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Hello! Here with a new chapter. Continuing with the Rivira event, if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Thank you all very much for your comments, I would like to hear your opinions.
Thanks to Rayx2108, fabled and comteqfr for being the beta readers and quality supervisors of the chapter.
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Bell's mind was racing. Three Goliaths. One ripped in half, but still roaring. Two more intact, black as the abyss, descended as divine punishment. They barely managed to take one… and now there were three.
"Where do I hit? Who do I help? What if we miss? What if someone dies?"
Then, without warning, someone stepped forward.
"Wait!" Riveria shouted, raising a hand forcefully, but Ais was already in the air.
With her sword outstretched and her feet bursting with momentum, Ais charged straight toward one of the black Goliaths. Her body was a golden bullet amidst the rubble. Each of her attacks not only left clean cuts, but also forced the Goliath to retreat. She was the only one so far who had ever made one of those beasts take a step back with basic attacks.
The air trembled with each blow. Her strength was overwhelming, her slashes multiple and precise. Goliath tried to counterattack, but Ais was too fast. Each blow seemed to push the enormous creature a little further.
Bell watched, amazed.
Ais did have a chance. Her strength was such that she was forcing Goliath onto the defensive. With each slash, the monster's body creaked and was forced back.
But it wasn't enough.
The wounds were healing. Slowly, yes… much slower than the others. But they kept healing. Ais could take him down. She knew it. It would just take time. A long time.
Bell gritted his teeth.
Ais took a step back, barely avoiding Goliath's fist, and raised her rapier with determination.
"Tempest," she murmured in a firm voice. A current of golden wind swirled around her, lifting her hair and kicking up dust in its wake. Ariel's magic activated, enveloping her body, amplifying her strength, speed… and cutting like .
Or at least, that's what was supposed to happen.
But when Ais attacked again, something strange occured.
Her movements were swift, yes. Her cuts struck… but the wounds no longer seemed deep. Goliath barely staggered. The magic that should have powered her blows now rendered them less effective. It was as if the wind wrapped around the blade… and cushioned the impact.
Ais frowned.
Riveria, running toward the battlefield, also noticed it. "What's your magic doing…?"
Bell, approaching from the other side, saw that Ais' cuts didn't leave the same marks as before. But he didn't stop. Planting his feet firmly, he gripped his sword and slashed sideways, aiming for Goliath's leg.
The flesh split open easily. Blood spurted out, and the creature let out a roar.
Ais saw it. Riveria saw it too. Bell stood still for a moment, processing.
"What…?" Ais muttered.
Bell looked at his sword, then at Ais, and finally at Goliath.
Bell leaped at Goliath with determination. His sword glowed with power, but it was his spell he was urgently preparing.
"EXPLOSION!"
The blast engulfed the giant's body in a cloud of fire and smoke. A roar shook the air, and for a moment it seemed like he had succeeded.
But when the smoke cleared… Goliath still stood there. Barely charred. Showing no pain.
"What!?" Bell exclaimed, still in the air.
Riveria, reaching the edge of the battle, instantly frowned.
"They have magic resistance…" she murmured. "That's why Ais' Ariel didn't work. And why the explosion didn't affect it either."
Before Bell could react, his Danger Sense Blessing activated with a pang in his mind. But he was in midair. There was no way to dodge.
A second Goliath, approaching from the side, raised its massive fist. Bell barely turned his head.
"Tch…!"
But the blow didn't come. At the last second, Riveria launched herself into the air, quick as a flash of green, catching Bell and pushing him out of the way of the air-shattering fist where he'd been seconds before.
They landed heavily, rolling on the stone.
Bell, breathing heavily, looked at Riveria, somewhat embarrassed.
"I forgot there was more than one Goliath…"
Riveria sighed, standing up. "Don't forget again."
As Bell and Riveria caught their breath, a guttural roar alerted them.
The split Goliath crawled toward them with primal fury. It used its arms as anchors, lifting its massive torso as if its weight meant nothing.
"Watch out!" Bell shouted.
They both moved in unison, dodging to opposite sides as the legless Goliath crashed to the ground where they'd been a second before. The stone cracked under its weight.
A flash in the air was all Bell noticed before a barrage of magic spells exploded onto the Goliath's torso. Blue fires, green lights, short energy beams—magic launched in unison.
The Goliath howled, shaken, the muscles in its back sparking with energy.
Riveria observed the effect with surgical speed.
"This one… this one does take magic damage."
