The battle was in full swing, and the attacks were relentless. With the earthen works that they had set up, there were three distinct choke points. This meant that there were three fronts for Lili to deal with. Obviously, it wasn't perfect, and there was a fair amount of slippage, but the overall division had the monsters focused to certain points. Just like they had up in the Desert floors, the party had split into three distinct squads. The difference this time was in the squads' make-up and focus.

On the right, Ryuu was in charge. With her were Daphne and Ouka. There was a small party of Xenos there as well, led by Lett. Over in the middle, Ais Wallenstein stood at the ready. Desperate in hand, she had Otohime, Elwin, and Urashima as a backup. Lyd was behind them, with a dozen Xenos in reserve. Finally, on the left was Bell. With him were Mikoto and Chigusa. His final reinforcements were Weine and a small party of Xenos. Running in-between all three fronts was Aisha, who was in charge of slippage and reinforced any system cracks. When Lili had proposed this battle formation, there was much debate about who should go where.

"I'm the Captain of this Familia and the leader of this expedition," argued Bell. "It's my responsibility to go in the middle."

Ais frowned. "You're still relearning how to fight monsters, Bell, and you're still exhausted." Ais looked over to Lili. "I should go in the middle."

Lili looked over to Bell. She sighed before she replied, "Lili must agree with the Sword Princess." When Bell opened his mouth to respond, Lili glared at him. "It is up for debate who would win in a duel, but the best monster killer here, and possibly in all of Orario, is still Ais Wallenstein."

Ryuu grit her teeth before speaking, "As much as I don't want to say it, I have to agree with our Commander." She narrowed her eyes at Bell. "Also, you're not one hundred percent. Even if some of them are under orders, many of these monsters will strike down the middle. That is their nature, and that is where the fighting will be the fiercest. Which means that is where our strength must be."

Lili nodded along, "Which is why Lili believes that it should be given to Miss Wallenstein, Lady Otohime, Mister Urashima, and Mister Elwin."

That earned some confused stares from everyone present. If the point was to have people who knew how to kill monsters, why send in the three greenest adventurers? Lili smiled.

"This battle will be large and chaotic. It will be hard to maintain contact and give orders. Whoever guards the middle will need to be able to work together with minimal communication." The Braver turned towards their two newest adventurers. "Is there anyone here who would say that Lady Otohime and Mister Urashima don't have the closest bond?"

While the two childhood friends blushed, everyone else nodded along. Then, the half-elf, who was still standing close to Lefiya for support, frowned.

"Why am I going to the middle?"

Lili pointed to the other members of the party.

"A level five, a level four, and a level three at each front. That way, each team will be balanced. You will be the level three, Mister Elwin." Lili paused, considered her words, then spoke again. "You are also the bait. If the Banshee is still out there, we need to know exactly where she'll be fighting."

"Now hold on!" shouted Lefiya.

Everyone startled, as the elf had barely raised her voice above a whisper since returning. They turned to look at her and almost flinched back from the anger in her voice.

"Elwin is not going to be your bait. Don't you understand how dangerous that is?" Lefiya's arms trembled from anger, and she was terribly red in the face. "If Miss Fil-I mean Nysa comes after Elwin, then he's a dead man!"

Lili stood her ground. "Which is why he'll have the strongest member of the party there to back him up." She looked over at Ais. "The safety of Lili's Familia is in your hands; will you keep us safe?"

Ais nodded and turned to Lefiya. "When Nysa comes, how should I handle it?"

The Sword Princess and Elwin were the only two fighters that still used the Xenos's name. Everyone else had started referring to her as 'The Banshee.' Lefiya looked between Ais and Elwin, then she looked at the party. Finally, she looked at the ground.

"Protect our allies. If Hestia Familia is in danger, our priority is to keep them safe." Finally, she lifted her head. She looked at Elwin and pointed at his face. Her index finger was an inch away from his nose. "I swear to the Forest of Wishe: if you do anything stupid or reckless, I'll kill you myself! You got that?"

