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Zagnat sensed danger closing in and tried to slip away, but Bert, Tione and Tiona cut off every route of retreat.
Cornered from both sides, the monster made a snap decision—attack the three of them. They were clearly the weaker group. Finn was a peak Level 6, and Artoria's holy sword could slice straight through its defenses. No way would it choose to take those head-on.
What it forgot, though, was that Merlin still hadn't made a move.
And Britain's Sword Saint wasn't best known for magic, but for swordsmanship.
Merlin's staff had already transformed into a holy blade. He leapt out from behind Bert's trio and brought the sword down toward Zagnat's head.
A deafening crack.
Part of Zagnat's skull was sliced clean off. The blow sent the creature into a frenzy, its attacks growing sharper and more violent.
But Alex's side had too many powerhouses, all working together flawlessly.
Ais's unique skill, Revenge Princess, showed its full, terrifying effect: massive boosts against all monster-type enemies, and an even bigger boost against dragons, scaling with the depth of her hatred. Thanks to that absurd skill, her damage eclipsed everyone else on the field.
Even so, Zagnat wasn't weak. Born on the 48th floor, it was a special monster—likely Level 8. And no matter how much Ais's attack power was boosted, she herself was still only Level 5. Every time she pressed the assault, Zagnat seized chances to counter.
Then Grace would appear, raising his massive shield to block the blow for her.
Same on Alex's side. He and Artoria focused on offense, and whenever danger struck, Morgan stepped in, shield raised to intercept the attack.
Two tanks, plus Merlin providing buffs and healing, plus seven pure damage dealers—Alex, Artoria, Ais, Finn, Tione, Tiona, and Bert. Even a Level 8 Zagnat couldn't withstand that kind of lineup.
And with everyone being physical fighters, its magic-reflection ability was completely useless.
After more than an hour of brutal fighting, the group finally wore it down and finished it off.
"Shame I didn't get the last hit…" Alex muttered, a little disappointed.
The battle had been so intense that the massive crack Artoria carved into the floor hadn't healed. If anything, it had grown even bigger. Standing at the edge, Alex could already see the scenery of the level below.
The 49th floor—the domain of the floor boss, Balor.
His fighting spirit surged. For a moment, he even felt like jumping straight down to finish Balor off too.
Just then, Finn and the others approached. "Friend, mind telling us which Familia you're from?"
Alex snapped out of his battle high and forced his aura down. "Hestia Familia," he answered.
Finn blinked, exchanging a quick look with Riveria. "If I remember right, Lady Hestia only descended recently. I didn't expect her Familia to grow this strong so fast."
Alex simply smiled. He could make up an excuse, but if he ran into Loki later and the lie fell apart, that would be awkward.
Finn was a seasoned veteran. Seeing Alex didn't want to elaborate, he didn't pry.
Ais, however, was staring hard at the sword in Artoria's hand—the Sword of Promised Victory. One strike from that blade had opened an entire floor. If she had a weapon like that, how much stronger could she become?
She glanced at her own Desperate Sword, a faint trace of dissatisfaction in her eyes. It was incredibly strong—one of the best weapons available, with near-indestructible properties. Yet after every expedition, it still needed repairs. Even "indestructible" gear couldn't withstand the brutal output of her Revenge Princess.
But the Sword of Promised Victory probably could.
Tiona, cheerful as always, bounced up to Alex with shining eyes. "Hey, mister, you're amazing! What's your name?"
Alex had a soft spot for the Amazon sisters. Smiling, he replied, "I'm Alex. These three are Merlin, Morgan, and Artoria."
"Alex! I'm Tiona! You're super strong—let's go on expeditions together sometime!" she said expectantly.
"I'd love to, but that depends on whether your captain agrees," Alex said, glancing toward Finn.
Finn laughed boldly. "No problem. If possible, I hope our two Familias can build a friendly bond."
"Being allies with the famous Loki Familia would be an honor," Alex responded politely.
Finn chuckled, then began introducing his companions.
Finn: Pallum.Grace: Dwarf.Riveria: High Elf royal lineage.
They were the earliest to follow Loki and were considered the "Big Three" of the Familia—each a peak Level 6, most of their stats already at A or S rank, on the verge of reaching Level 7.
Next was Ais Wallenstein, bearing the blood of the "Thousand-Fairy" line. Beautiful, golden-haired, a little airheaded, stubborn, but a prodigy in battle. Currently peak Level 5, any moment ready to reach Level 6.
Tiona and Tione weren't far behind—also peak Level 5. Their combat strength wasn't quite at Ais's level, and soon enough she'd probably surpass them completely.
Bert, the werewolf, was also peak Level 5, likewise ready to rank up.
These four were the core elites of Loki Familia, standing just below the Big Three.
And then there was Lefiya, the Thousand Elf. Only Level 3, but with terrifying magical potential. Her spell Elf Ring allowed her to cast every magic used by elves—essentially infinite magic. Because of that, her status was on par with the elites.
Below that were the more ordinary members—Raul, Anakitty, Alysia, Lene, and others. Their levels weren't low, but they were carried through expeditions, talents average, nothing particularly special.
Among the background members, the only one Alex remembered was Anakitty, the black-haired, straight-cut cat-girl who happened to match his tastes.
After introductions, the two Familias rested together while the floor remained in its cooldown period, no monsters respawning.
The earlier battle had drained everyone heavily.
…
Alex pulled out food and water for Merlin, Morgan, and Artoria. The four of them sat on the ground without complaint.
Merlin drank a sip of water and grinned. "Captain, once we head back, we should all be able to level up, right?"
Alex nodded. "Definitely. You're all Level 1s fighting way above your rank. That counts as constant adventuring and constant achievement gain."
Artoria tilted her head. "When we level up… will we get stronger?"
As Servants, their base strength already rivaled Level 5 adventurers. If the blessings strengthened them further… would they grow even stronger?
Alex thought for a moment. "You'll get stronger, but the early boosts won't be huge. Level 1 to Level 2 isn't much for you. But if you keep leveling and reach Level 5, you'll be comparable to your original strength. Two worlds' power systems reinforcing each other—you might reach Level 6 combat power."
Merlin nodded. "Not only that. When we return to the Fate world, the blessing will feed its power back into our true bodies."
Merlin and Morgan were Servants, but not truly dead. Merlin's real body remained in Avalon; Morgan's in the Lostbelt. They manifested as Servants through special means.
Artoria, too, hadn't truly died. At death's door, she made a contract with Alaya and became a Heroic Spirit. Until she obtained the Grail to grant her wish, her true body remained frozen at the moment before her death.
In the Fate route she found salvation and passed on—yet in other routes, she did not.
If she raised her blessings high enough… would her original body revive when she returned? And if she lived in that era again, would Britain's fate change?
The thought was oddly exciting.
Meanwhile, Artoria herself had no idea someone was already treating her as a test subject for an experiment.
After a period of rest, everyone returned to peak condition.
The floor crack had only repaired halfway, leaving the view of the 49th floor still exposed.
Merlin dispelled his fortress; the Chalk City vanished.
With both Familias gathered, Alex spoke first. "Let's head down through the crack. Perfect time to take out Balor together."
Finn exchanged a glance with Riveria and Grace, then nodded. "Agreed."
"..."
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