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Chapter 100: Encounter Battle
Floors 10 through 12 made up the infamous "Misty Maze."
Dense fog severely crippled their vision here. In this environment, Hyacine's support role shined brilliantly. She summoned gentle breezes to sweep the fog away from their immediate vicinity, securing a pocket of clear visibility for the team.
Passing the 12th floor, they arrived at the frontlines of the middle floors. From the 13th floor onward, the environment shifted drastically, with the walls, floors, and ceilings now made of solid bedrock. The labyrinth became incredibly complex, with intersecting tunnels winding up and down like an anthill.
Pushing forward aggressively, they soon arrived at the 15th floor. The monsters here vastly outclassed anything on the upper floors in both quantity and quality.
Just as they stepped into a sprawling intersection, the ground violently trembled.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Heavy footsteps echoed from the tunnels on their left and right simultaneously, striking against their hearts like rapid drumbeats.
Several Blazing Axe Mitachurls charged out of one tunnel—standing over three meters tall, rippling with muscle, and wielding colossal axes wreathed in roaring flames. From the other, over a dozen Kairagi: Fiery Might marched forward. They wore tattered samurai armor and wielded twin blades engulfed in fire. Deeper in the shadows of the tunnels, the silhouettes of Hilichurl archers could be seen taking aim.
These unique monsters, born into this world solely because of Aiden's skill, locked their glowing crimson eyes on the party of four.
It was a sudden encounter—they were completely surrounded.
"Hyacine, Robin, get behind me!"
Aiden barked an order, stepping up beside Tifa to shield the others.
The moment the words left his mouth, a light flashed in Robin's lake-green eyes. An invisible Mental Network linked instantly, bridging their four minds into one seamless consciousness. A crystal-clear layout of the battlefield, the minute twitches of the enemies, and the intended actions of every teammate mapped themselves directly into their brains. This was the god's-eye view granted by the Family of Harmony.
Hyacine, take the three Kairagi on the left flank. I'll take the right, Robin's voice echoed through their mental link.
Understood, Hyacine replied mentally, her pink twin-tails sweeping a graceful arc through the air.
She raised her hands and unleashed Mana Burst (Wind). A massive surge of magic transformed into a howling gale, forming a high-speed barrier of air around her that deflected a barrage of incoming fire arrows. Simultaneously, she fired several dense wind blades from her fingertips, slicing perfectly into the right-flank Kairagi formation and stalling their advance.
The frontal clash erupted in an instant.
The Blazing Axe Mitachurls let out deafening roars and charged, swinging their flaming axes. Tifa dropped low, slipping through the gap between two Kairagi with the graceful, lethal agility of a black cat.
"Shine!" she shouted softly.
Her Meteor Plume enchantment flared to life, cloaking her fists and feet in blinding starlight. She slammed a starlight-infused roundhouse kick into a Kairagi's ribs. The sheer force sent the monster flying, crashing into its comrades behind it.
Meanwhile, Aiden met the heavy cleave of a Mitachurl head-on. His Fire Spirit clashed against the flaming axe, sparking a shower of embers and a screech of grinding metal.
Just then, a Kairagi exploited the split-second Aiden was locked in a power struggle. Letting out a low grunt, it blurred into a streak of motion, bypassing the frontline entirely to dive directly at Hyacine in the rear.
Aiden! Robin warned through the mental link.
A cold glint flashed in Aiden's eyes. He didn't even need to look back.
"Ride Upon This Wheel of Flame!"
With the ultra-short chant, blistering flames erupted from his body, cloaking him entirely. Everlasting Flames, Stage One: Active.
His speed and power skyrocketed. Leaving behind an afterimage of fire, he instantly materialized beside the flanking Kairagi. But that wasn't his only target.
"Deep in my heart's lake, ripples of the past emerge. Gospel!"
Activating Ripple of the Past, he replicated Alfia's magic. An invisible sonic cannon formed in front of him, and the moment it materialized, it was completely engulfed by the raging fire of his Everlasting Flames.
The soundwaves and fire merged perfectly, creating a violently distorted, crimson shockwave—a cannon blast of flame.
Boom—!
The fiery blast struck the ambushing Kairagi dead center. The frantic fire and sonic force devoured it instantly, reducing the monster to ash before it could even scream. The shockwave ripped onward, blasting away two more Kairagi that were trying to push up from behind it.
"Tifa, the Kairagi are yours," Aiden commanded grimly, turning back to face the massive Mitachurls.
"Got it!" Tifa answered effortlessly, her starlight aura burning brighter.
She stopped dodging and dove headfirst into the Kairagi formation like a true meteor. Her fists howled through the air, every strike accompanied by a deadly sonic boom.
As one Kairagi raised its blade, Tifa's iron fist crashed into its chest. Starlight exploded. The Kairagi was struck like a gong, coughing up blood as it was launched backward. Another Kairagi slashed from the side, but Tifa spun and delivered a breathtaking high kick tracing an arc of stars. It connected perfectly with the monster's skull. With a sickening crack, the masked head was violently kicked straight off its shoulders.
Robin didn't remain idle. Maintaining the Mental Network, she chanted calmly: "Play!"
Pinion's Aria activated. Several piercing sonic waves shot out, accurately striking the Kairagi that Hyacine was suppressing with her wind blades. The concussive blasts staggered them, giving Tifa the perfect opening to finish them off.
The battlefield functioned like a flawless machine.
Aiden single-handedly pinned down the rampaging Mitachurls, his flaming sword knocking them back with every clash against their fiery axes. Tifa unleashed a tempest of death among the Kairagi, turning her very limbs into the most lethal weapons. Robin acted as the battlefield commander, seamlessly providing mental coordination and magical support. And Hyacine guarded the party's flanks with violent gales, constantly whittling down the enemy forces.
The four fought with unparalleled synergy, acting as one.
Less than ten minutes later, Aiden's final swing shattered the last Mitachurl, and Tifa's final punch caved in the chest of the last Kairagi. The terrifying horde of middle-floor monsters had been entirely reduced to a carpet of magic stones and drop items.
The battle was over. The battlefield was a mess, the air thick with the faint scent of scorched earth.
"Let's head back," Aiden decided, noticing the visible fatigue settling over Tifa, Robin, and Hyacine.
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