Elwin blinked, his eyes wide. Then he smiled and took Lefiya's finger in his hands. He nodded once. "Yeah, ok, I promise. Nothing stupid from me." He turned to Lili. "Where does everyone else go, Commander?"

The prum divided up the teams and explained everyone's roles. The adventurers nodded along and began to prepare themselves mentally.

Lili turned Aisha. "Your job will be to fill in any gaps. The rest of us," Lili gestured to the remaining members, "Will be the support group. Mister Welf will be our guard."

Lili turned to Lyd, "You will deploy the Xenos wherever you see fit. But Lili recommends splitting the strongest members among the fronts and a couple more with Miss Aisha."

Lyd scratched his chin. He rumbled low in his lizard throat before he spoke up.

"But then you'll be pretty undefended, won't you, Lillichi?"

Lili shrugged. "If it gets to the point where they can attack our support group, we'll have already lost."

Lefiya frowned, "Then where am I going?"

Lili's smile turned feral. The Thousand Elf felt a shiver go up her spine.

"Lili has just the spot for you, Miss Lefiya."

The first couple of hours had been about control and containment. Under special orders from their commander, every front leader had drawn the monsters in. They spotted the special purple ones reporting to Scipio directly and made sure to leave open paths. Before, this had been an expedition of ambushes and surprise attacks. Every move the adventurers had made was about reacting to the Marsh Warden. Lili was done with that. It was their turn to start acting. From a hill overlooking the battlefield, she was able to spot everything. With her command call, she could shout orders.

So, she saw how large the crowds of monsters grew. The hordes had bunched themselves up, with Lili's allies boxing them in. They bobbed and weaved to avoid attacks while still not letting them get past.

"We've drawn them in as much as Lili is willing," said the prum. "Now, let them have it."

"The flame will soon be released," chanted Lefiya. She had already cast the elf ring. Now, it was time for wide-area devastation.

"Creeping war, unavoidable destruction."

At every front, the monsters began to overwhelm the adventurers. The sheer number of attacking beasts was wearing them down. Lefiya watched with a certain amount of detachment as her friends began to buckle.

"The horn of battle sounds aloud; the cruelty of conflict will envelop all."

Her magic circles began to form. Into them, she channelled all of her anger and frustration. In her mind, she imagined her feelings leaving her body and fuelling her attack. Before, she had been a wreck of emotions. Now, though, her allies depended on her.

"Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno. You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war."

This was the exchange that all mages knew of. Their frontline provided them cover, care, and protection. The mage did not have to take part in the bloodiest bits of battle. In exchange, though, when their comrades needed them, it was the mage's job to turn the tides.

"Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf!"

Lefiya emptied her mind into her attack. In front of her, a field of a thousand magic circles blossomed.

"Rae Laevateinn!"

There was a flash of red, followed by an ear-shattering boom. Everyone had to stop fighting and jump backwards to avoid the heat. Some shielded their eyes, and others felt compelled to stare at the carnage in front of them. For Ais, she stood in shock. She had seen this kind of magic power before, but never from Lefiya. This was the kind of attack Riveria could pull off. Ais turned to stare at the little elf and felt herself smile, and her heart swelled with pride. Everyone else was in awe. The adventurers of Loki Familia were in a class of their own.

As the dust settled and the heat dissipated, everyone blinked. Before, there had been a horde of monsters, ranging in strength from the lower floors to the deep floors. Now the only thing left was ash and magic stones. The glittering rocks shone and gave the impression of dewdrops on the grass.

But even then, this was still the Dungeon. As soon as the magic was gone, more monsters raced across the battlefield. The adventurers raised their weapons. They were prepared for another attack. Upon the hill, Lefiya fell to her knees and gasped for breath. Her face shone with sweat, and her body swayed. The attack had left her exhausted. Just as she began to catch her breath, she felt something cold pressed against her cheek. Slowly, she turned her head to find a mind potion in front of her. Lili looked down at her.

"Now get ready to do it again," said the Dauntless.

