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Mortal Combat on the 6th Floor, and the Meaning of Strength – Part 03

The roar reverberated throughout the wide corridors of the dungeon. Beckoning. Calling for help.

The nearer they drew, the more Selyse felt the tremor of the roar against her skin.

We’re close!

Among the adventurers, Selyse and her companions, known as the Four EasternStars, were the first to arrive.

The space stretched unbelievably wide, expanding endlessly into the darkness left and right, the edges beyond sight. The magic lamps dotting the area illuminated both the battleground and the monster.

“Wha…”

Despite standing on four legs, the creature towered over them. It had a lion’s head, black flames spewing from its mouth, a goat’s torso, and massive black hooves that grated against the dungeon floor with each movement. Its serpentine tail, thick and long, seemed to possess a mind of its own. A chimera.

These creatures were classified as Rank D and higher, but that only applied to the chimeras that Selyse knew, which were one-tenth of this size. And she expected them to breathe orange flames, not black.

There was a strong likelihood it had absorbed miasma, evolving into this sinister form. It appeared to be a unique specimen of a chimera corrupted by darkness.

With a creature of such magnitude, Selyse wouldn’t be surprised if it had created the mythical Evil Dragon itself. This chimera was the source of the malevolence.

Fallen Beastmen lay all over the place, tended to by their comrades. The black magic gems littering the ground were remnants of demon-type creatures they had killed.

And there stood roughly thirty Beastman soldiers, weapons drawn, facing off against the chimera.

While the initial team numbered a hundred strong, only thirty remained standing. Under normal circumstances, they would have retreated, but that wasn’t an option. Turning their backs and fleeing from the chimera was impossible.

Despite their weariness and wounds, their will to fight remained unbroken. Because he stood among them.

“Haaaaaahhh!”

What had initially sounded like a call for reinforcements now, amidst the chaos of battle, stirred something deep within, kindling courage.

Gerhardt, the Leader of the Confederacy of Einbiest, brandished a massive battle axe capable of cleaving through timber with ease, confronting the chimera head-on.

Selyse couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by Gerhardt’s imposing presence from her vantage point. Despite the distance, he seemed to tower over the chimera.

No, that can’t be right. Gerhardt called for reinforcements because they lacked the strength.

Shaking off her hesitation, Selyse shouted, “You called, and we answered! Four Eastern Stars coming through!”

The Beastman soldiers whirled around, roaring with excitement.

“The Azure Blade Nebula is here as well.”

As Marius and his group arrived a second later, an even louder cheer erupted. It was evident that Marius’s twelve-member group was more welcomed than Selyse’s team of four. Marius’s group having more men likely gave it an elite air as well.

Throughout her adventures, Selyse had faced her fair share of belittlement for being part of an all-female party. Though she never let it show on her face, those instances stayed with her, and she wasn’t one to shy away from retaliation when the moment called for it. Hikaru might label her as “devious” from his perspective, but that was beside the point.

Even in the face of a daunting foe like the chimera, Selyse couldn’t shake off her annoyance at being treated as she always was.

“Selyse, let’s split up on both sides to avoid getting in the Beastmen’s way. We need to keep a wide berth—Selyse?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Her voice was unusually low, but Selyse replied calmly, holding her composure.

“Thanks for coming.”

Gerhardt, still facing off against the chimera alone, spoke without turning around. His voice—rough and worn—hinted at hours of shouting.

“Once we bring down this beast, this little hoopla will be over. Let’s go!”

With Gerhardt’s rallying cry, the Beastmen soldiers surged forward in unison.

“Sara! Serika! Let’s go!”

“Sure thing!”

“On it!”

“Sophie, tend to the wounded. Make sure you manage your mana!”

“Got it!”

“Azure Blade Nebula, on me.”

As Selyse, Sara, and Serika dashed to the right, Marius’s group veered to the left.

A rumble came from the chimera’s throat.

“Oooohhh!”

