No one's POV
Finn: I'm changing our formation! Aiz, move to the vanguard!
Finn ordered immediately after Gareth and Asuna dropped down the hole to save Lefiya. The two groups are now separated, Finn and the others in the main party began making their way through the 52nd floor, taking out swarms of monsters along the way.
Finn: Raul and the others will stay in the middle and support Aiz! Riveria, cover our rear!
Raul: G-Got it!
Riveria: Understood.
Finn flourished his Durandal spear as he sprinted alongside them, backing up Aiz on point and attacking everything beyond the reach of her sword. Quickly ordering the emergency change in formation from his spot on the midline, he used his cultivated leadership to propel the party continuously forwards.
Finn: Tsubaki, I'll have to borrow your strength.
Tsubaki: Leave it to me.
Tsubaki nodded in response. She slid her 'taichi' from its scabbard in a flash, bisecting a nearby monster and joining Finn in supporting Aiz from the midline. Aiz led the way with Raul and the other three supporters directly behind her. Finn and Tsubaki guarded the group on its sides while Riveria protected them from the rear. The supporters now forming the center of the party, they upped their pace to race down the tunnels of the 52nd floor even faster than before.
Finn: Don't stop running!
Riveria: Finn, nine enemies ahead!
An array of atrocious monsters blocked their path. Venom scorpions, thunder snakes, silver worms, the threats of this monsters was so clearly different from that of the previous floors, it was as through they'd passed some kind of invisible line of demarcation.
Finn: We'll go past them! Go, Aiz!
Following Finn's carefully calculated shortest route, Aiz shot forward. The roars of the incoming monsters blasting from all sides, she responded with a scream of her own.
Aiz: Awaken, Tempest!!
Aiz shouted, activating her Aerial before swinging her sword into the mass. It slipped past the oncoming needles of poison, past the electrifying sparks of lightning attacks. In the blink of an eye, she'd mowed down all nine enemies.
Finn: I'm glad that Aiz ranked up.
Riveria: I have a mixed feelings about it, considering how she was so reckless in front of me.
Aiz level 6 abilities, coupled with the output of her strengthened Aerial, gave her an uncanny strength when it came to breaking through enemies. Wrapped in wind and bearing the bulk of the frontline by herself, Aiz carved her way through the passageways, leaving piles of monsters behind her.
Raul: Are we even necessary at this point?
Finn: Raul, prepare the magic potions.
Raul: Y-Yes!
The rate they were exhausting themselves wasn't even compared to the previous floors. If Aiz continued mowing down monsters at her current speed, her power would be gone in a flash. Sensing the condition of their sole vanguard fighter, Finn ordered for replenishment. Raul responded by quickly fishing through his bag for the magic potion.
Finn: Narvi, Alicia, Cruz, prepare the magic swords!
Narvi, Alicia, Cruz: Roger!
Finn: Fire them as soon as Aiz falls back!
The three other supporters, human, elf, and beast-man readied their equipped magic swords. Following Finn's command, they flourished said swords the moment Aiz, covered in sweat, retreated to the midline.
The instant, chant-less burst of magic exploded across the path in front of them, wiping out any monsters there.
Raul: Miss Aiz!
Aiz grabbed the magic potion from Raul mid-run , finishing it off quickly before returning to the front line. The blazing fires from the magic swords had swallowed up the monsters during her brief respite.
Tsubaki: The attacks from below have stopped... Is it Gareth and the others?
Finn: Probably. Let's hurry.
Despite the continuous attacks from above as they moved between tunnels and rooms, Aiz's wind and Finn's commands helped the party fend off the wyverns until, finally they found the staircase leading to the next floor.
Raul: We're at the 53rd floor already...?! We're quicker than last time!
Finn:...
Finn was studying the perimeter couldn't see the new species anywhere. Apparently, the magic from Aiz's Aerial wasn't enough to draw the magic sense caterpillar out of hiding. Finn gave his thumb a little lick as the party dashed their way through the temporarily encounter free and unsettling quiet dungeon floor.
