Ais's body trembled in shock.
Both sides froze, exchanging stunned looks. For a moment, a strange silence hung between them, as if time had stopped.
It was clear: Ais, usually cold and expressionless, seemed lost, the drive that always propelled her in combat now scattered. For the first time, the girl known for her calm temperament exploded in an anxious tone:
"You... How do you know that name?!"
Her expression was filled with urgency and confusion. It was a vulnerability she rarely showed.
Yuri took a step forward, his voice about to explain, but then a desperate scream echoed behind them. It was Lefiya.
Suddenly...
The orb that had rolled across the floor, the one that contained a deformed spirit inside, began to tremble. And then, it let out a horrendous scream.
Ais instinctively turned, but was too slow.
The small being inside the sphere writhed violently. Its tiny, deformed hands and monstrous head, marked by misshapen eyeballs, began to tear through the green membrane that surrounded it.
"Ahhhhhh!!"
As if fed by the magic still permeating the air from the battle, the fetus jumped, faster and stronger than its size suggested, cutting through the air like a stone thrown by a slingshot.
The sound of the wind being torn passed by Ais's ears. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hideous creature darting straight toward her face. There was no time to dodge.
However, before the creature could reach her, Yuri acted.
"Thunder Breathing: First Form - Radiant Lightning!!"
With a muffled roar, like the distant rumble of thunder, Yuri crossed the distance in the blink of an eye. He wrapped Ais in his arms and, with a shining blade, cut through the air toward the spirit.
The creature swerved with a grotesque lurch, its body leaking a viscous fluid as it jumped, erratically.
Although it didn't touch Ais, the creature leapt directly toward one of the carnivorous plants, dormant on the dungeon walls. Upon touching the monster, the spirit fused with it, like a living curse.
Immediately, the flesh of the plant creature began to contort unnaturally, as if something were trying to tear its skin from the inside out.
The redhead accompanying them, Revis, stopped, her eyes wide, her fists clenched in anger.
Yuri felt the subtle tremor in Ais's body in his arms. Without hesitation, he pinched her waist hard.
Ais gasped, her eyes wide, looking at him with a mixture of shock, shame, and anger.
"Why are you getting distracted at a time like this?" Yuri growled, his voice filled with controlled anger. "Do you know what would have happened if I hadn't been here?"
His tone made Ais flinch. Embarrassed, she pulled away from his arms, her head down.
Yuri, seeing this, sighed heavily. He gently ran his hand through the girl's golden hair.
"Pay attention, Ais." His voice softened, but still carried gravity. "This monster... is not something we can allow to spread."
Before them, the corrupted plant monster grew, its muscles contorting, evolving into something even more terrible — the presence of a Fallen Immortal Spirit became evident.
"Revis is strong," Yuri said, looking at the redhead woman seriously. "She's on the verge of breaking through level 6. If you face her now... you might break your own limit."
As he said this, Yuri drew his magic sword, its blade glowing with silver runes.
"I'll take care of that monster. Lefiya!" he called.
The elf, stunned, instinctively responded:
"Y-Yes?!"
"Help the adventurers. Protect the city!"
Even confused, Lefiya nodded quickly and ran toward the plaza.
And then...
The full birth of the Fallen Immortal Spirit threw the 18th floor into chaos.
The ground shook violently. The mountains echoed with the roar. In seconds, the city's buildings collapsed like houses of cards, raising clouds of thick smoke.
And then, screams.
"Monsters?! How did they get in?! Where are the guards?!"
The voice of the floor manager echoed, mixed with the sound of cracking wood and breaking stone.
From the cliffs and city walls, a tide of giant carnivorous plants emerged, overflowing like a hungry swarm. Twisting and contorting, they invaded everything in their path.
The thick tentacles destroyed tents and structures with ease, while petals of vibrant yet deadly colors ravaged rocks, crystals... and people.
The walls crumbled. Desperate guard cries came from all directions.
"Ahh...!"
A massive Plant destroyed a crystal pillar, its shards falling like silver rain over the plaza.
It was the trigger. The swarm of monsters swept through the city.
In an instant, the 18th floor, which had been a safe refuge for tired adventurers, turned into a true hellish battlefield.
Tentacles cut through the air, smashing huts, knocking down adventurers. The ground became covered in viscous fluids and blood.
Seeing the devastation, Tiona and the other adventurers, alerted by Yuri's words, hurried to intercept the monster horde.
The war in the "paradise" of the 18th floor had begun.
---
Lefiya's Perspective
The ground trembled beneath her feet.
The roar of collapsing buildings echoed in Lefiya's ears, along with the desperate screams of adventurers and guards. The acrid smell of dust and burnt magic filled the air.
Lefiya Viridis gripped her staff tightly in her hands, feeling her heart pound in her chest.
What's happening...?
Monsters were everywhere, giant plants crossing the walls as if they were mere garden fences. The plaza, once filled with laughter and conversation, was now a chaotic mess of dust, screams, and blood.
But in the midst of all this, Lefiya didn't despair.
Yuri is here. Ais-san too.
She glanced back for a moment, spotting Yuri's firm silhouette, his magic sword in hand, advancing without hesitation to face the deformed monster. Nearby, Ais, her golden hair shimmering like a flag of hope, prepared to fight.
They'll make it. I know they will.
Taking a deep breath, Lefiya ran toward the plaza as Yuri had ordered. Her boots slid on the debris-covered ground, but her steps were firm.
"Move aside! Form defensive lines!" she shouted, her voice louder than she expected.
The panicked adventurers turned toward her, some with wide eyes, others confused. She recognized several members of the Loki Familia among the crowd — all injured, tired, but still standing.
"Lefiya!" Dionysus called, bleeding from a cut on his forehead. "There are monsters coming from the cliffs! We need cover magic!"
She nodded vigorously.
"Leave it to me!"
Raising her staff above her head, Lefiya began to chant.
"Oh, spirits of earth and wind, answer my call..."
The air around her shifted, vibrating with magical energy. Petals of light began to swirl around her body.
As she chanted, a clear image filled her mind.
Yuri protecting Ais, cutting through the darkness with his shining sword. Ais charging with the force of a hurricane, clearing the way even against the impossible.
They were her wall. Her inspiration.
I just need to do my part. Trust them, just as they trust me.
Lefiya finished the chant, the ground beneath her feet lighting up with complex magical circles.
"Fulgur Lance!"
A lance of pure light shot from her staff, slicing through the air and piercing one of the monstrous Piranha Plants trying to climb the wall.
The monster exploded in a shower of sap and wilting petals.
The plaza erupted in applause and cries of hope.
But Lefiya didn't stop. Not for a second.
"Everyone, stay behind me!" she shouted. "I'll clear the way!"
She began to chant again, her voice cutting through the noise of the battle.
In the distance, she heard the rumble of another explosion — the duel between Yuri and the Fallen Immortal Spirit had already begun. And even without looking, Lefiya knew.
They would win.
Because they were strong.
Because they were together.
And because... Lefiya believed in them with all her heart.
---
(End of chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."