An advantage. An opportunity. She couldn't do much against the other two, but against this one…
"I'll leave it to you," Bell said, turning as he drew his sword.
Riveria nodded. "I won't let it move again."
Meanwhile, up ahead, Ais danced among the colossi. Her movements were swift and precise, and each slash pushed the Goliaths back. There were visible marks on their bodies. But they didn't fall. Regeneration was constant.
Although Ryuu, Ouka, and Mikoto provided support from the flanks, it was clear that Ais was bearing the brunt, keeping them occupied almost entirely on her own.
Two giants against a single swordswoman.
And yet, she didn't give in.
Bell ran back to the front lines, his sword firmly in his hands, the heat of the fight reflecting in his eyes. Ais still moved between the two Goliaths like a contained storm, her attacks constant but without lasting results.
Without wasting time, Bell launched himself at one of them.
His sword flashed, and the cuts followed quickly: one on the leg, another on the arm joint, a third on the side. The wounds didn't heal.
But the Goliath's size, brute strength, and endurance made each advance feel like trying to cut through a mountain with a knife.
Bell gritted his teeth.
He was aiming for the parts that seemed to give it mobility—thick tendons, exposed joints, even behind the knee—but each blow, though effective, barely slowed the monster.
"Doesn't it have a more obvious weak spot?!" he muttered, jumping back to avoid the massive fist that fell where he stood.
Beside him, Ais said nothing. She just kept cutting.
But Bell knew they couldn't keep that pace up forever.
Ais changed the angle of her slashes, launching a sideways burst that forced the Goliath to spin. It was barely a second of carelessness, but for Bell, it was enough.
"Now!" he thought, jabbing the tip of his sword into the monster's forearm to propel himself upward.
He dashed up the arm like a shaky bridge, dodging a clumsy blow from the other Goliath. As soon as he reached the neck, his sword flashed and he began to slash.
Once.
Two.
Three.
Seven.
Twelve.
Fifteen.
The cuts were swift, precise, all in the same weakened spot. With one final slash, the head was severed from the body.
Bell tumbled to the ground, gasping for air.
But there was no sound of collapse.
Goliath's body… was still moving.
"That…!?"
Headless, the enormous being continued to beat the air like a blind, furious beast, its arms thrashing violently.
Clumsy, yes. But still lethal. Like a headless chicken.
Ais and Bell immediately fell back, their bodies moving on pure instinct as the headless Goliath thrashed its arms in a brutal frenzy. Every blow from the monster was a disaster: stone walls cracked, the ground shook beneath its uncontrolled punches, and debris flew all over the place like projectiles.
"It's leveling everything!" Bell shouted as he dodged a piece of column that flew by like a spear.
Ais landed beside him with a graceful spin, dust swirling around her.
They both moved again as the Goliath threw a random punch, which connected with a nearby stone structure, causing it to collapse and filling the air with debris and sharp fragments.
"If it keeps this up, it's going to bring down the whole floor…" Bell muttered, adjusting his grip on his sword.
And the worst part was that there were still two more Goliaths left.
As Ais and Bell zigzagged through the rubble, precisely dodging each clumsy but devastating blow from the headless Goliath, a burst of greenish light crossed between them and the monster.
"Back!" shouted a firm voice.
Ryuu appeared out of the dust, her cape billowing like a shimmering shadow as she cast her spell, which slammed into Goliath's chest. The disoriented titan roared aimlessly while frantically flailing its arms in another direction.
"Let's go..." said Ais, seizing the moment.
They sped away, and then a familiar figure emerged beside them. Riveria appeared out of the mist, serene, as if the battle hadn't even disturbed her rhythm.
Bell looked at her confused. "When…?"
Riveria raised a hand, speechless, and pointed with two fingers toward a clearing in the rubble. Bell turned his gaze… and saw it.
A huge magical stone, pulsing faintly on the ground, surrounded by smoke and the burnt remains of a tree from the small forest within.
The blood rushed to his head.
"Is that…?" he muttered.
"The Goliath stone that was split in half," Riveria confirmed calmly.
Bell gulped, unable to tear his gaze away. It hadn't just been defeated… it had been annihilated. He hadn't even realized it. When they'd left it, Riveria had only arrived beside him. And now…
"You destroyed it all by yourself," he murmured, still in shock.
Riveria only responded with a slight nod.
Bell's respect for her—already enormous—grew even more. Yes, her title as one of the most powerful mages alive wasn't just fame. It was reality.
