In the 14th floor of Knossos, now stood a path completely remodelled by the green flesh,
Dense magic circles were formed, like an unending monster, flashing every moment and unleashing terrifying "Spirit Magic."
And yet, the adventurers covered by this flawless crossfire were no longer in the panic they had shown before.
Instead, as their spirits rose, their minds, under immense pressure, quickly calmed down.
Holding the Flags made from "Spirit Cloth," they used cool heads, sharp reflexes, and solid judgment to rapidly form a defensive line, batting away incoming magical bombardments with flags of corresponding elemental attributes.
Gathered here were all battle-hardened warriors. Adventurers strictly selected from various Familias, each confident in their own skills.
They possessed dynamic vision able to instantly identify the attributes of magic circles, as well as the experience of fighting in front of a variety of monsters and other adventurers and were plenty capable of preserving their lives even under impossible magical pressure.
"Forward! Charge toward the place where the spirits are!"
This was an dangerous zone where magic flew like a raging storm.
And even in this scene that looked like a dead end, the adventurers displayed an almost frightening adaptability as they pushed through the rain of interception magic.
"Tch tch… should I say, as expected of that cautious guy, Fron? Never thought the equipment he prepared would actually come in handy in a situation like this."
"Terrifyingly strong yet terrifyingly cautious. That's just the kind of person he is… and sly on top of that."
"..."
At the mention of Fron Argon, several who knew him exchanged teasing remarks.
....
Tenth Floor, Southeast Side.
Within the Third Unit, Gareth let out a bold laugh.
"As expected… we're all old-timers, leftovers from a bygone era. Our way of thinking just can't keep up with the youngsters today, hahahaha!"
In his right hand he held an Earth flag, and in his left a Lightning one.
Seeing the dwarf nullify all earth- and lightning-attribute bombardments, the morale of the other members soared unusually high.
"Sigh, that Fron bastard! Not only did he make us craft these boring things, why are they this useful!?"
In contrast to Gareth, Tsubaki's followers muttered complaints.
Any armor related to "Spirit Cloth" could fully function just by the material's inherent power, in other words, completely unprocessed.
Needless to say, this was an insult to any smith's pride. Not even proper forging; just layering the cloths and integrating them. Though, of course, some work was done to maximize the effect.
Seeing equipment that wounded their craftsmanship pride display such overwhelming performance, the Hephaestus Familia felt reassured, yet somewhat complicated.
"He'd never prepare something useless. When have you ever seen that crafty little brat suffer a loss in battle prep? That guy's sharp."
"That's true… you're right! Ahh, damn it! I'm going to ask him for ideas all I want afterward! As for that 'Sword Princess' or 'Dea Saint' or whatever, too bad!"
Tsubaki swung her Spirit Flag, deflecting magical shots one after another with a finesse resembling masterful spearwork.
Truly worthy of the person who would say, 'Because I'm a blacksmith, I test the weapons I make myself in the deep floors.'
Though she wasn't the absolute best in any single weapon type, in overall weapon mastery, Tsubaki was easily among the very top in all of Orario, an encyclopaedic Weapon Master who could handle anything.
So her fighting with a battle flag wasn't surprising at all.
Look at the adventurers behind her with their eyes bulging and mouths wide open, going "Ehhhhh, Clearly, none of them were actually surprised.
The Third Unit, using the Flags' terrifying breakthrough power like assault rifles, advanced with overwhelming momentum, faster than any other unit. Not even Fron's Fifth Unit could keep up.
Obviously, in overall power, while Fron could unleash devastating force in an instant, when facing this flawless net of crossfire, a group with superior defense and durability held the advantage.
....
On the other side,
"Even if they can fire magic, the structure here is still the same as the Dungeon! Anywhere works, just break it!"
"Do as Bete says! Slow your attacks!"
"Y-yes!"
Of course, others, depending on their strengths, had their own ways to break through the situation.
By chance, Bete slipped through the gaps in the bombardment and smashed the green-flesh wall along with the magic circles embedded in it. Although the circuits quickly re formed, until it fully healed, no new magic could activate in that area.
This unexpected event let Bete and the Amazoness sisters instantly grasp the basic rule of this attack, that it was the same as the real Dungeon. The Dungeon, when damaged, prioritized repairing its structure before spawning monsters.
This place was the same. Until the damage fully healed, it would not deploy new magic circles.
The sharp-eyed werewolf and the Amazoness sisters did not overlook this rule.
With the labyrinth prioritizing self-repair over bombardment, their unit began their counterattack.
....
"-----!"
The overwhelming pressure kept everyone on edge. Even though the battle had not lasted long, they were already breathing heavily, their stamina greatly depleted.
Fron, multitasking, destroyed magic circle arrays while keeping an eye on his subordinates' condition.
He furrowed his brow, calculating quickly in his mind.
Is the pressure from the enemy too much? They have to stay intensely focused to read attributes, then react immediately. As time goes on, their condition keeps dropping.
Even with Amid healing from the rear, they won't last much longer…
Compared to the more balanced other units, Fron's unit had weaker overall attack power, but thanks to Amid and Fron, they had superior healing and endurance.
Squinting at the constantly-generating magic circles and the green flesh covering the entire passage, Fron's eyes glowed with magical power.
"[Fire Bolt], [Fire Bolt], [Fire Bolt]!!!"
BOOM, ,