With a nod of grim determination, the elf began to stand back up on shaky knees. She set her feet and swallowed the potion down. The cool liquid trickled down her throat, and slowly her energy returned.

From far away, Scipio growled. Its large mossy tendrils swung down and left craters in the ground. Another whipped to the side and obliterated a tree. Next to him, Nysa felt a tingle of joy. Her Lefiya sure was incredible.

'I can't wait to make her mine,' thought the Banshee.

Scipio turned to regard his greatest weapon. His backup plan was on its way, but it would still be a little bit of time. For now, he had a much larger problem to deal with.

"You'll take out the mage?" asked the general.

The Banshee nodded.

"You have your squadron behind you, ready to follow?"

Nysa nodded.

"Is your resolve firm?"

The Xenos started to nod but felt her heart stutter. In her thoughts, she saw the pained face of Lefiya. The way the elf had watched her leave made Nysa sad. Was this really what she wanted? Her thoughts turned to what the renard had said. Her need and what she wanted. Slowly, it was like she was starting to wake up. All of these issues, and Nysa's thoughts of Lefiya, clouded her judgement. That was when Scipio spoke.

"Whatever they told you, can you really trust it? Can you really believe that those surface dwellers want to help you? Those murderers and thieves only care about each other," said the large moss monster. "Remember, we're your friends Nysa, we're the only ones you can trust. If you capture that little elf and make her like us, then you can trust her too."

Nysa nodded once.

"Right. I'll find her and make her like me. Will you follow?"

Scipio looked off in the distance, towards the hole to the deep floors. From the monsters he had down there, he knew that his trump card was waiting in the wings. With that, Nysa, and his new powered-up form, he felt assured of his victory.

"I'll bring up the reserve forces after you distract the mage. Sound good?"

"Yeah." The Banshee's eyes narrowed. "Now, let's get it done."

Bell's knife flashed, and another monster fell forward. After witnessing the devastation wrought by Lefiya Viridis' magic, the young adventurer felt something stir. His sense of competition had been stoked, and he returned to battle with renewed fervour. He didn't have a care in the world because he knew his back was covered.

Mikoto had chosen the spear for this battle and wielded it like an expert. Her recent training had been more fruitful than usual, and it would only be later that she made the connection between her training and Weapon Expert developmental ability. She slipped between fighting styles more easily, and she began weaving thrusts and stabs with sweeps and spins. The numbers did not overwhelm her because she was still a gladiator.

Behind them, the little vouivre girl tore through every monster in her way. Weine was a force of nature and fought tooth and claw. She was also trying to show off just a little bit since Bell was fighting right in front of her. The dragon moved like a storm, ripping her large claws through the torsos of her enemies. These creatures from the deep floors ripped in half like paper.

Finally, supporting these three terrifying fighters was Chigusa leading a small squad of Xenos. The small warrior rapidly fired arrows, hitting every weak spot in the wall of destruction in front of her. She fired point-blank, any of her usual nerves gone. If any monster tried to go around the whirlwind of carnage, Chigusa was the one to mark them. Then, the other Xenos, ranging from griffins to war shadows, cut them down. The left was easily the most balanced in defence, offence, and technique. Cooperation was also not a worry, as all Bell had to do was make a motion with his hand. Then, Mikoto or Weine would be there. Orders were shouted, and shots were called. The trust between these three was implicit.

On the right, Ouka held the line. With the big man alone, this front had the best defence. Behind him, Daphne gave orders to the Xenos. Wielding her baton dagger, she directed them this way and that. Her orders were immaculate and well-directed. Her time with Apollo Familia had never been a waste, even if she hated it. She was a leader for sure. And in front of Ouka, the gale rampaged unabated. She moved back and forth and broke bones and crushed skulls. As she fought, she picked up speed. She didn't bother with killing the beasts, just weakening them enough that her allies could take them out. She broke the wave, and Ouka stopped it. Great shield in one hand and a battle-axe in the other, the Captain of Takemikazuchi Familia was a one-man vanguard. The right was holding.