Ais wasted no time. As soon as Riveria confirmed the fall of one of the enemies, she launched herself with renewed vigor toward one of the remaining Goliaths, her sword slicing through the air with a ferocious whistling sound. Each blow knocked the giant back, though regeneration still made it difficult for its wounds to last too long.
Bell turned his gaze for just a moment, just in time to see Ryuu slip into a bad position. The headless Goliath, clumsy but brutal, already had its fist raised, ready to crush her like a sheet of paper.
"Ryuu-san!" Bell shouted desperately.
Artemis appeared in his mind instantly.
"Orion, no! Don't use the spear!"
"I'm not going to use it for that," he replied with determination, as he pulled the spear from his back.
Without hesitation, Bell spun around and threw the spear with all the force he could muster. His shout echoed through the chaos:
"Ryuu, hold on!"
Ryuu, her reflexes honed by battle, looked up just in time. The spear whizzed past her shoulder. She reached out and gripped the shaft tightly, just as Goliath's fist came down sharply.
The spear's trajectory dragged her back, like a thread of light snatching her from death. The monster's fist hit the ground with a devastating crash, sending shards of stone and dust flying everywhere… but Ryuu was gone.
She hovered in the air for a second, clinging to the weapon as it continued its flight before inertia dropped her in a controlled somersault, away from danger.
Bell breathed a sigh of relief. Artemis remained silent for a few seconds in his mind.
"…Just this once," she finally murmured, almost in a whisper.
As soon as Ryuu landed and with the spear in hand, it vibrated in the air as if it had a will of its own.
Bell felt the familiar energy running down his back. The spear spun in the air and began flying back toward its owner, propelled by the blessing that connected it to him.
"Ah, right… that."
Bell barely had time to open his eyes in surprise when he realized that Ryuu… still hadn't completely let go.
"Wait, wait, wait–!"
The spear streaked across the battlefield with Ryuu dangling from it, the two of them converging as if fate had a sense of humor. With a sharp "pomf!", Ryuu slammed into Bell, who fell back with a groan as his companion landed on top of him in a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"...Are you okay?" Ryuu asked, still somewhat disoriented, but clearly concerned.
Bell, his face pressed into the ground and the spear handle digging into his back, let out a groan.
"More or less… I think so… This wasn't in the plan."
"I should have let go sooner" Ryuu muttered, almost embarrassed, as she pulled away.
From far away, amidst the chaos, Riveria looked at them for a second. Just a second. Then she sighed and turned her attention back to the next target.
And Artemis, in Bell's mind, said nothing.
But he swore he heard a stifled laugh.
Ryuu, now standing next to Bell as he struggled to his feet, turned her gaze toward the headless Goliath. The creature continued to strike blindly, destroying stone columns, forest roots, and part of the lake, while debris flew everywhere. Every step was a thunderous sound, and although it was headless, its body still moved with uncontrolled brutality.
"Do you have a plans?" Ryuu asked seriously, her gaze fixed on the monster. "At this rate, it's going to reduce the entire 18th floor to ruins."
Bell gulped, breathing heavily. He looked around: Riveria was preparing another spell, Ais was launching another attack on one of the Goliaths, the Takemikazuchi family was doing their best to hold off the other... And in the midst of it all, he had nothing.
"No…" he replied, lowering his gaze slightly. "I don't have any plans…"
The headless Goliath's fist slammed with brutal force against one of the walls of the 18th floor. The rock shattered into a thousand pieces, shaking from its base, and for a moment everything seemed to stand still…
Until it happened.
From the depths of the Dungeon, as if emerging from the very core of the world, a scream was heard. It wasn't a creature's. It wasn't human. It was something ancient. A harrowing, hollow sound that resonated through the walls, the floor, the air, and that made everyone's skin crawl.
The adventurers stopped. The Takemikazuchi family looked around in confusion. Riveria narrowed her eyes, alert. Ais stopped moving for a moment, her sword still in hand, her muscles tensing instinctively.
"What was that…?" Bors muttered, turning slowly, not quite understanding.
But only one person remained motionless out of sheer bewilderment.
Ryuu.
She was stiff. Motionless. As if time had frozen just for her.
Her face was completely pale, and her pupils were dilated. Her mouth barely opened, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't breathe. A tear trickled slowly down her cheek, like a crack in a crumbling mask.
"Ryuu-san…" Bell whispered.
She didn't react.
Bell took a step towards her, worried…
That sound had awakened a memory in Ryuu so brutal, so crushing, that her body could barely hold itself up. It wasn't ordinary fear. It was trauma. An echo of a past that still bled inside.
