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Mortal Combat on the 6th Floor, and the Meaning of Strength – Part 04

“Nyaaaaah!”

Sara made the first strike against the serpent. The creature’s head, lunging toward her, loomed large enough to swallow her whole. Sara narrowly evaded and slashed at its body with her dagger. There was a grating sound, but the dagger failed to pierce the serpent’s hide. There was a magical membrane in place here as well.

As the serpent writhed, Sara took a direct hit and was sent hurtling.

“I told you!”

“Should we lend them a hand?”

“Are these the reinforcements? They seem like more trouble than help!”

Sara executed a graceful somersault and landed firmly on her feet.

“Are you sure you should be looking at me?”

Both the Beastmen and the serpent had turned their attention to Sara. Meanwhile, Selyse had positioned herself directly beneath the serpent.

Hiss.

With a start, the serpent redirected its focus to Selyse. Its face ruptured. No, a flying chunk of ice struck its face, bursting into pieces.

“Bullseye!” Serika cheered from a distance, wielding her staff. “You’re up, Selyse!”

The magical membrane remained impenetrable, leaving the snake unscathed. Startled by the sudden turn of events, the serpent let out a piercing shriek and reared upright.

“Shaaaaaa!”

“I’ve got this.”

Selyse had sensed the dense concentration of mana imbued within the chunk of ice. Ordinarily, she couldn’t perceive magical energy, but when it was condensed like this, even she could discern its overwhelming presence. The mana enveloped the snake’s entire form. Nullification successful.

“Haaah!”

With a powerful leap, Selyse swung her sword. There was a creak. It wasn’t the magical membrane blocking her attack, but the blade sinking into the serpent’s flesh, connecting with its bones.

Selyse glided her sword smoothly, guiding the blade between bones, then cleaved the serpent’s body cleanly in half. The serpent lost its balance and collapsed to the ground. It bounced, causing the earth to tremble, before its form dissipated into black dust and vanished.

“W-Wow.”

“She did it.”

“Incredible!”

As she landed, Selyse heard the Beastmen’s cheers.

All right!

It was effective.

They had cut off the tail of the chimera that was posing such a challenge to Gerhardt’s team. This was strength. Undoubtedly, the strength of the Four Eastern Stars.

Recognizing Selyse as a threat, the chimera turned its attention towards her.

“Huh?!”

Selyse swiftly shifted into an evasive stance, but her arm momentarily stiffened. The blade of her sword was coated in black liquid from when she struck the serpent, and it had splattered onto her arm. It seemed more like a binding curse than blood, causing a numbing sensation.

“Get out of there, Selyse!” Sara urged.

The chimera’s foreleg loomed dangerously close to Selyse.

Gerhardt slammed his battle axe against the chimera’s flank. Though it didn’t visibly harm the creature, it was enough to disrupt its balance.

As Selyse leaped and rolled aside, her cloak was shredded by the chimera’s claws, but she emerged unscathed.

“Don’t just stand there!” Gerhardt bellowed. “Keep attacking! Use your magic!”

Though irked by Gerhardt’s orders, it wasn’t actually directed at Serika.

“Frost Stream!”

The twin mages of the Azure Blade Nebula unleashed their water magic. It was a spell that combined ice chunks with a substantial amount of water, possessing low lethality but capable of rapidly lowering temperature. Most importantly, it had a wide area of effect. They must have witnessed Serika’s magic nullifying the magical membrane.

The deluge of water drenched the chimera, but it didn’t sweep it away. Even Selyse, who had retreated to a safe distance, felt the biting cold. Gerhardt and his companions confronting the chimera would feel it even more acutely.

The wet chimera shook its body.

“Attack!” Gerhardt bellowed as he brought his battle axe down, the massive blade plunging into the chimera’s foreleg.

The blade found its mark. The Beastmen followed suit, springing at the chimera.

“Take that, and that, and that!”

“Die, you beast!”

The Beastmen rejoiced as their blows found purchase, raining down strikes. They didn’t care that the temperature around them was plummeting fast.