In the middle, where the fighting was harshest, two Princesses danced. Their music was death. Ariel swirled around the Sword Princess, and monsters practically exploded as she passed. She moved within a designated cone and controlled the battlefield. Everyone in the middle took their cue from her.

Nearby, Otohime moved like a graceful shadow. If Mikoto was an expert with her polearm, Otohime was a master. Her bisento flashed silver as it moved; there was a trail of red left behind. Her feet seemed to slide along the ground as she moved. Even if she was new to fighting monsters, she would prove herself today. She wanted to be an adventurer, and this was her test.

Her shadow soon fixed any mistakes she made. The Living Weapon had dropped any pretense of care and grace. Jutting out of his metal arms were a set of artfully crafted long daggers. And in his hands, he wielded a pair of short swords. He had already cast his enchantment magic and moved like the wind. If Otohime was about to get stabbed, he was there a second ahead of time. If she overextended on a thrust, he covered her sides. The second she stepped out too far and broke formation, he followed her into the fray. The two weaved around each other, perfectly in sync in total silence. They didn't even so much as glance at each other; they just knew.

Behind them, Elwin had cast the magic of the Bull and split himself in half. The two of them were only there to support Lyd, though. The Lizardman was truly an elite warrior. While he only wielded daggers scrounged from past adventurers, it did not matter. He made up for it with monster strength and inhuman reflexes. Everybody part was a weapon. His feet stomped down and crushed rib cages. His tail was a whip that lacerated arms and legs. And when a fire wasn't pouting out from his mouth, incinerating his foes, his jaws worked to rip out the throats of his enemies. He easily fought with the potential of a level six adventurer. Elwin's only job was to put anything left alive out of its misery. The middle had the greatest offence, and it was a constant struggle not to lead a charge into enemy lines.

In between each front, there were slip-ups, though. Monsters too quick, small, or agile found their way past the front line. These monsters soon met the business end of a padao. Aisha lived up to her new title and let loose with unbridled fury. While she lacked the refined technique of the Sword Princess or Faerie Princess, she fought with the kind of ferocity that only an Amazon could muster. If Ais had seen her, she would've sworn that Tiona or Tione had joined them. Hippolyta led three Xenos with her; all of them specialized in hit-and-run combat. Nothing got through.

What little did fight its way through was reduced to ashes. Crozzo flames melted the bones of even the toughest monsters, and Welf swung his sword like an over-excited child. Behind him, Haruhime and Cassandra stood with their staffs at the ready. They moved between the fronts and healed as they went. Cassandra with her magic, and Haruhime with what little potions and food they had left. Urashima had done his best to mix up some new ones but could only make so many. Haruhime was also waiting back on her magic, listening for Lili's order. The prum could shout down whatever she needed to hear, so the Enchantenko sat back on her heels. Even if she wanted to cast her magic right away, the time was not right. So, she waited with bated breath, and every time they moved to the left front (where Mikoto was), she felt her heart in her throat.

Cassandra was not much better, and she felt bad. She knew that she could only cast her healing magic so many times. Instead of helping everyone, she only got to heal the worst wounds and most serious injuries. The dreaming healer felt her inadequacy then and soon realized how much of a difference there was between her and someone like the Dea Saint. The only thought in Cassandra's head was, 'If Amid were here, no one would be injured.'

Then, she saw Daphne. Her oldest partner thumped her over the head between waves of monsters. All Daphne said was, "Keep moving, do what you can, and we'll make it through."

Those simple words of unshakeable faith were all Cassandra needed. Her palms begin to settle. She continued to cast her healing magic and do what she could. People were counting on her. And at the same time, she watched out for any signs from her dreams. She and Daphne had talked for a while about what was happening, and they both agreed that the people most in danger were the elves. With what they had heard about Nysa, they assumed that Elwin and Lefiya were prime targets. Regarding the wind, they assumed it had something to do with Ais Wallenstein. She was literally cloaked in the wind most of the time. So, Cassandra spent more time checking on those three than the others. And she watched for what this great big wave would be.

