Chapter 51:
Running through the Dragon's Urn, Bell was forced to think and learn on his feet. His body moved automatically when Ryuu shouted orders at him. Technically, he was supposed to be the Captain of Hestia Familia, but there was no way he could ever claim to know more than Ryuu. And even she looked out of her depth here. In fact, the only people that looked comfortable this deep were the members of Lok Familia. Only Lefiya looked a little queasy.
They were in a brick corridor now. And despite the lack of monsters around them, Bell could feel heat practically burning away here. It was just about to melt his clothing off. Unfortunately, it was also causing his brain not to function at its best capacity. So much so that Bell tripped on an errant flagstone sticking out of the ground. He stumbled a little but managed to keep his footing and keep running. But he did fall a pace behind the party. Because of that, he felt Ais fall in step beside him as they ran.
"You need to be more careful," she warned, frowning and threatening.
Bell ducked his head. "I will. I'm sorry, the heat just got to me for a second."
Ais nodded. "Adjust quickly."
The two ran in silence, the rest of the party not saying much either. The labyrinth of the fifty-first floor stretched out in front. They eventually found their way into a large circular room with branching corridors. Finn called for a halt.
"Don't we know the way down from here?" asked Tsubaki. "Hell, even I remember where we went the last time I came down here."
"That's not the issue," said Ryuu. Her long ears twitched. "There's something else around. It's coming from one of the tunnels."
Just as the Faerie Princess finished speaking, an intensity burned the moisture from the air. A magic circle bloomed beneath everyone's feet. Its source was the strongest mage in Orario. Riveria was chanting something under her breath, which made everyone worry. But no one could pick up on the words.
"While Riveria readies her shield, I want the rest of you to take up a circle position. Level sixes on the outside, mages and supporters in the middle," explained Finn. "Whatever comes from those tunnels, I need all of you to keep calm, understand?"
The adventurers answered yes, moving to answer Finn's orders. As that happened, Riveria stopped talking. She held her spell at the ready and stood in silence. Lefiya started working on her own magic. And all the while, the sound got louder. Eventually, they realized the noise was coming from a tunnel on the right. It was a lumbering sound that gave off wet thumps. They waited with bated breath till it emerged. And Bell's vision tunnelled. Standing in front of him was a mass of moss and undergrowth. It was Scipio, the general of the Sun Seekers and lead tactician. Overall, this was good. Because if he was down here, he wasn't commanding the forces on the fiftieth. Or if he was, he wasn't able to do so effectively.
The two sides didn't move. Neither of them said a word. Finn was the first to step forward. He had a grin on his face, opening his mouth to talk. As he was about to speak, probably a flippant remark, someone else beat him to it.
"Burn them through, Sword of Surtr – My name is Alf! RAE LAEVATEINN!"
Before anyone could move, an explosion of flame and brimstone burst through the room. The adventurers jumped to get away from the backsplash of heat. Gareth stood in front of everyone doing his best to shield them. When the spell died down, Gareth turned to look back at Riveria.
"What in the world was that, you damned hag!" shouted the dwarf.
Everyone turned to look, their faces mixed with anger and astonishment, but they all froze. The sight of her face made everyone stop and pause. The usual grace and serenity were gone; instead, a raging hatred was there. Her lips were like a sneer, and her eyes were like the slits of a devil. Her aura rolled off in waves, her body standing there like it was about to combust. Even Finn raised a brow. When the fire stopped burning, and the rocks ceased shifting, Scipio remained standing. The giant monster was singed and worse for wear but was not dead. It gave out great heaving breaths. Before it could speak, though, the Nine Hells blazed.
"You killed my brother," said Riveria, her face twisted. "You speared his heart from his chest and let him bleed out." Beneath the anger, tears started to fall. "Someone else had to give their life for him." Her grip on her staff tightened. "You killed my brother, and for that, you will burn. I will set you ablaze till nothing remains but your magic stone. And then, I will crush it beneath my boot. I will grind you into dust until you are nothing but a thought on the breeze." Her words flowed from her mouth, her mask cracking. "And even then, I will burn this place till not even your memory remains." There was a cracking sound, and people would only realize afterwards that it was the high elf's teeth grinding against each other. "You killed my brother. And for that, I will kill you."
Finn looked between the two before looking at his thumb. He nodded once.
"Gareth, you stay here and lend our fine Vice-Captain a hand," said Finn. "Give her time to fulfill her promise. The rest of us are going to keep going."