Finn: Who's going to join us, them, I wonder.
A small smile rose to his lips as the throbbing of his thumb foreshadowed the incoming irregular. Almost as if on cue, a swarm of caterpillar monsters appeared to block their path.
Raul: It's the new species!
Riveria: Wait, that's...!
Riveria's face turn grim as she eyed the scene in front of them. From among the deluge caterpillars filling up the wide passageway, an especially large one appeared, bearing a figure in a bluish purple hooded robe.
Aiz: The person from the 24th floor...!
Riveria: I see! So he was the one that called Ein!
Aiz flashed as the memory on the incident on the 24th floor resurface. Riveria and Finn's faced turned grimace about the information that Sora had told them about Ein, where he was able to completely seal his presence and was able to go undetected even by first class adventurers.
Tsubaki: Is that even a person?
Finn(mind): The monster's movement are strange. They're too orderly, it's as if...
Ein: Kill them!!
The entire herd opened their mouth, releasing a simultaneous flood of corrosive acid.
Finn: Retreat! Jump into the passageway!
Finn called out a second the tsunamic wave of acid came towards them. The rest of the group responded equally fast, diving towards the nearest passageway.
Behind Riveria, the last to evacuate, the passageway filling up with corrosive acid looked like vein flooded with thick, dirty mud. In a mere moment, the walls, the ceiling, the everything began melting upon contact with the monsters fluid.
Raul: A-A volley of acid...?!
The faced of the 4 supporters paled as they watched the indefensible attack wash through the passageway, melting away the very dungeon itself.
Finn: Everyone, on your feet! They're coming!
Raul and the other supporters leaped up at the sound of the multitude of legs scrambling towards them through the corrode tunnel. At Finn's command, they dashed towards the front of their small cave, Aiz at the lead.
Finn: He's controlling them like soldiers... so he's the one that gave even Sora trouble... Another creature?
Aiz: !
If this being was the same as Revis, that would make it another creature. Aiz heart cried at the thought that Revis who has a partner who could control the vibrantly colored monsters.
Finn: Still, they're appearing unexpectedly.
Tsubaki: Who is that guy?
Riveria: Long story short, he's a tamer.
Tsubaki: Really?! You're saying he can control those monsters?
Tsubaki look shock. Raul and the other supporters couldn't contain their own gulps of surprise at the thought of someone able to control such an giant army of monsters from the depth. No sooner had the short hitched of air left in their throat, however, than said army of caterpillars reappeared from the direction of their route.
Alicia: An ambushed?!
Finn: Entered the second passageway ahead of you, to your right!
The sound of the massive acid attack swallowed up the supporters scream as Aiz and the others were forced to changed directions again.
Narvi: They've appeared again!
Cruz: They're coming from the right as well!
Finn: Enter the left passageway! Move diagonally to the right immediately after!
Raul and the other three supporters screamed as the caterpillars monster closed in on them from all all side as Finn gave order after order, leading the party through the 53rd with incredible speed.
Ein: Don't let them escape, Virga!
Ein continued to tailed them from behind together with its army of caterpillars monsters, now joined with violas.
Riveria: We're being guided...!
Finn: I didn't think we'd be experiencing strategy from monsters. But those movements... is he looking for something? Is it Aiz?
Finn saw the hooded figure giving orders from atop one of the caterpillars monsters. He could feel the focus of the being's gaze, despite the mask that seemed to blocked its vision. Many question was filling his mind, if it was targeting Aiz and want to bring her alive just like Revis? Or did it simply regard Loki Familia as an enemy and wish to annihilate them? Finn eyes narrowed at all possibility.
Riveria: Finn! They're closing in on us!
Finn:...
Riveria and Finn seemed to realized what the hooded figure intention is as he called out to his comrade.
Finn: Turn left, Aiz!