Gerhardt lunged forward to strike the chimera’s legs, but the creature leaped back with surprising agility. Upon landing, the ground trembled, and a gust of wind whipped around. The chimera narrowed its mouth, and black flames erupted forth.

Selyse felt a cold shiver run down her spine. The Beastmen didn’t have a mage with them to counter the attack.

“Hyaaaaahhh!”

Gerhardt, still charging ahead, swung his massive axe, cleaving through the flames. The Beastmen either sought cover behind Gerhardt or leaped to avoid the flames’ edges. His physical abilities were extraordinary.

“Take this!”

Gerhardt closed in on the chimera’s feet, swinging his colossal axe, rending the air. But the chimera’s hooves, covered in goat-like fur, deflected the blow, producing a high-pitched, metallic sound.

“What?”

It was a physically impossible feat. A creature armored in dragon scales or rocky plates, could deflect blades, but mere fur repelling a battle axe was inconceivable.

“Waaaaah!”

Gerhardt must have anticipated this outcome. Despite being rebuffed, he kept swinging his battle axe relentlessly. The Beastmen soldiers, too, surged forward, launching their attacks at the chimera. But none of their blades seemed to make a dent in the creature’s hide.

“Gyaaaaah!”

The chimera shook its body in annoyance, dislodging the clinging beastmen. Those unfortunate enough to be beneath its hooves were sent flying. Two fell victim to the venom unleased by the thrashing snake tail.

“It’s protected by a magical membrane!” Serika exclaimed. “There are support spells with similar effects! But this one’s far more potent, using tremendous amount of mana!”

“Does it drain a lot of mana, then?”

“Most likely! But don’t hold your breath for it to run dry! It seems to be absorbing the miasma in the surroundings!”

“So, that membrane…”

“It’s not going anywhere!”

They watched Gerhardt’s battle from a distance to the chimera’s right side. Some areas were too dark to see clearly, but there was definitely a faint black mist whenever attacks were deflected. That had to be the magical membrane.

“So, how do we take it down?”

Selyse gripped her drawn sword tight. If their blades couldn’t pierce it, they’d be at an impasse. Things would be different if she had the White Ray Blade, a magic sword capable of cutting through anything when fed with mana. But wishing for the impossible was pointless.

“I’ll break it open with magic!” Serika asserted confidently.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Since it’s shielded by a magical membrane, we hit it with magic! As much as possible, the spells need to contain a lot of mana! That way, the membrane will weaken as it nullifies it!”

“Ah, I see.”

“In all honesty, it’d be quicker if Sophie could fire holy magic on it, but it’s too risky for her to get close!”

“True. So, you’re saying you can do the same from a distance?”

“Exactly! I’m a magic prodigy!”

Seeing Serika’s unwavering confidence, Selyse’s grip on her sword relaxed slightly.

That’s right. We’re the Four Eastern Stars. What I lack, my teammates compensate. That’s our strength.

Serika was a rare mage proficient in all four types of elemental magic. There was no reason to doubt her judgment.

“We’ll strike where there are no Beastmen. Sara, take point.”

“On it.”

“Serika, we’re counting on you.”

“Leave it to me!”

Sara bent and dashed forward, with Selyse trailing behind.

I am a sword. A sword that pierces through the enemies standing in front of the Four Eastern Stars.

Shaken off, the Beastmen regrouped momentarily in front of the chimera. Gerhardt led the charge, while the Beastmen provided support. But Gerhardt’s attacks seemed to be ineffective.

“I’ll take care of the snake!”

“Got it.”

Sara surged ahead, too fast for Selyse to keep up. The gap between them widened swiftly as Sara zeroed in on the serpent at the rear.

“They’re flanking it from behind!”

“Hey! Your scrawny arms won’t do squat!”

“Don’t be a daredevil!”

The Beastmen’s warnings fell on deaf ears. The snake was right in front of Sara now.

Hiss.

The chimera’s lion face was turned to Gerhardt, ignoring the women.

Perfect.

Even the chimera itself was underestimating them. That was fine. So be it. They just needed to show their worth.