'I've told her so many times not to carry that guilt...'
As silence filled the space, a sound broke the stillness.
—!!!!!!!
"Haah... let's move out."
"Agreed."
That ear-piercing shriek again. It was undoubtedly the Juggernaut, its cry a mixture of rage and madness as it hunted them.
Tramp, tramp—
Their brief rest ended. After walking for several minutes to find a better defensive position—
Clatter—!
"....Shit."
"It's coming!!"
Even a moment's peace was a luxury they couldn't afford.
"They're coming from behind, too!"
Rumble—!
Dozens of [Spartoi] formed a phalanx, quickly surrounding them and sealing off their escape routes before charging.
Clang—!
"Dammit..!!"
Crash—!
'Even if I aim for the magic stone, their defense is too solid...!'
It wasn't just that their bones were hard. As Spartoi, they possessed the intelligence to use weapons and their bodies with human-like coordination.
Slice—!
"Even so, we'll thin them out one by one and break throu—"
—Skreeeee!!!
"""!!"""
'Lizardman Elites, too...!'
As if to deny them even a second of thought, a pack of Lizardman Elites rushed in from the distance, intending to crush them with pure numbers.
Thump—!
—Groooar!!!
"Even a [Peluda]...!!"
Creak—!
To make matters worse, three Peludas appeared from the opposite direction of the Lizardmen, blocking the path. They immediately unleashed dozens of poison needles.
Thwip-thwip-thwip—!
"Get down!!!!"
""!!""
Thud-thud-thud—!
Boom—! Bang—!
In a stroke of luck, the poison needles fired by the Peludas didn't just target the trio; they rained down on the other monsters, thinning their ranks.
Whoosh—!
Breaths, needles, and weapons flew in every direction. The Peludas, being fewer in number but better suited for multi-target combat, began incinerating the Spartoi and Lizardman Elites.
"Ryu...!!"
"Yes!"
Whizz—!
"[Wind Dancing]!!"
Ryu pulled out a fire stone and threw it. Akumo's wind magic caught it, propelling the stone like a cannonball into the cluster of monsters.
KABOOM—!
Thanks to the coordinated attack between Akumo and Ryu, the Peludas in front were wiped out. They had managed to survive the crisis without major injury—or so they thought.
"Haah.... haah...."
Whizz—!
"Shit!"
A dying Peluda fired one last volley of poison needles toward Ryu and Bell.
"Ryu!!" "Ryu-san!!"
Thwack—!
""Ugh!!?""
'Ryu is safe, but...'
Grit—!
Akumo and Bell had both reached out to shield Ryu. Akumo was hit in the hand, and Bell was struck in the left shoulder.
"Hey... Bell! You should have dodged...!!"
"How could I dodge that...!!"
Despite Akumo's scolding, Bell couldn't bring himself to abandon Ryu. Now, both were poisoned.
"Wow.... this is really....!!"
'The poison is working faster because my body is already weakened...'
"Bell! T-Take that out, quickly!!"
"I already did!!!"
Stab—!
As the purple symptoms of poisoning began to spread from Akumo's hand and Bell's shoulder, Bell drew the [Hakugen] and stabbed it into his own shoulder, waiting for the detoxification.
Sssss—!
"That's...!"
"It's a dagger made from a Unicorn's horn..."
"Why would you use such a high-grade recovery material for a dagger...?"
"I don't know either...!!"
Ryu was shocked to see the poison being absorbed and neutralized by the Hakugen. Akumo, never imagining the Hakugen would be used this way, sent a silent prayer of thanks to Welf.
Clatter—!
"Brother, here!"
"I only have one arm, you idiot...!"
Bell tossed the Hakugen to Akumo while enduring the pain. However, since Akumo only had one arm, he couldn't stab his own hand.
"Ryu...!! Stab me!"
"But...!"
"Just do it!!"
Stab—!
"Ggggh...!!!"
Akumo pleaded with Ryu. Though she hesitated to wound him further, she followed his command and plunged the Hakugen into his hand.
"Haah... haah..."
Sssss—!
'Welf, I really owe you one....'
As the poison cleared and the pain receded, Akumo breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful to the blacksmith once again.
Tramp, tramp—
Their rest lasted only a few minutes. Following the map, they moved toward the location closest to the main route.
"Ryu...."
"Yes."
Akumo whispered to Ryu, intending to tell her that he would sacrifice himself if an emergency arose, but—
"If things go south, you really have to—"
"Don't say such nonsense."
Naturally, Ryu had no intention of agreeing.
"You know the situation!"
'According to the map, even though there was a closer route, we took a detour to a different location....'
"The place I know has a higher probability...!"
"Even so, I am going with you."
Despite the warnings about the dangers waiting on their current path, Ryu refused to let Akumo choose sacrifice. She simply walked on alongside him and Bell.
Tramp, tramp—
"I give up, I give up...."
"What's wrong, Brother?"
Bell asked, seeing Akumo sigh and hold his head. Akumo simply warned him as the sounds of battle grew louder.
"Bell, stay sharp from here on out...!"
Rumble—!
"!!"
Just as he warned, the sounds of a fierce battle—explosions and heavy impacts—began to echo. They ran toward what looked like the entrance to a massive cavern and soon saw it.
"It's the [Colosseum]."
A place where monsters were birthed incessantly—a literal arena of endless slaughter.