Aiz darted into one of the countless byroads and tunnels splitting off from their current path, leading the party down to a long straight tunnel. Halfway through their reroute, Finn called out again.
Finn: We'll face them! Turn around!
Raul, Narvi, Alicia, Cruz: ?!?!
Raul and the other three supporters were taken back at the sudden order but regardless did what they were told as they all had faith in their leader. Aiz strengthened her Aerial at the sight of the overwhelming swarms of monsters.
Finn: Line up three shields!
The party quickly comply. The supporters other than Raul peeled off the large shields attached to their backpack, bringing them together in front of the incoming monsters army to form a gapless three-man barrier.
Finn: AIZ!!!
Aiz understood his intention right away. Grabbing her knees tightly, she somersaulted backwards. Leaving behind a crack in the dungeon floor, she flew through the air to land not the wall but on the supporters shield. The moment for the shock of it reach the supporters, who cringed as they stooped with a sort of fixed determination. Raul even lent his support, using his shoulders to help prop them up. An instant later, Aiz let out, the name if that skill passing her lips.
Aiz: Lil Rafaga!
Aiz kicked off from the shield to unleashed a missile of wind/
Ein: ?!
Ein gave a surprised shudders. Leaping forth from the shield, Aiz released that great, spiraling arrow of wind. The creature realizing it had nowhere to run, could only let out a cry at the approaching attack.
Ein: Virga!
The response was immediate, the caterpillars released another of their simultaneous acid attacks. Aic met wind in a violent blast, but the wind won.
Ein:...
Ein beat a hasty retreat as Aiz's attack forced back the caterpillars monsters onslaught. Leaping into the corner of the ceiling, it watched as the vortex swallowed the massive swarms of caterpillars.
Ein: What?!
Finn: You sure have caused us some trouble.
Ein: !!!
It was a long spear that came at Ain this time. Finn, not allowing the enemy to find its footing, followed right on the heels of Aiz's Lil Rafaga as the swordswoman raced deep into the passage with a mighty explosion. Ein somehow managed to wards off the incoming Durandal spear with a flourish of its metal gloves.
Finn: It seems that there's a differences in power between you guys.
But Finn actually have his doubts. The information Sora told them about Ein was that he was probably more dangerous than Revis, so for Finn able to land a direct hit so easily, proves that this hooded figure is hiding his true ability.
Ein: Violas!!
Countless yellow green tentacle rose from the ground to thwart the relentless spear strikes. Finn took a step back as the flowers surged towards him. From the ceiling. Walls, ground, their innumerable tentacle punched through the earth and rose from holes, coming at him like a sickening green rain.
And as he blocked all those incoming attacks, his spear a raging whirlwind, the hooded figure lunged forwards to counter attack. It was a rapid fire back and forth as the two opponents set aside everything else in their immediate vicinity. Amid the sounds of Aiz finishing off the caterpillars monsters farther down the long path, they relocated the battle to a side passage, silver spear meeting silver gloves in a violent riposte.
Narvi: Are we even needed...?
Alicia: They're on a different level!
The other 4 supporters who were watching from behind unable to do anything was overwhelmed by the fighting level of the first tiers adventurers. They were left behind, no matter how much they ran. It destroy their pride and even their dreams. Some have despaired and have stopped running. Others ran too much and have fallen over. But Raul on the other hand, continue to cling on to them no matter how unsightly he gets. He doesn't want to give up as he grabbed Alicia's bow and arrow and leaped forward.
Alicia: Raul!
Raul fired a single arrow and managed to plunged into Ein's shoulder.
Ein: Gggnh!!
Raul: I-I hit him...!
Raul murmured in wonder. He stood a considerable distance behind the two duelist with Alicia's bow ready to fire. Ein yanked the arrow from its shoulder, fingers curling around the wood and breaking it with a fiery snap.
Raul: 😨 😱 It didn't affect him at all!