Ryuu barely murmured, almost inaudible.
"No… not again…"
Ryuu took a step back. Then another.
And she fell.
Her legs simply gave way. As if she'd broken from within. She fell to her knees, then to the ground, without even protecting herself. Her arms hung limply. Her eyes remained open, fixed on nothing, as if she were seeing something the others couldn't.
Bell approached Ryuu, alarmed. He knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Ryuu-san, are you okay? What's wrong? Get up!"
But before he could say anything else, Ryuu grabbed him tightly by the shoulders. Her fingers trembled, and her gaze was fixed on Bell's eyes with such visceral fear that he gasped.
"We have to go!" Ryuu shouted, her voice cracking and desperate. "Now! We have to get out of here!"
Bell blinked, stunned. He'd never seen her like this. Not even at her worst. Her expression was pure panic, as if she'd just seen death in form and name.
As Ryuu continued to tremble in front of him, Bell felt something even stranger begin to happen.
His [Divine Blessing of Danger Sense] went berserk. It wasn't just a warning; it was as if his entire body was being torn apart by the pressure of something approaching at a speed impossible to measure. The air grew heavy. His breath grew shorter. His heart pounded like a war drum.
And then, a new message appeared floating in front of his eyes, with that glow he knew so well.
[Yharon is on his way to your location.]
Bell blinked. His body tensed… and then suddenly relaxed. Almost as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Yharon…" he murmured, and this time, a smile appeared on his face.
Because he knew what that meant. He'd fought alongside him, seen it with his own eyes: the roar of a storm, the fire that split the sky, the strength of a creature that could crush monsters like dried leaves.
He was his friend. His companion. His guardian.
He clenched his fists, firmer now. There was still chaos, there were still two Goliaths… and Ryuu was still in shock. But now, Bell was certain that the end of the 18th floor wouldn't come tonight.
He looked at Ais and Riveria, who had already resumed their fight. Ais was at her best, jumping and dodging the Goliath's attacks, but her pace was beginning to slow. Riveria, meanwhile, was using her magic, but she still couldn't find a way to damage the massive monster with its magic resistance.
Bell gritted his teeth. He knew they could still win, but they needed a chance. They needed an opening. And he was going to find it.
With a determined cry, Bell launched himself into the attack, crossing the battlefield toward the headless Goliath. Debris flew around him as he dodged an incoming fist, using his speed to preempt the blow. In one fluid motion, Bell moved behind the Goliath, resting his sword against its side and unleashing a series of swift slashes.
Ais and Riveria, seeing Bell joining the attack, gave him the necessary space. Ais took advantage of this to increase her speed and land a direct blow to the Goliath's torso, while Riveria prepared a spell, aiming for the area where Bell had struck, seeking to weaken them.
"We've got him!" Bell shouted, determined, as his slashes continued to take their toll on the Goliath, the wounds he left no longer regenerating as quickly as the previous ones. Although the Goliath continued to resist, everyone's efforts were beginning to take effect.
The headless Goliath was still an unstoppable monster, but Bell finally felt they were gaining ground.
Bell dashed through the rubble, dodging the headless Goliath's erratic blows. He didn't scream, didn't call for anyone. He just gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and leaped, using the momentum of his run to soar up the monster's flank.
In a firm motion, he slashed downward from the Goliath's shoulder to the center of his chest. The blade sank deep, opening a gaping wound from which dark liquid oozed. But at that same instant, a rogue arm struck him full force.
Bell couldn't block it.
The impact threw him several meters, his body hitting a wall on the 18th floor with a thud. The air escaped his lungs. He landed on his feet, barely keeping his balance. Dust swirled around him as he sat up, gasping for air.
From the gash Bell had made in the headless Goliath's chest, a faint glow emerged. A deep, pulsating red light. The magic stone.
Ais saw it instantly. Without pausing to think, she propelled herself forward on a gust of wind, streaking through the air like a golden bolt of lightning. Silently, she aimed directly at the source of the glow. Her sword drew a straight, precise, implacable line.
The stab pierced the magic stone.
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then, the headless Goliath's monstrous body convulsed, emitting a dry rumble, and collapsed with the weight of a mountain. The dark plates of its skin began to crack, the energy contained within its core dispersing.
And then, its body began to slowly disintegrate, turning into dust before everyone's eyes.
But no one celebrated.
There was one more left.
The last black Goliath loomed beyond, untouched, roaring with growing fury. The embers of combat still burned. The battle was not yet over.