The dwarf nodded. "Tsubaki, I'm going to need my good axe."
It was tossed to him, and he caught it with one hand. The rest made to go around towards the tunnel that would lead them even deeper into the heart of the Dungeon. Scipio let them go, never saying a word. Secretly, he was glad to watch the boy with snowy hair go. He still had nightmares of killer rabbits.
As they left, Gareth took up the vanguard position in front of Riveria. In one hand was a great shield, and in the other was his axe. His eyes peered out from beneath his massive helmet.
"I'll do all the protecting, and you take care of the monster," said Gareth. "Thankfully, it seems weak to fire."
Riveria nodded before stretching her arms out. She began chanting, her magic circle blossoming under her feet. Recognizing the impending danger, Scipio lashed out to try and disrupt her.
"Oh no, you don't!" shouted Gareth, raising his shield defensively.
The barbed vine slammed down and knocked him aside. Riveria jumped, only just being able to dodge out of the way. She had moved so fast that her spell had been disrupted. The vine slammed into the ground, sending bits of rock everywhere. Thankfully, it did not crack through into the floor below. Riveria clicked her teeth in agitation while Gareth sighed. This fight did not seem like it was going to be easy, but if they were not careful, it would definitely be short. Gareth moved back in front of Riveria, and the high elf raised her staff. They started the attack again, and Scipio raised a viny tendril to smack them down.
With the Strategist:
On the fiftieth floor, the sounds of battle raged. Those that had been squad captains did their best to keep control of the situation, but it was like trying to drain a lake with their cupper hands. Orders were barely heard over the din of battle, and any formations were hardly maintained. Thankfully, though, the front line had held. Lili's prediction had been correct. While monsters did come down from the forty-ninth floor, most of them did, in fact, come up. And even more surprising was their general lack of cohesion. The pallum was happy about that, though, because her intuition told her that meant that Scipio was not here or in charge of their forces. The Sun Seekers were relying on overwhelming force to take the day.
That played to Lili's strengths because it meant she was working at a heavy disadvantage and being underestimated. These were two scenarios that she was used to. One of the lessons the top generals of Altena had drilled into her head was to get over the fact that people would have a higher status than her. There was nothing she could do about that. All she could do was plan around it and be better than she was before. From her position on the hilltops, overlooking the battle, Lili smiled. She knew that she could do it.
The Dauntless took the time to scan the three fronts. Anakitty Autumn was holding the right easily enough. She switched between giving orders and fighting monsters with deft ease, her level five skills helping her lead from the front. The right side was also in danger due to its proximity to a water source. Aquatic monsters jumped out of the water, crawling on the land. The adventurers had to split their attention, with Aki putting a lot of trust and faith in her lieutenants. The most significant part of that was the adventurers from Takemikazuchi Familia. Their time on the island nation of the Far East gave them marine experience.
Moving towards the middle, Lili saw that Aisha was not leading so much as being a natural powerhouse. She shouted warnings for comrades but seemed to delegate the brunt of the work to Daphne. The level four adventurer seemed tired and exasperated but did everything she could to keep the rest of the alliance force safe. Not to mention, while Aisha Belka was a new level five, she seemed to be fighting better than Aki or Raul. Her natural ferocity and drive raised the spirit of everyone around her. Morale was high; even if her fighters were largely disorganized, they had the right heart. This would be important, as the middle would be the hardest to hold long-term.
Finally, on the left, Raul Nord seemed to be holding the line. Lili could be honest about him. He was competent, gave good orders, and could keep an eye on multiple threats, but that was it. His orders were stammered, his weapon skill was average, and he wasn't that great overall. Whatever innate hidden qualities that Aki and the Braver thought he had, Lili couldn't see it. The one thing she could say was that seeing him in such a mess gave the rest of Loki Familia enough of a reason to shape up and really take charge. They solidified the left front in their effort to support Raul.
Lili took in all this knowledge while relaying orders through her messenger system. The supporter network had been put to work and became a personal chain of messengers for the pallum. They were seen sprinting back and forth under strict orders not to engage the enemy. After all, the oculus would only go so far, and Lili didn't know if people would always be listening. Better to give them someone face to face who would shout out to them until she knew they had heard the order.
These messengers also allowed people to tell her things. She knew when the first wave of mages was ready with their spells, Amid could tell her how their medical supplies storage was doing, and Haruhime let her know that the renard was ready and on standby with her spells.