Finn however, just smiled as he wiped out the remaining tentacles.
Finn: No, you did well, Raul.
An instant later, a figure in a red hakama shrieked down the cleared passageway.
Tsubaki: I can cut him, right!
Ein: !!
Her black ponytail fluttering behind her, Tsubaki sprang forward, landing directly in front of Ein. Ein, still off balance from the earlier attack, didn't have time to react before the half-dwarf, her right eye narrowed, unsheathing her 'taichi' at godlike speed and slashed the creatures right arm.
Ein: GUAAAAAA!!!!
Ein let out a scream of anguish as the limns dance through the air. Tsubaki readied herself for a second strike.
Tsubaki: Your finished!
The killing blow had failed only due to her opponent split second dodge.
Ein: Devour!
Ein shouted drawing one of the violas towards it. And before Tsubaki's blade could reached its target, the repulsive flower had swallowed the hooded figure whole.
Tsubaki: What?!
The flower let out a scream as the sword sliced at its long body, before scuttling away with the creature mouth. One of its tentacle snatched the arm still flying through air before the whole thing disappeared into a nearby cave. Tsubaki, befuddled as ever, made to follow, but nor before a certain high elf finished casting her spell.
Alicia: Now, Lady Riveria!
Cruz: Even we can help!
Riveria: Wynn Fimbulvetr!!
One shot of three tendrils of icy snow. The magic froze then entirety of the cave, all the way to her main target deep within the confines. The escaping viola, its back tunnel to the cave's opening, was instantly encased in a world of solid blue ice. Tsubaki dashed forwards in high spirit, her prey now frozen in its track.
Tsubaki: Hm?
Riveria: What is it, Tsubaki?
Tsubaki: Only the robe? Are you saying he was able to escape?
Riveria: He evaded the magic movement our view was blocked by the blizzard. Its hard to believed... What a fast technique. He's quick at running away. Should we go after him, Finn?
Finn: We need to prioritize regrouping with Gareth, Asuna and the others. Let's hurry to the 58th floor. Aiz cover the vanguard again.
Aiz: Got it.
After finishing of the rest of the monsters, everyone started regrouping and started making their way to the 58th floor.
Raul: Ah... I guess you guys helped out more than I did, even though I ran out.
Narvi, Alicia, and Cruz looked at each other before smirking at Raul.
Narvi: 😏 Yup. That's probably right.
Alicia: 😏 Indeed.
Cruz: 😏 For sure.
Raul: 😨😱 YOU'RE AGREEING WITH ME?! YOU GUYS ARE MEAN!!!
After teasing Raul, the three of them just smile at him.
Alicia: Still, we were only able to act on our own. Because you ran out in the first place...
Raul eyes widened at the compliment as he looked away embarrassed as the 4 supporters all followed the other executive.
(Elsewhere)
A fierce battle was raging on the 58th floor. The group of adventurers clashed against monsters after monsters in an attempt to survive, but the path to the 57th floor, their only path of retreat was blocked by the incoming swarms of giant caterpillars. The caterpillars monsters were not only attacking Asuna's party but the other valgang dragons as well.
Lefiya: The new species are attacking other monsters again! Does this kind of stuff happen all the time on these floors?
Bete: How would I know?
The three way battle continues with everyone got no time of rest, with Gareth on the front line slashing everything with his giant axe, Tiona and Bete on the left flank, Tione and Lefiya on the right flank and Asuna who was fighting on the center with her rapier as well as her concurrent chanting.
Asuna: May we're forged by the bitter cold blizzard.
Gareth: This eerie monsters are. Attacking other monsters starting from the passageway to the 57th floor. And are making their way to the 59th floor through the center of the room. Are they heading to the 59th floor as well? Or somewhere deeper?
As more valgang dragons appeared and Gareth and her party were about to be overwhelmed, Asuna called out to them.
Asuna: Everyone clear the way!
Without waiting a respond, everyone moved out as the city strongest magical swordswoman once again unleashed her wide annihilation spell.