Elwin punched out another monster that was trying to crawl away. He saw his copy start doing the same to a lizardman that had made it past Lyd. Things had been progressing as planned for the moment. They had taken out the first wave and were now in combat with the second and third. They would fight until they would get close to breaking, and then Lefiya would recast her magic. Not a flawless strategy, but one that would work for the time being. The surprise factor would be when the Banshee and the Marsh Warden joined the fray. Those two were the real heavy hitters, as well as any other surprises they had up their sleeves. Lili had said to expect the unexpected.

"Elwinicchi! How are you holding up?" asked Lyd between bouts.

Both Elwin's offered a thumbs up.

Lyd swung his blade at an approaching loup-garou. "Can one of you check on the people in front? Make sure that they're handling everything!"

Elwin nodded and ran forward. The copy stayed behind to continue supporting Lyd. It passed the original Elwin their staff, which it had been wielding, and started punching its enemies. Elwin jogged up the line and found that Ais and Otohime had moved up their positions. They were farther forward than they should've been, and Urashima was left to try and catch everything else. The poor ninja bodyguard was starting to fatigue, though. His arms, which were still partially filled with sand, moved sluggishly. Along with that, his clothing was starting to show signs of wear and tear. Elwin slid in beside him to lend a hand. Ura nodded his thanks, and the two of them pushed back with vigour. They fought their way towards the two women upfront.

While Ais was still functioning perfectly, Otohime had started to take cuts and bruises on her body. She still moved as gracefully as before, but the sheer number of opponents started to fit through the cracks. Ura and Elwin helped clear space and bought a moment of reprieve.

Otohime began gasping for air and gave a rueful grin.

"What is it that the Vice-Captain likes to say, 'Death by a Thousand Cuts?'"

Elwin snorted, familiar with Ryuu's well-worn description of the Dungeon. Urashima took the break to look over Otohime's wounds while she did the same to him. The half-elf turned towards Ais's position.

"Do you think she needs a hand?"

As if in response, a whole Lambton exploded. Not only had it been bisected, but it had been stabbed right through the brain. With barely a passing thought, Ais attacked a squad of black rhinos that had started to change their position.

"I think she'll be fine," replied Otohime. She turned to Ura, "You're keeping safe, right?"

Ura grunted, "I'm fine. But you need to pull back; you're moving too far forward."

Otohime turned her head back and forth, only just realizing where she was.

"Shit, sorry about that. Yeah, we'll move back then." She turned to Elwin. "Did you leave a copy with Lyd?"

The half-elf nodded, and the three of them fell back to their original position near the dirt mounds and wooden stakes they had stuck in the ground. This bottleneck helped them stem the tide against their enemies and provided relief for Lyd and the Xenos behind them. After all, this wasn't really the Xenos's fight.

Over on the right, Ryuu had sped up her assault for much the same reason. The larger the burden she took on for herself, the less the others would have to risk. Unfortunately, she was not at her best. Desert heat and exhaustion still plagued her body. But every time she began to slow down, she thought of Ais Wallenstein still fighting. Without meaning too, Ryuu had begun to view the Sword Princess as her rival. It was those moments that reminded Ryuu, she enjoyed being an adventurer.

Back with Astraea Familia, before the tragedy, she enjoyed fighting with her friends. The days were dangerous, and sometimes they left her exhausted, but she always felt fulfilled by the time the sun went down. So, whenever she was about to slow down, she picked up the pace. The moment her technique faltered, she sharpened it beyond perfect. She was the Gale Wind of Orario, its Faerie Princess, and she was going to fight till she was the city's strongest swordswoman. She was on an adventure.