"Lady Lili, another contingent coming from the woods on the left flank!"
Finally, there was the final piece of the puzzle. Mikoto's magic let her have an eye in the sky and was able to shout down monster positions as needed. Obviously, she couldn't stay up there forever, her mind would run out, and Lili would need her level four strength and first-rate skills on the ground. But the pallum was determined to keep her up there for as long as it took. Lili needed to know where the two truly dangerous ones were.
Filvis had been quite the helpful repository of information. She had told Lili that Typhon would probably send two generals up to the fiftieth. In the eyes of the Sun Seekers, two horribly strong Xenos would be strong enough to take down the level fives through sheer force of will. There were three possible Xenos he could send. Bragi, a reborn blood-troll; Nastro, a bipedal dragon monster; and Horra, the reborn silverback; all three were dangerous and highly motivated to kill humans. Lili had asked why Typhon wouldn't send all three. Filvis said he wouldn't have wanted to waste them on the small fry; his top monsters would be waiting for the ultimate tier adventurers.
However, Lili needed to know which monsters were coming because whatever monster showed up would decide who faced them down. Personally, she was hoping for Horra and Bragi. Nastro was apparently one of the strongest of Typhon's generals, on the same level as Nysa the Banshee. Lili was happy to leave that battle to the first-class adventurers. Of course, Horra would instill the most fear. Since people had already met him and seen or heard what he had done to Bors. But the fact remains that Horra was objectively weaker than Nastro.
"Have you seen them yet?" shouted Lili into the air.
Mikoto shook her head. "I'm going to touch down and drink mind potions soon."
Lili nodded, already switching her attention to her next orders. She signalled temporary withdrawal while also giving the mages their attack sign. There was a flash of colour as elemental explosions rocked the battlefield. Amid and her healers let out their spells as the magic went off, removing cuts and bruises already sustained by those fighting. More heavily injured people were brought back to the medical tents for more extensive treatment.
"Welf, I want the smiths and their magic swords to move forward!" shouted Lili with her command call. "Also, bring replacement weapons to those that need them!"
Welf couldn't respond, but Lili could imagine him rolling her eyes. She watched the smiths do their job, half of them swinging magic swords, with the rest trading weapons and supplying arrows. As that happened, Lili told Elwin to get the mages to fall back and start a rotation. In many ways, the strategy was just a larger and more expanded version of what she had done in the battle on the thirty-fourth. The difference was that Lili didn't know everything about the people around her. She knew of her Familia and the most influential members of the other Familias, but that left a lot of unknowns.
Lili chanced a look over her shoulder. Just as she had predicted, the natural formations of the Dungeon protect them from an attack at the rear, but some monsters were slipping through the cracks. Not to mention that there were fliers in the air, swooping and diving on the attack. Thankfully, Lili's last attacker took care of all those monsters in short order. Even as she looked back, metal flashes indicated monsters being reduced to dust.
Otohime had finally found her rhythm in monster killing and was moving with a speed and dexterity that was stunning to behold. Then there was her spear work, her Bisento practically singing in her hands with how fast it moved. And whenever a monster got too close, her shadow was a storm of blades. He spun in deft circles, the blades at his elbows turning monsters into mincemeat. The two danced in perfect harmony as if all doubt had been removed from their actions. Around them were the rest of their backline protection squad. Predominantly pulled from scouting and vanguard units, their high mobility helped to keep the backline safe. Otohime ordered as she fought, her shouts rising above the din of battle. Lili helped by pointing out and passing along where the next attacks were coming from. For now, the lines seemed to be holding.
All of this going well made Lili worry. Something in her gut was telling her to be careful because when things were going this well, especially with an enemy that was supposed to be dangerous, they were hiding something. Lili's eyes could only search so much, but she didn't see any Sun Seeker plots. And if they weren't throwing all their weight at the Adventurers on the fiftieth, then they were throwing even more at the first-class adventurers chasing down Typhon. Lili could feel her brain starting to smoke from all the possibilities.
"Calm down, Lilliruka," said the voice of Athena. "Think of what you can do, and disregard anything you can't."
Lili let out a long breath, imagining her frustrations going with it. She did her best to toss away her worries about Bell and the first-class adventurers. The only thing she could afford to focus on was what was right in front of her.
