"Haap!"
Alise shouted as she swung her sword down in a horizontal arc.
The Violas in front of her let out a shriek of agony before turning into ash.
"So these are the plant-like monsters that have been rampaging around the city while we were away?"
Alise said as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
She turned around to see Kaguya and the Hermes Familia fighting as well.
With the swing of her blade, Kaguya cut down the group of Violas that charged at her, their heads falling to the ground with a thud.
"A new species of monsters we've never seen before. How interesting."
Kaguya muttered to herself as she wiped the fluids from her katana before sliding it back into its sheath.
"I thought they would be nothing more than burdens, but it seems they're keeping up at the very least."
She commented, watching Asfi and the others in action.
'The Hermes Familia, led by that enigmatic and playboy God named Hermes... a faction with many mysteries surrounding them.'
'For one, they tend to be fond of hiding their true levels... hiding their true strength from the world.'
'Although they all look and sound suspicious with their tendency to lurk in the shadows, it's true that they are a familia that has contributed greatly to Orario in the past.'
'Well, that is just my opinion. Other than their captain Perseus, I don't know the others that well... not that I'm interested in getting to know them.'
She thought as she observed their movements.
"Their magic stone is located deep within their jaws. Make sure to fight each one in groups of at least three."
Asfi called out her commands. As their leader, she issued orders with calm precision.
"Understood."
The members of the Hermes Familia followed her instructions without hesitation.
Their trust in their captain was iron-clad, which showed clearly in how well they moved together... or so Kaguya observed.
"Lulune, take care of the tentacles. Keaks, you aim for the magic stone."
"While I'll go for its main body."
Falgar, the war tiger vice-captain and a Level 4, declared.
"Eh~ why do I have the most annoying job?"
Lulune complained with a groan, but pulled out her weapon and got to work anyway.
"Hehe, ladies of the Astraea Familia, watch my stone throwing power and be impressed."
Keaks, a human with big ears who looked distinctly more like a monkey, spoke with a smug smile, clearly trying to show off.
The other members weren't slacking either.
Though a few got scratched here and there, they took care of the Violas one after another... displaying a level of teamwork that wouldn't lose even to the second-string members of the Loki Familia.
Only after all the monsters had been eliminated did they continue their advance.
"The pantry is just up ahead, a hundred meders north through this passageway."
(A/N: Meders is a unit of measurement used in Danmachi. I don't know the specifics, but I assume it's no different from an actual meter.)
Lulune, whose navigation skills were top-notch, spoke as she stepped ahead with her map in hand.
With Alise taking the lead, the rest of the team followed behind.
"Something is wrong."
Kaguya spoke, her gaze darting left and right.
She perked up her ears, but couldn't pick up a single sound... and that was exactly the problem.
"It's too quiet."
Hearing her words, the others stopped and realized the issue.
"Now that I think about it, we haven't encountered any monsters in a while."
Asfi said quietly, her brow furrowing.
A droplet of water dripped from the ceiling, landing in a small puddle beside them.
Everyone tensed up, sensing hidden danger, their spines beginning to tingle.
It was then that numerous magic circles lit up from the walls, floors and ceiling around them, bathing the area in an eerie red glow.
"Everyone, take cover!"
Alise shouted as her instincts screamed in alarm.
In the next second, blinding explosions rang out one after another, engulfing the area in light.
"Ahhh!"
Panicked screams rang out as everyone scrambled as fast as they could, the ceiling above them collapsing and raining chunks of debris to the ground.
Alise leapt to avoid the explosions, tumbled, and eventually rolled to a stop... ears ringing.
"Did everyone else make it?"
She muttered, pressing her palm over one ear as she stood back up, only to find that a collapsed wall had blocked the way she came from.
'Dammit!'
She placed her hand against the rubble, contemplating whether to smash through it... until the sound of mindless screeching came from behind her.
"It's those things again."
An army of Violas was closing in, their hostility aimed squarely at her.
"I don't have time to be dealing with you guys, so I'll make this quick."
She said as she unsheathed her sword, settled into her stance and closed her eyes, gathering her mind as wisps of flame began to rise around her body.
"Agaris Alvesynth!"
With her sword and body coated in flames, she opened her eyes and charged forward without hesitation.
Amidst the storm of fire and brutal slashes, the Violas were eliminated without much trouble.
From the shadows, a figure lurked, watching everything unfold.
'Alise Lovell... to think you are here.'
Olivas thought as a crooked smile spread across his face, his tongue running over his lips.
...
Back to Judas' group as they made their way toward the pantry on the 24th floor.
'I sense movement of magic power up ahead.'
He thought as he closed his eyes.
His intuition was warning him that something bad was about to happen somewhere.
"I'll be going ahead... we'll split up here."
Judas said, his voice steady.
Hearing this, the others held back their questions and simply nodded.
They understood Judas well enough to know that everything he did had a reason, and stopping to explain would only waste time.
"Alright, be careful, Judas."
Lefiya spoke as she turned toward him.
None of them were worried about his safety, knowing full well what he was capable of.
Even Filvis, who knew him the least, had understood after seeing him in action that he stood on a level of strength far removed from everyone else in the group... Bete included.
"Lefiya, Filvis, make sure you work together and take this..."
He spoke as he raised his arm.
『Physical Boost』
『Strengthening Magic』
A faint glow surrounded Bete, Lefiya and Filvis.
'This magic... it feels like I am filled with strength.'
Filvis thought with wide eyes as she inspected herself.
『Acceleration』
Judas immediately took off in a burst of speed.
"Elf brats, try to keep up. I won't care if you get left behind."
Watching him disappear, Bete led the others in a different direction, guided by the sounds of fighting his ears had already picked up in the distance.
...
Judas moved at high speed, chasing the source of that familiar magic power.
'This magic... that was definitely Alise.'
He thought as his figure turned into a blur, smashing through a wall and carving out a passage as he rushed through.
After a long sprint, when he finally came upon the scene of Alise collapsed on the ground, bleeding... a gaping hole torn through her chest...
A vein throbbed at his temple.
His eyes turned cold.
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