And over on the left, Bell felt his own sense of purpose begin to return. For the past year, he had been running away. Even before then, he had been known for being fleet of foot and retreating. The Escape developmental ability was proof of this. Now, he was fighting. It might have been for his life, but he was still doing it. He looked to his left and saw Weine standing beside him. He was so proud of what she had become, and it made his heart swell. He wanted to protect her and everyone else. Unfortunately, things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Upon the overlook, Lili observed the battlefield in front of her. She saw more monsters bunch up, all of them climbing on top of each other to get at her Familia and allies. They would be the fish in her barrel, and she had the perfect hunter. But a thought nagged at her brain. Was this all that the tactical leader of the Xenos could do? She dared not underestimate her enemy and tried to consider what else would be up his sleeve.

"Are you ready for another shot?" asked the prum to the little elf.

Lefiya finished off another mind potion and started to collect her thoughts. Just as she planted her feet, terrible screeching rent the air. The level two Haruhime had to cover her ears to avoid fainting, and almost everyone else flinched. The only ones who stood their ground were the level five's and Ais. When Lefiya heard the noise, she knew what was coming next. And so did a certain half-elf.

Just as Nysa rocketed down to land, Lefiya pushed Lili off to the side. When the impact hit, the only one who felt it was the Thousand Elf, who was blown off her feet and into a tree. She thumped into the wood and slid down onto her butt. Standing in the middle of the crater was Nysa in all her monstrous glory. Her ghostly skin seemed to float around in wisps, her hair like billowing branches on a tree. Her long claws glittered like silver. And her red eyes shone like rubies. Despite the situation, Lefiya still had one thought, 'beautiful.'

"You're coming with me," commanded Nysa. With the tone of her voice, Lefiya almost mistook her for Miss Filvis.

The elf slowly got back onto her feet. She planted them shoulder-width apart and gripped her staff in both hands. She levelled the pointy end at the Banshee.

"No, I'm not," was her reply.

Nysa moved forward. Her eyes took on a crazed hue of red.

"Yes, you are. You're coming with me, and then you're going to be like me. And then, we can be together."

The last part came out like a whisper.

"Why are you so determined to think that's the only way!"

Lefiya was so confused now. Why did her life continue to be filled with punishment and pain? How come she never got a happy ending?

Across the clearing, she saw Lili peer over from behind a fallen tree. At the unspoken question, Lefiya subtly dismissed her with a wave of the hand. This was her problem, and she was going to deal with it as best she could. The prum nodded and then began to make her way down the hill. Lefiya squared up against Nysa.

"Why are you so convinced that I won't love you?"

"Because you're a human! And I'm an ugly monster!" screamed Nysa.

"Not you're not!" returned Lefiya. "You're beautiful and strong, and I'm sure you could be kind to me if you stopped trying to keep me locked away from everyone else!"

The words got through for a moment, then Nysa remembered what Typhon had told her. She shook her head to dispel Lefiya's words from her thoughts. The Xenos and the humans couldn't get along. It wasn't possible. Adventurers were nothing but a bunch of evil murderers. And the supposed heroes? They ran away at the first sign of trouble, always. All they did was use and abuse the Xenos. Lefiya would understand once she was one of them.

"Why can't you give me a chance!" asked Lefiya.

Nysa's rampaging thoughts stopped. She looked the object of her affection in the eye as she responded.

"Because I died once, and I don't want to do it again."

In the end, Nysa was still Filvis. Back before so many lines had been drawn between the Sun Seekers and the old guard, she had heard from the black bull Asterius. How the irregular minotaur had carried over his grudge from a previous life. He believed that they didn't change when they reincarnated. And if he believed in who he was, why couldn't Nysa? She was both the creature called Filvis and the monster known as Nysa.

But then, she realized she was also a murderer. If she was going to be Filvis and Nysa, she had to accept the sins of both. She looked at Lefiya and realized that it didn't matter. And she realized that nothing could change her mind; she was forever beyond redemption. Even if she didn't want to be this way.

Lefiya saw the conflict in her former lover. She stepped forward as if pulled by the red thread of fate. She reached forward and grabbed Nysa's claws in her dainty little hands.

"I won't let you die; I swear on the name of Wishe and the Royal Family. Whether you decide to be Nysa or Filvis Challia, I will always protect you. I will stand by your side as long as you let me."