"Someone find Welf," said Lili. "I want his new swords passed to all the lieutenants and captains. They don't have to use it, but I want them to be ready."
A messenger ran off to pass the message.
"Tell Amid to get a couple of her strong healers to head to the frontlines. Not to heal immediately, but I want them to stand at the ready," ordered Lili. "Tell them something could be coming, and they need to be ready to act fast."
Another runner took off to the healers.
"Someone find the supporters and the Enchantenko. Tell her she needs to get ready; it doesn't matter who spots her. She'll know what it means," said Lili, waving an arm.
A cloud of dust was the only indicator that someone had left.
"Lady Mikoto, stay in the sky, but fly closer to your girlfriend!" shouted Lili for all to hear.
There was a spluttering sound from the Black Crow. Before she could say anything else, Lili kept talking.
"Don't land but be ready. Lili thinks that the monsters might be waiting for her," said Lili.
"No one will touch her!" replied Mikoto, already diving in Haruhime's direction.
Lili didn't say it, but she knew she was making the first move. She could be walking into a trap for all she knew, but that didn't matter. This deep in the Dungeon, the monsters would come at them from all angles. They would be incessant in their attacks, and the Allied Adventurers would die from attrition first and foremost. As Ryuu had said all those months ago, the Dungeon would kill them with a thousand cuts. So, Lili chose to walk into the trap headfirst without telling anyone. She couldn't cause panic, and she couldn't risk everyone losing morale. So, the Dauntless watched as she moved her pieces into play. And now, it was the Sun Seeker's turn.
With the Hero:
Bell was falling. Dragon fire had lit up the stones at his feet, and the floor had exploded. Now, he was falling into the Dragon's Urn. The winged beasts were all around him. His knives were in his hands, and he was doing what he could to parry their attacks. But that didn't stop the fact that the floor was fast approaching, and he had no idea what to do.
Two green flashes were what saved him. Like a meteor, Ryuu crashed into the nearest Valgang dragon, knocking it into a wall. She used the dragon's skin as a way to push herself off into another crowd that was close by. Her attacks picked up speed as she jumped from dragon to dragon. She was a blur that left Bell breathless. But she was not helping him with his landing procedure. The March Hare had the idea of stabbing into a dragon to slow his fall, but the dagger wasn't the right length to hold in the flesh.
Before he could worry any longer, the other green flash grabbed him. Her longer sword was able to pierce the monster's flesh, and her arm wrapped around her midriff. Bell could feel the wind buoying him up and slowing their descent. The two landed.
"Thanks, Ais," began Bell.
Before he could add to that, he was stopped by Ais's piercing gaze. The glare was lessened by her pouting face.
"Be more careful," she said.
With that warning, Ais turned back to the battle against the dragons. Bell joined her, dimly aware of the other young Loki Familia members joining them. Tione used a combination of martial arts with her kukri knives, a constant violent storm. Next to her, Urga gleamed in the light of the flames. Tiona's big sword cut dragons in half like they were paper. The whole time she did it, she wore a giant smile on her face.
"This won't be like last time!" screamed Bete Loga, his foot caving a monster's rib cage. "The old man isn't here to keep an eye on us, but we'll make him proud anyway!"
"Don't even try to get ahead of us, wolfy!" shouted Tione, jumping to his side.
The adventurers continued to fight, destroying the monsters around them. Finn and the level five members of Ganesha and Tsubaki were on their way down, trying to catch up.
"Arcs Ray!"
A beam of light blasted through multiple monsters, carving a path for the adventurers to follow. Lefiya ran behind it, staff clutched in her hand.
"There's an opening that way to a cave entrance!" she shouted. "We can catch our breath in there!"
Bell nodded, falling behind her. A couple of wyverns got too close, so he fought around them, leaving deep gouges in their hides. Nobody wanted to say it, but this kind of place ran directly against Bell's style of fighting. His daggers weren't long enough to pierce into the underbellies of the monsters, and his firebolt would be next to worthless against dragons. He didn't have Tione or Bete's raw strength, which they used to compensate for any weaknesses. Thankfully, Bell had one trick left up his sleeve.
A white light formed around his fist, lasting for only five seconds. Using that, he jumped forward to punch a dragon trying to sneak up on Lefiya. He caved its skull in, the great beast crumpling in front of him.
"How is your fist so tough?" asked Lefiya, shock written on her face.