Asuna: Freeze into the nothingness, My name is Whishe: Windy Icicle!
In an instant, a massive blizzard appeared and froze everything: the valgang dragons and the massive swarms of monsters still littering the area. And as Tione and the other watched in awe, everyone who was left on the upper floors finally made their way towards the 58th floor.
Lefiya: Miss Aiz!
Tiona: Riveria!
Tione: Captain!
Finn: It's too early to celebrate! Get rid of the remaining monsters first.
Without further orders, everyone started clearing all the monsters that were not frozen by the blizzards.
Lefiya: Miss Aiz, are you alright?!
Aiz: I'm fine... How about you guys?
Tiona: We were fine because of Asuna's magic!
Asuna: Alicia, could you gives me some magic potions? My mana is about to run out...
Alicia: Right away...
Alicia gave Asuna some high magic potions to restore her mind and strength as Asuna was about to passed out due using her 'Aqueous Geyeser: Yamata no Orochi' spell. As soon she finished drinking, she went towards the entrance towards the 59th floor and felt something was off.
Finn:...
Asuna:... What the hell?
Tione: Captain, Asuna, is something wrong.
Finn: Asuna, I just want to confirm something. According to the Zeus and Hera Familia record, the 59th floor is a Glacial Territories, am I wrong?
Asuna: No, you're not. The last time I was there, I need to use Salamanders wool to protect myself from freezing.
Riveria: The information that Sora told me, is that the 59th floor, could changed its terrain from time to time. Hard to believed, but he wasn't lying.
Finn: If it's true. Then why aren't we feeling the coldness or the blazing heat, when we're close at hand?
It was true. They were waiting right in front of the passageway that would lead them to the 59th floor, yet none of them felt the slightest breeze nor heat from the large hole before them.
Bete: Are you saying something was up?
Finn: I don't know. But Sora is not the type to lie about this sort of things. If only he was here, he could gives us more information about the 59th floor.
Aiz:...
(Flashback)
Revis: Aria... Go to the 59th floor. It's getting pretty interesting down there. You'll find some answers too.
(Present)
That's what Revis had told her. That there was something down there on the 59th floor. Something she sought.
Raul: C-Captain... What should we do?
Finn: Forget about the salamander wool. Everyone check your supplies. We'll head down in an hour.
After an hour of preparation, they approached the giant hole.
Tiona: Instead of cold, it's humid.
Riveria: Finn, this is...
Finn: Yeah, what we're about to see is something that... No one, not even the Gods have seen before. It's the unknown.
After descending the last staircase, the group stepped out onto the 59th floor and into the unknown depths.
They found themselves at a loss for words as they took in the scene before the. There was no glacial streams, nor streaming magma. No soaring mountains of ice nor volcanos. Reflected in their eyes were masses upon masses of the strangest plant and vegetation they'd ever seen, a landscape altogether divergent from floor above.
Tione: A jungle?
Asuna: What the...? The last time I was here, it was a Glacial territory. To think that a terrain could really changed on dungeon floor.
Aiz: Those plants, they're from the 24th floor...
Finn: Alright, let's move out!
Everyone move out. Bete and Tiona took the lead as they made their way along the jungle's one road, almost like a pathway carved through the trees. Minutes passed as they continued through the trees, the ever loudening sound in front of them drawing them forwards. Then all of a sudden, the jungle disappeared around them, opening up to reveal...
Tiona: What is that...?!
Gareth: A jewel monsters...
Riveria: Did it parasitize a Titan Alm...?!
The caterpillars were extending tonguelike organs from their mouths, offering up the vivid magic stones at their tip to the female body of the Titan Alm. The violas too, had opened their giant, gaping jaws to reveal the magic stone on their mouth.
Tsubaki: The new species are allowing it to eat their magic stones!
Alicia: Are the ashes around here all from dead monsters?
Finn: This is bad...!