Filvis couldn't believe what she was hearing. She tried to pull away, but Lefiya held on.

"Even after all the horrible things I've done? This life and before?" asked the Banshee.

Lefiya paused. "I haven't forgiven you, and there will be a long path to redemption, but there is a chance. You have to put the work in, though, and don't expect the same from everyone else! You killed people, and that's something you'll have to live with the rest of your life. But thankfully, I believe in second chances, and third ones apparently."

"And you'll love me?"

Lefiya sighed.

"There's a spot in my heart for you, but there's a spot for someone else now too. And he hasn't killed anyone yet," replied the Thousand Elf.

Filvis pouted.

'Adorable!' thought Lefiya.

"And I guess I can't take him out of the picture?" asked Filvis.

Lefiya snorted, "No, you can't."

Filvis looked down and then back up.

"I'm not saying I'm ready, but I can…give it a shot?"

Lefiya nodded.

"Then so will I."

From down the hill, the sound of footsteps came.

Down on the battlefield, Ais started to feel exhaustion creep up on her. She didn't know where Lefiya was, but the Thousand Elf needed to launch her spell soon. For every monster the Sword Princess cut down, three took its place. She had no idea how many monsters were around, but she did know that she had to keep going. As her resolve hardened, she heard someone shouting her name.

Ais turned to find the Dauntless running up to her, the support group in tow. This made the Sword Princess frown.

"Why aren't you with Lefiya?" asked Ais.

Lili stopped to catch her breath. As monsters piled up around them, Welf swung his magic sword. A raging tornado of fire sprung forth to buy them some time.

"The Banshee attacked," replied Lili. "Miss Lefiya said she would deal with it on her own. That means that we can't rely on her for support."

Ais turned away, ready to chase down her friend, but then a monster slipped by and jumped at Cassandra. As easy as breathing, Ais cut it in half. There was no way she could turn from the battlefield.

"Lili already saw Mister Elwin heading up to Miss Lefiya's position," said the Dauntless, "They'll be ok, for now." The prum turned to her companions. "Lady Haruhime, is this close enough?"

Haruhime closed her eyes as if deep in thought. She made a humming sound and nodded. She raised the priestly staff she carried and began to place her feet right behind her left.

"Who are my targets?" asked the renard.

"Mister Ouka, Miss Chigusa, Miss Daphne, Miss Mikoto, Mister Urashima, Lady Otohime, Lili, Mister Welf, Miss Cassandra, Miss Aisha, and the Sword Princess," listed Lili.

Haruhime frowned, "Not Master Bell or Lady Ryuu?"

Lili shook her head. "They both want the priority to be on everyone else." Lili frowned. "Besides, this will be your limit, correct?"

Enchantenko nodded.

Ais opened her mouth to object, but Lili beat her to it.

"We need you at level seven, in case things go badly with the Banshee or Scipio shows up. We don't need Ais Wallenstein; we need the Sword Princess at her most dangerous. Can you do that?"

Ais looked at Lili and saw an image of Finn interposed over top. She nodded once and then looked at Haruhime. The renard smiled kindly, then she raised her staff.

"Kokonoe. Beloved snow. Beloved crimson. Beloved white light. Please let me be beside you - this love I have found at the end of two thousand nights. My name is Magic Fox. Former destroyer. My name is Ancient Song. Former dreamer. For you who beat your wings like a bird, I shall allow the nine spirits to dwell in me. Echo, song of gold, sacred poem of Tamamo. White face, golden fur, king of nine tails. Oh, tails of the auspicious beast, consume all, grant all wishes," chanted Haruhime. Golden orbs of light gathered to her, and she imagined her tails branching out like wisps of clouds. They snuck their way closer to all of her allies. Then, she began the second chant.

"Grow. That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion. -Grow. Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you. -Grow. Uchide No Kozuchi! Dance!"

The golden tails shot off then, and across the battlefield, all the adventurers felt their power jump. They also took this sign to know that another magical reprieve was not coming. This boost was the last assist they were going to get.