Bell held up his left arm to show that it was not just covered in armour. He had also wrapped the Goliath scarf around it, making it even tougher. He couldn't use Argonaut too much, but it was a way for him to fight through these deep floors until they reached the Glacial Area, where Typhon was hopefully waiting for them.
"Please be more careful next time, Bell," said Ryuu, touching down next to him. She smirked. "I don't believe me, and the Kenki want to make a habit of having to pull you out of danger. It should be the other way around, no?"
Bell blushed, looking away.
"Sorry, Ryuu," he replied. "I guess my lack of experience down here is starting to show, huh?"
Ryuu didn't bother with false compliments. Instead, she nodded.
"This is true, so in the meantime, focus on protecting our mage and supporters. Watch what you can and acclimate as quickly as possible," she said in her matter-of-fact tone. "I know this won't matter, but try not to be too heroic. Let the rest of us help you, Bell."
The boy smiled at his vice-captain, overjoyed that she stood at his side.
"Always, Ryuu."
"Oi! Enough with the lovey-dovey bullshit!" shouted Bete. "We need to clear a way to the Glacial Area!" He pointed to a large cave opening. "Finn needs a way down, and we need to make it!"
The group of seven started running. Ais ran at the point, the literal sword thrust into the crowd. Flanking her on either side were Tiona and Tione, dedicated to protecting their sworn sister. Behind them, acting as the mid-guard, were Ryuu and Bete. Their quick action and terrifying intensity ensured that nothing slowed down the progress of the vanguard. Finally, there was Lefiya and Bell. Lefiya readied her magic, ensuring she could fire off a spell when needed, while Bell protected her and acted as the party's rearguard.
The boy had to be careful since the more experienced adventurers threatened to leave him behind. Forget how strong his status might have been; the total lack of experience with monsters like this put him way behind everyone else. Ryuu was right; any amount of experience was worth its weight in valis. So, Bell studied their techniques and mannerisms while the others fought forward. He watched how Tiona and Tione supported each other, silently taking care of wayward blows from monsters. He saw how Ryuu never overextended herself, carefully limiting the scope of her movements. Every thrust and swipe was careful and deliberate. Bete stayed near the pack and seemed to have activated all of his senses. His nose would twitch, sending him in one direction, then his ears would pull him somewhere else. Bell watched them all and kept his eyes on his idol, Ais Wallenstein.
The way she moved took his breath away. Her feet were like breaths upon the ground, flowing from one stance to the next. Her blade was like a demon of metal, moving through monsters like they were nothing but grass. Every step she took was about moving forward, creating a new path for her comrades to follow. But the thing that impressed Bell the most was the mask of controlled rage hidden under her face. The anger flowed through her, but it did not control her. Every movement was like an explosion of pain deep inside her. The mere fact that she had any semblance of technique there was something for him to deeply admire.
Eventually, the small adventuring party made their way to the entrance to the next floor. There was no sign of Finn or the others at the moment, but they knew that was okay. They would hold the line until he arrived, for he was the Braver and their commander.
With the Sister:
Above them, where the rooms were still a maze of corridors and the heat was kept at bay, Riveria and Gareth fought on. The two didn't want to admit it, but their opponent was strong. Scipio had learned from his previous mistakes and regained his lost power. He was a force of nature, crashing into everything around him. Piles of rubble and gouges in the wall showed how deep his destruction ran. That said, it hadn't been a free fight for him. She bore signs of wear and tear; parts of his vines and barky exterior were ripped away.
Riveria's breathing was haggard, coming in great pants. Her spells had only landed glancing blows upon her opponent. But more importantly, was the fact that her anger was taking control. She wanted to kill the Moss Huge so bad that she had been blinded from tactics and reason. Gareth had tried his best to break through to her, but it was all for nothing.
Riveria snarled. "You damned monster, you can try to run and hide as much as you want, but I will kill you."
Scipio gave a semblance of smiling. "You talk as much as that other elf did. The other one with green hair, but he wore glasses. He talked a lot until I took his heart out."
Riveria's scream was guttural, ripped from her throat. Gareth sighed, already moving his shield to block a lethal blow. He thought that after years of fighting together, he had seen everything there was to know about the High Elf. However, this rage was a new side he could never have dreamed of. It was so different from how she usually acted that it disturbed him a little. Everyone was allowed to have emotional outbursts, but what she did now was putting herself and the others in danger. The giant dwarf just didn't know what to do in response.
