A figure suddenly crashed down in front of them, sending clouds of dust billowing outward as a small crater formed beneath her feet.
"That one is strong."
Kaguya muttered with a serious expression. She could tell at a glance that this unknown person was on a level far above her own.
"It's you... that red-haired bitch who escaped."
Bete growled, shooting a glare in her direction.
"Captain! That's her! The scary woman who caused the incident on the 18th floor!"
Lulune shouted as she ducked behind her captain, the memories from that day flooding back all at once.
"So, this is the Revis from the report you mentioned..."
Asfi spoke quietly, a bead of sweat trailing down her face.
"So many intruders made it this far... what the hell has Olivas been doing? Useless."
Revis muttered under her breath as her gaze swept across everyone present.
The look in her eyes wasn't that of someone looking at people... it was the look of someone sizing up cattle.
"He's not here?"
Unable to find the person she was looking for, Revis let her hostility bleed out into the air around her.
Those with weaker wills unconsciously took a step back, beads of sweat forming on their faces.
"I suppose I'll have to make do with the appetizers before the main course."
"If his companions are reduced to nothing more than corpses, he'll come running here on his own... right?"
She added, her gaze settling on Bete and Lefiya as her grip tightened around her sword.
Most people present had no idea what she meant.
But a handful... Bete, Lefiya, Lulune, Falgar and Asfi, the only ones with any knowledge of what had happened... understood immediately that Revis was talking about Judas.
'She wants revenge against him.'
Lefiya raised her staff, her expression hardening.
She had heard that Revis was a close-combat fighter on par with Finn and Gareth.
"How dare you...! Calling me an appetizer... you'll pay for that!"
Bete's face twisted with rage as he charged forward, blades already drawn.
"Bete! Wait!"
Lefiya called out, but it was too late.
Bete had already closed the distance.
Faced with the attack of a first-class adventurer, Revis merely snorted and parried his swords without effort.
Sparks flew upon impact.
Just from the first exchange, Bete already found himself at a disadvantage.
But he quickly repositioned and executed another slash... however.
"Slow."
Revis moved faster, her right arm flickering out like a viper.
"Shi-!"
A punch to the midsection sent him flying before the curse had even fully left his mouth.
"No way... Vanargand got sent flying that easily?"
A member of the Hermes Familia exclaimed in disbelief.
"That idiot werewolf."
Kaguya gritted her teeth and unsheathed her katana.
Revis put two fingers to her lips and let out a sharp, high-pitched whistle.
Within seconds, an army of Violas flooded in from every direction and surrounded them completely.
"Things went from zero to a hundred real fast."
Lulune said with a nervous chuckle, her eyes darting around at the wall of enemies closing in from every side.
"Captain..."
Falgar said as he turned to Asfi.
"Everyone, battle formations! We fight!"
Asfi shouted, conviction in her voice masking the anxiety building beneath it.
The Hermes Familia heeded their captain's call without hesitation, raising their weapons to meet the Violas head on.
"You two... I would appreciate your help."
Asfi said, shifting her gaze to Lefiya and Filvis.
"I'll do my best."
Lefiya said, meeting her eyes.
Filvis simply gave a quiet nod.
Asfi then turned to the woman standing at her side.
"Kaguya."
She spoke with a weight in her voice.
"Hmph. No need to state the obvious. I know what needs to be done."
Kaguya replied curtly.
"Thank you. Good luck."
Asfi gave a small bow before rejoining the others.
"Hey, werewolf... do I even need to spell out what we should be doing right now?"
Kaguya said, not bothering to look back as Bete walked up beside her, one hand pressed against his stomach.
"Tsk. Whatever. Just don't get in my way."
Bete clicked his tongue and raised his twin swords.
Without another word between them, the two set aside their differences and resolved to face what was in front of them together.
"Are you finished with your little pep talk?"
Revis said in a casual tone, walking toward them at a slow and steady pace... completely relaxed, not taking either of them seriously in the slightest.
In her eyes, no one here was worth her time.
No one except Judas.
Both Kaguya and Bete felt their anger simmer toward boiling point at being so openly looked down upon.
'I'll kill this bitch.'
The thought crossed both their minds at the same time as they rushed forward simultaneously, weapons raised.
The two sides collided.
Weapons clashed, sparks scattered through the air.
Kaguya's katana met Revis' blade head-on, the impact ringing sharp and clear, while Bete slipped in from the side, his twin swords flashing like fangs aimed straight for Revis' ribs.
For the briefest instant...
Faced with their combined assault, Revis' expression barely shifted.
She twisted her wrist and rolled Kaguya's katana aside with raw force alone, then pivoted smoothly on her heel.
Bete's blades carved through empty air as Revis dropped low and drove her shoulder into his abdomen.
"Guh!"
Bete skidded backward, boots carving trenches into the stone floor as he barely managed to stay on his feet.
"She's fast!"
Kaguya snapped.
Revis didn't give them a moment to breathe.
She pressed forward again, her movements brutal and efficient, every strike aimed to kill.
Kaguya barely managed to parry, her arms rattling violently from the impact as her fingers went numb.
Then Revis' sword came down in a crushing overhead slash.
Kaguya crossed her blade just in time...
BOOM.
The ground shattered beneath her feet.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward as Kaguya was driven to one knee, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
"Dammit...!"
Before Revis could follow through, Bete lunged back in with his teeth bared.
"Don't ignore me, you freak!"
Wind howled around his blades as he unleashed a flurry of slashes, silver arcs tearing through the air in rapid succession.
Revis clicked her tongue and kicked off the ground, vaulting backward as the strikes tore apart the stone where she had just stood.
"What are you doing down on one knee over there? You done already?"
Bete's mocking words reached Kaguya's ears.
"Shut up... just hearing your voice is annoying."
Kaguya spat the blood from her mouth and pushed herself back to her feet.
'That strength... she has to be at least high-grade Level 6.'
From that brief exchange alone, Kaguya estimated the enemy's strength.
'This is going to be harder than I thought.'
Her eyes narrowed as her gaze drifted to Revis' features.
'That red hair... those eyes...'
The more she looked, the more it stood out.
'What a coincidence... she has the exact same hair and eye color as Alise.'
Of course, that was not relevant.
The woman in front of her was an enemy that needed to be put down, nothing more.
Standing side by side with Bete, Kaguya steadied herself as Revis came charging toward them again, eyes filled with the intent to kill.
---
+15 chapters at patreon.com/drdedot