Tiona's eyes sparkled with admiration.
----------------------
Unlike Fron's squad, when Tiona's side encountered Barca, he used the Daedalus's Eye openly before everyone's eyes, not only to control the metal gates but also to manipulate traps inside the man-made dungeon.
From this, one could see just how important this key was.
For this exploration of the man-made dungeon, the first mission was to explore its reality and illusions and draw a map, and the second was to obtain this key!
Now, with the key in Fron's hand, the next thing was just to locate the comrades who had been forced to scatter apart, and then they could retreat safely.
On the other hand, without Daedalus's Eye, they would always be passively within the palm of the enemy, and the final result would be to become nourishment for Knossos, with not even a grave left behind.
[T/N: Says the guy who can blow holes in the wall.]
"–Kakakaka."
The Daedalus's Eye held in hand, the "D"-shaped inscription flickered with a red magical glow, resonating with the magical wavelength of the gate's mechanism, and then, under everyone's excited gaze, it opened.
"Follow me!" Before the gate fully rose, Fron and Tiona had already rushed inside impatiently.
Unlike before, they no longer needed to be wary of the enemy manipulating gates to separate the team, nor to guard against monsters suddenly pouring out from other doors in the giant rooms.
As long as they had the key, Fron could manipulate the mechanisms to suppress and counter everything.
"Bastards! Damn Night Weaver!"
A certain beauty goddess furiously slammed her pipe onto the ground and stomped on it.
But because she was barefoot and with only an ordinary person's body, a sharp pain instantly shot up from her sole.
"Hissss... damn it, bastard! Bastard! Bastard! The whole plan was ruined by you! I must, immediately, right now, have him killed!"
"Y-yes, Goddess!"
"Then hurry up and do it!!!"
"U-understood!"
After that, a messy sound of footsteps echoed in the darkness. In the dim room, only a pair of cold purple eyes remained, staring fixedly at the projection, waiting for something.
...
With his greatly enhanced logical ability and reasoning, Fron followed Tiona while quickly deducing and recording the unfamiliar map.
"Quick, the place where we were separated is just ahead!"
"Speed up."
–Thud thud thud thud.
With Fron's command, the team's overall advance sped up, shortening the distance to their separated comrades.
Meanwhile, not far from them, in another hidden passage, Tione and Gareth had been separated by a gate, each facing a desperate trial.
It was the same combination: monster groups paired with the Evilus's hired external support, the Evilus members wielding cursed tools. Monsters made the frontal assault, while the assassins hid in the darkness, waiting for a chance, constantly whittling away at the party.
Completely berserk, Tione was like a furious beast. Accompanied by a stream of curses, she brutally fought the monsters with her weapons and fists.
"Bastards, I'll make you scream, I'll make you shut the hell up, all of you shut your damn mouths and die!!!"
"Pu pu pu pu pu––"
In Tione's hands, the two curved blades were like butterflies dancing through flowers, constantly flashing with sharp cold gleams, slicing or stabbing into the monsters' bodies, mercilessly cutting, smashing, and grinding them to dust.
"Clang--"
At that moment, her instinct made Tione quickly raise her weapon to block at her side. A piercing screech of metal rang into her mind, making her frown.
"These despicable sneak attack methods and techniques, you must be those useless dogs of the Evilus."
With that, Tione channeled terrifying strength, stomping and crushing the enemy's skull into pulp.
She narrowed her eyes, staring at the black-robed figures hidden behind the monster horde, whispering to herself in a voice only she could hear.
"These guys… why are they so similar to the rats my sister and I met outside Orario? Could it be… they come from the same organization as Black Cat's predecessor?"
The thought of that mysterious Assassin Group crossed her mind, and Tione became more cautious.
Just like Fron, Tione immediately began to doubt the dangers she was experiencing.
These people didn't care about their own lives in battle, their only goal was offense.
Such a terrifying fighting style, even for Tione, a first-class adventurer who could handle a 1 vs 6, made her scalp tingle.
Feeling the unhealed wounds on her body worsen, adding injury to injury, the bleeding unceasing, her vision began to blur with double images.
'Is this… the end for me?'
But remembering the heavy burden entrusted to her by her captain, Tione's delicate face once again twisted into a savage, violent smile.
"Even if I die here, you all are coming with me! Die for me!!!"
With a furious roar, Tione bent low gripping her curved blades, her body like an enraged viper, springing out with explosive speed.
"Focus all attention on killing her. The other small fry can't stir up much, the monsters will handle them."
The leader of the assassins coldly ordered his subordinates.
No one answered, but they moved in response.
"Bang--"
"?"
The leader's expression stiffened. He couldn't help but look suspiciously at the left wall.
"What's that sound?"
"Bang--"
"?"
This time, he clearly noticed, the left wall, made of layered [Anti-Magic Stone], was trembling with a faint, almost undetectable vibration.
Tiny cracks spread outward from a central point.
He even had the illusion that something terrifying was pounding against the wall from the other side.
"Could it be-"
As if realizing something, the leader shivered uncontrollably.
"No, impossible! We clearly separated them, the other party can't possibly, "
Before his panicked muttering was finished, a terrifying magic cannon, almost identical to the one seen on Tiona's side, pierced through the hard wall.
The leader, unable to dodge in time, blanked out, only able to stare as the orange magical light reflected in his pupils, growing larger and larger, until his body was completely engulfed.
"Rumbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"
Like crashing tidal waves against a cliff, the flames blasted against the opposite wall, surging and spreading to both sides.
On the other side, Tione, still fighting enemies, saw the massive wave of flames sweeping in from behind them.
That familiar magic, even within this cold man-made dungeon, brought her a faint warmth.
"Are you alright, Tione?"