When magic dispersed, Haruhime crumpled to the ground. She had done her absolute limit and passed out from total mind down.

Scipio had seen this happen. With the eyes of the monsters he controlled, he saw Nysa betray him. He saw how the adventurers began to shine and how they suddenly seemed able to fight better than before. This battle was not going in his favour, so he went on the move. With his enhanced strength now, he flew across the battlefield and used his vines to collect vegetation as he went. He absorbed the moss, trees, and shrubbery into himself and built into a larger body. And then he roared and put his final card out for battle.

Out at the exit of the floor, something dark clawed its way into the light. It had been led from its hallowed halls and had caused total carnage wherever it went. No obstacle stood in its path as it reached ahead with one massive bony hand. It pulled itself forward, dragging its skeletal body across the dirt. What was left of its spine rattled against the trees. It had taken days for it to get this far, and it still smelled that oppressive blood on the wind. The disgusting blood of those interlopers from the heavens lingered on the wind, and the great skeleton would chase down its prey. Udaeus pulled itself onto floor thirty-four, and everything trembled in response.

Back with the little elf and her recently returned partner, the two had started to prepare to join their friends on the battlefield. That was when Scipio struck.

Great viny tendrils speared through the Earth and began wrapping themselves around anything within reach. One of them picked up a tree and wielded it like a mace. Another was a whip that tore through rocks. The Marsh Warden made eye contact with the Banshee and bellowed.

"TRAITOR!"

A barrage of vines attacked the two then. They were so off guard that Nysa barely had time to raise her claws in front of Lefiya for defence. Thankfully, they were not alone.

"Sign of the Ram! Aurata!"

A golden shield blazed to life to stop the attack. It withstood only one hit before it exploded into pieces. The magical backlash lifted Elwin off his feet. He was sent rolling through the Earth. While Lefiya ran off to check on him, Filvis charged her former comrade.

"Stop it Scipio!" cried the Xenos.

"Quiet traitor!"

Another club-like vine swung down, and Nysa just barely dodged out of the way. She knew Scipio would not listen right now, so she brought her claws against its mossy flesh. Scipio screamed in pain before swinging another vine. The two began their dancing fight.

Lefiya rolled Elwin up on his side and found that he wasn't breathing. Just as her panic began to set it, the half-elf in front of her dissolved into stars. The clone faded from existence, and Lefiya breathed a sigh of relief. She took up her staff and turned back to where Filvis fought with Scipio. Her Xenos would need help, and she was happy to oblige. Dimly, as a magic circle formed under her feet, she worried about where the real Elwin was.

Unfortunately, Scipio was still a monster. He sensed the magic in the air and turned to regard the little elf preparing her spell. Nysa was much too nimble a target to hit, but this one was nowhere as fast. Scipio began swinging his clubs made of trees, and Lefiya just barely jumped out of the way. Every second swing got a glancing hit, though, and soon she would be too battered and bruised to keep fighting. It was after one such hit that she was left dazed and confused.

A vine started to rush towards her, aiming to stab itself through her chest. Filvis screamed her defiance and placed herself in its path. She closed her eyes and prepared to die a second time.

'At least I'll die for someone good this time,' thought the beautiful Xenos.

Then, she felt her body. She opened her eyes and turned her head to find that stupid half-elf flying in sideways. He had pushed her out of the way and intercepted the stabbing vine. The Xenos registered a distant shriek that exploded from Lefiya's mouth. Filvis continued to stare as the vine went right through Elwin's chest. The adventurer's momentum had knocked it off course so that he was the only victim. Now, he hung suspended in the air, blood draining from his chest. Slowly, he was lowered to the ground as Scipio withdrew his appendage from within.

Elwin looked down at his chest and then at the ground. In front of him was some pulsating red thing. He looked back up at Lefiya.

"I love you," he whispered, too quiet to hear.

Then, the half-elf hit the ground. The life left his eyes as they closed one last time.

Teehee