But as the chimera let out a deafening shriek, and the Beastmen intensified their assault, Selyse instantly sensed the impending danger.

“Fall back! It’s not doing enough!”

Gerhardt recognized it too. Though their blades had struck true, they hadn’t inflicted significant damage.

The chimera shook its body once more, dislodging the Beastmen. Its maw gaped wide. A breath attack erupted from its mouth. Just then, a vivid blue light flashed behind the chimera, in its blind spot.

The light of a magic sword—the Blue Flash. Marius, brandishing his blade, closed in on the chimera.

Magic swords were infused with mana. It should pierce the magical membrane.

This should work, Selyse thought. If Marius could land a telling blow on the hind leg, the chimera’s mobility would be severely compromised.

While Marius did not stand out much in Distant Dawn, it was only because he was surrounded by talents like Sandra. Outside the party, he would have undoubtedly ascended to a leadership position and achieved at least a Rank B, given his abilities. Now armed with the Blue Flash, it was inevitable that he would climb to Rank A. His combat style was methodical, seizing opportunities with poise even in once-in-a-lifetime moments.

The chimera wasn’t looking in his direction. It appeared oblivious to Marius’s presence. But in the next instant, it crouched down and leaped sideways, without unleashing its breath attack. The sword cleaved through empty air.

“I-It dodged!” Sara exclaimed.

“The Beastmen saw Marius,” Selyse said. “I think the chimera sensed the danger when their attention shifted behind it.”

“What?! It can do that?!”

“It’s a lot more intelligent than I expected.”

The chimera moved away from Marius and unleashed its breath attack.

“Marius, get down!”

The tanks of Azure Blade Nebula appeared on both sides to block it. But even they couldn’t move from the immense force of the breath.

“Damn, that’s one hell of a blast!” shouted a man holding a large shield.

Despite bracing the shield against the ground, they were slowly forced backward. Marius, sheathing his sword, crouched low.

“Hang in there!”

“I’m trying! Or else we’re toast!”

“Agreed,” said the other shield bearer.

Despite their efforts, the stifling heat made it difficult to breathe, and a searing pain crept into their fingers. It was the miasma eating into their hands. A spine-chilling sense of revulsion surged within them, but the tanks pushed it aside with sheer willpower. They trusted their comrades to back them up.

“It’s stopped.”

The chimera ceased its breath attack. Long-range arrows and Serika’s spells forced the chimera to retreat momentarily. It was exercising caution.

Marius and the two tanks swiftly fell back. They needed attention from Liza and the other healer.

“Tch.”

Meanwhile, Gerhardt expressed his frustration at failing to land a decisive blow. Selyse understood his sentiments all too well. Marius’s Blue Flash was undoubtedly their current most powerful offensive option, and Gerhardt would have recognized it the moment he saw the sword. But he missed.

The chimera heightened its alertness. All it needed to do was pay attention to the Blue Flash and magic spells that nullified its membrane, and it would emerge victorious.

It’s not enough.

Selyse realized they lacked both the strength and the means to strike. It was time to retreat.

“What? Marius missed his attack?”

Kinga Wolf emerged at the cavern’s entrance.

What are they doing here? Selyse wondered. Judging by his past behavior, Kinga wouldn’t recklessly charge into unknown hostiles like this. He might’ve come to reap the rewards that others sowed, but there was no need for him to announce himself so boldly.

“Have no fear, Kinga is here!”

For a moment, the chimera’s attention shifted towards Kinga.

“Turn back, Kinga!” Marius shouted. “Your party doesn’t stand a chance against that thing!”

“Fuck you! Don’t you dare underestimate us!”

Kinga had claws equipped on both hands. He seemed similar to the Beastmen, skilled in close combat, but he exuded a presence surpassing even Einbiest soldiers, known for their elite status.

Why?

But what surprised Selyse even more were Marius’s words.

Marius should know that provoking Kinga like this would only enrage him, impairing his judgment. Anger could unlock power beyond limits, but these words seemed like cheap provocation.

“Let’s go, Kinga Wolf!”

Under Kinga’s command, the party sprang into action.