But for now, he would watch her back. Just as he was considering the danger, a vine that Scipio had been sneaking around the back went to stab Riveria in the heart. Gareth shouted a warning, but Riveria didn't hear it. So, Gareth did the only thing he could. The old dwarf jumped in the way. His shield came to bear but got punched straight through. The tendril crashed against his skin, deflected so that it pierced into his side instead.
Riveria saw it happen. The sight of one of her oldest companions taking a hit for her that she should have seen. The sight snapped everything into focus, but she could feel the rage about to overtake her again.
"You damn hag! Listen for once in your bloody life!" shouted Gareth, hands clutched to his wound. "Now take a Goddess damned breath and think! Why are you fighting?"
Images of her daughter, her apprentice, and her brother flashed into her head. They were waiting for her. Riveria focused on them, drawing strength from that fact. People were counting on her, and she needed to be there to protect them.
"There is still much to do," she said to herself. "And I will see it through."
Just in time, she leapt out of the way of another snaking vine. Except for this time, she landed on top of it, stamping her foot down.
"I have you now," she whispered.
Scipio tried to pull away, but Gareth Landrock would not let this thing get away. He used his prodigious strength to grab the vine, holding it firmly. His face was grim, but he smiled anyway.
Nodding at the dwarf, Riveria took the time to compose herself. She drew her feet together, raising one arm in the air. Her other hand rested loosely around her staff. Her hair seemed to float behind her as if by some divine power. She breathed in, eyes closed to the world. She exhaled, the air leaving her mouth. As it did so, a large magic circle blossomed at her feet. It was more significant than the room they stood in and bathed everything in burning orange light. Her eyes opened slowly, and she took in the world around her.
"The flame will soon be released. Creeping war, unavoidable destruction."
Scipio tried to slam down on his opponents, but with a blur of movement, Riveria's staff intercepted him. She knocked it away, chanting her magic. Her focus was like a sword, and Gareth's tenacity kept him in place.
"The horn of battle sounds aloud; the cruelty of conflict will envelop all."
Scipio continued to try and fight his way free, but it was all for not. The heat of Riveria's charging spell was so great that it was already burning everything around it. This was especially true closest to the High Elf. This was the power of the Nine Hells.
"Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno. You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war. Burn them through."
Riveria took another breath. Her words were a whisper on the wind.
"Sword of Surtr – My name is Alf."
Her gaze focused, and Scipio saw it. A burning hatred for him and everything he had done sat in her eyes. Truthfully, he knew this was it. There would be no resurrection from this, just a continuous burning nightmare.
In his mind, he saw his return to the world. Coming from the wall, living alone in the dark. Then he was found, Typhon coming to save him from a parade of monsters. Forced to live underground, unable to be free of the Dungeon's terror, Scipio had run away. He had been happy to leave the fighting and thinking to true monsters like Typhon. But then the old guard had failed, and he had been alone. Typhon had said it himself that they were not strong enough. So, Scipio chose to study instead. He decided to think and learn. He watched parties of adventurers and learnt the way they fought and trained. Strategy became the way he contributed. And now, it did him no good. All that strategy and all that was left was his fear. His terror came back; it was the last thing he knew before it all burnt to ash.
At the End:
Finn finally made his way to the others, the level fives arrayed behind him. They were all injured to varying degrees, but they were still alive. He didn't say anything; he just nodded and started down the tunnel. The others fell behind on their way to the Glacial Floors.
Unseen to them were the monsters that followed behind. Dragons that were too intelligent to go unnoticed crawled on the ceiling, smart enough to keep their distance. All was going according to plan.
And upon the fiftieth, things were taking a turn. Lili had acted, and the Sun Seekers were reacting. The number of Xenos had grown, their high level of strength and skill on display for all to see. Lili moved as much as she could, coordinating assaults and reliefs for all three fronts. And still, the last two most powerful Sun Seekers had yet to reveal themselves.
Just as the thought entered her head, a roar echoed through the floor. There was a crashing sound, and Lili saw an adventurer sail through the air and slam into the trees.
"OTOHIME!"
The pained scream of Urashima Taro confirmed Lili's worse fears. Another chest-pounding roar caught her attention as she was about to order back up to the rear. Rocks crashed into the position next to her, almost flattening her messengers. Lili sighed but allowed herself to smile. This was what she had been waiting for. The enemy had played their hand, and she would respond in kind.
