Floor 17—the slumbering ground of the floor boss, Goliath. Beyond it, Floor 18: the closest "safe floor" to the surface.
Adventurers without the strength for a fair fight had to time their run to Floor 18 for the brief window after Goliath's death and before its respawn. Enter at the wrong moment and the titan would re-form from the crystal walls and butcher every intruder.
Now, the respawn bar on Floor 17 had already filled. Goliath could be reborn at any instant. Before stepping in, they had to decide:
"Who's taking Goliath?"
Finn's gaze swept over the two remaining Level 4s in his own Familia, then to the eleven from Astraea.
Ais, Tiona, Tione, and Bete were skipped outright. They'd surpassed this boss; there was no "great deed" for them to earn here. But those still short of Level 5 needed it.
"I will."
Ais raised her hand at once—prompting Riveria to cover her face and stride over, forcing the hand down. How did this child try to join everything?
"Don't. If you want to test your strength, do it on the lower floors—not on a floor boss."
"But—"
"No buts."
Once Ais was pacified, Riveria nodded to Finn.
Finn turned back to his candidates.
"Let me and Kaguya handle it," Alicia said after a beat. "Since receiving our new power, the two of us fought 'Silence' in the Challenge Space and have already faced the black Goliath. Give us this chance, Finn."
"New power"—the phrase made even their own companions blink. Loki's children, who hadn't heard details, stared wide-eyed. For half a year, those two words had upended the city's balance; everyone's mind leapt, instinctively, to the Loki Familia's new star, Tsunayoshi Sawada.
Finn nodded slightly.
"Very well—it's yours."
He stepped aside. The stage belonged to Alicia and Gojono Kaguya.
They exchanged a look and walked into Floor 17.
"AAAHHH!"
The moment they crossed the threshold, the crystal wall swelled—the progress bar had long since ticked full. A bestial bellow shook the cavern.
Crack!
The gigantic fist punched through translucent crystal. Half a body tore itself out of the wall and dropped like a meteor, slamming into the ground. The floor heaved; stone spines curled up like barbs where it landed—an entrance that radiated nothing but "power."
The colossus rose without a scratch and split a grin toward Alicia and Kaguya.
"AAAHHH!"
Roaring, the giant, dozens of meters tall, thundered forward.
Kaguya tightened her grip on the tachi. Her heel lifted—and she launched like a rocket, a streak closing on Goliath so fast most eyes saw only a blur.
As she neared, she nudged the guard with a fingertip and spoke the words by reflex.
"Calamity Spider Lily—Five Lights."
Steel flashed five times across Goliath—both legs, both arms, and the neck. Bleeding lines scored its hide, shallow but true, not enough to halt the rush.
The titan drove a fist at her.
Impact boomed; dust geysered; a new crater yawned—
—but Kaguya's shape slid clear at the rim.
Goliath pivoted and lunged again—and slowed. Visibly. Its motions dragged, clumsy now, and every eye sharpened at the smear of blue spread across its flesh, seeping into meat like a toxin.
"What is that blue stuff?"
"A new spell?"
Behind them, whispers rose. Alicia glanced down at the ring on her hand. This was their first time using that power on a floor boss—and its effect was startling. No—Kaguya was simply perfectly suited to it, able to throttle the flame's nature with exquisite control.
With that kind of suppression, Kaguya alone could probably end it.
Alicia looked up at Goliath, suddenly unimpressed. She and Kaguya had trained with the black Goliath in mind; compared to that, the ordinary version felt… lacking. Beneath the hulking mass and thick hide, it had no real edge on them.
Even so, she wanted to try it herself—just as Ais had, moments ago. How far would their power reach against a floor boss?
The spark rekindled. Alicia's heel lifted. A flicker—so faint it was almost invisible—carried her straight forward.
"Kaguya."
Kaguya read the cue, saw the titan mired in sluggish motion, and pulled back.
Boom!
Flame—crimson—ran from Alicia's ring, licking up the blade. She swung. From the steel, a red crescent screamed forth and punched cleanly through Goliath's massive torso.
The giant, still in motion, dissolved into drifting white powder. Its huge magic stone split neatly in two and crashed to the floor on either side of Alicia.
One strike. The battle was decided.
(End of Chapter)
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