Bete: It's a strengthened species!
Aiz could only hear her own heartbeat. It was screaming so loud her ears felt liable to burst. Her blood was churning at the sight in front of her. Only then. Something changed. Just as Finn and the others were about to respond.
Titan Alm: Ah.
The faintest noise rose from the creature's grotesque head as it raised its upper body. Only halfway through its feats on the surrounding monsters, it began to writhe like worm. Ranging from a large female humanoid shaped monster to a monster with a woman of heavenly beauty on the upper half.
Titan Alm:...
Tione: What is that...?!
No one knew what it was, even as it continued its song of rapture. All anyone could do was look in horror.
Aiz: No way...
Asuna: I can't believe what I'm seeing...
Forgeeting to cover their ears, they simply stood there in blank astonishment. Their lips were trembling, their ears buzzing, the rapid churning of their blood reaching its peak.
Aiz: No... That can't be true...
Asuna: Could it be...
Titan Alm: Aria... Aria!!
Again she shouted Aria, and when Aiz's eyes met those golden one she knew. It wasn't just her, Asuna, who was silent as well knew what that being is.
Aiz and Asuna: A Spirit...?!
Somewhere near the 59th floor outer wall, a figure with green hair with teal colored eyes and pointed ears similar to an elf. She is shown to be wrapped in a green hagoromo like sash with four feathered wings sprouting from and wing like accessories in her hair and three diamond markings on both of her legs. It was one of the 2 figure that was sent to check what is happening on the 59th floor look at the Titan Alm in grimace and horror.
??? 2: As we expected... What have they done to you...? I better contact him...
The figure then close her eyes and suddenly, the first figure voice could be heard on her head as she was using telepathy and the second figure left eyes started glowing as she was using a share vision to allow the first figure who was on the surface to see.
??? 2(Telepathy): Can you see this...?
??? 1(Telepathy): Not only can I see it, I can feel it even from the surface. To think that...
??? 2(Telepathy): We spirits came down here from heaven, to help you Heroes. Even though some of us were eaten by monsters in the dungeon and our existence were reversed.
??? 1(Telepathy): You still kept on your identity. You are one of the few survivors of those spirits that are not eaten like the rest, am I right?
Spirit(Telepathy): Indeed.
The spirits had acted as an antenna for the Gods, carrying out their will between time of their descent and the Ancient Times. They were weapons released by a number of the Gods to act as the civilized people's guides, to expel the monsters from the surface world. Something like the Falna on the present day. The spirits bestowed humanity and many of its Heroes with their divine protection. The voices of those women accompanied those Heroes as they exterminated monsters after monsters. Some high ranking spirits are able to bond with the Heroes giving them the power of the spirits itself becoming a human-spirit.
Many spirits were sent into the dungeon, into old Orario, the main source of the monsters, which was how the labyrinthine epic the Dungeon Oratoria came into being. Its tales, still passed on today, recounted the history of those Heroes who were guided by the Gods via the spirits.
Spirit(Telepathy): My guess that my sister over there was consumed by monsters, and yet has maintained its own sense of self for all this years.
??? 1(Telepathy): So it has been alive for 1000 years.
Spirit(Telepathy): Indeed. And its current state depends on that of the monster that consumed it...
It was survival of the fittest. Monsters had always followed such reason. This spirit absorbs by a creature, too, had become a monster governed by primordial desire, feeding, stealing, indulging.
??? 1 (Telepathy): To think such a thing is possible. That's now a corrupted spirit.
Spirit(Telepathy): That explain the reason why they were after Aiz, your little sister. They were drawn by her spirit blood and her wind.
??? 1(Telepathy): Oh man... Little Sis...
Spirit(Telepathy): What do you want me to do?
??? 1(Telepathy): For now stay hidden and watch how things will plays out from afar. If worse comes to worst, I want you to stepped in without being noticed and kill it!
Spirit(Telepathy): As you command...