Not only that.
"There's still one more~"
A Goblin had been lurking quietly in the shadows of a crack between the rocks. In its hands was a sharpened leg bone, apparently torn from some corpse and crudely ground into a spear. Its tiny green eyes glimmered with cruelty as it stared at Rin's completely unguarded back.
It had spotted its chance.
Clearly, it wanted to pick up an easy kill.
The Goblin bared its yellowed teeth and tensed its body, ready to spring.
What it didn't realize was that death was already breathing down its neck.
Then,
A gray arc of light flashed silently across its body.
The strike was unbelievably fast.
So fast that the Goblin still held its attacking posture, its toes just barely leaving the ground.
Yet its vision suddenly twisted out of alignment.
A thin line of blood appeared, running from the crown of its head all the way down to its crotch.
In the next instant, the Goblin's body separated cleanly into two halves.
Before it could even scream, the halves dissolved into drifting black ash in midair.
All that remained was a thumb-sized magic stone, which fell to the ground with a soft metallic clink.
Behind the fading ash stood a slender figure.
Tamaba Satori.
She held the dark, dull-bladed Gray Serpent katana in her hand. Her long emerald hair swayed lightly in the Dungeon's cold breeze, and her face still carried the same harmless, gentle smile.
"Oh my~ This sword really is easy to use."
Satori casually flicked the blood from the blade before sliding it back into its sheath.
The motion was smooth and precise.
Click
The sword settled into place.
"That!"
Hearing the movement behind her, Rin spun around. When she saw the magic stone lying on the ground, a chill ran down her spine and cold sweat finally appeared along her back.
"Don't be so surprised~"
"We're teammates, after all. Covering each other's backs is only natural, isn't it?"
Satori tilted her head as she spoke, looking as though she had no idea how terrifying her earlier strike had been.
"Hmph. Don't celebrate too early."
"There are still some left."
Warabi glanced at the remaining Goblins and gave a disdainful snort.
"Kyoubou! Clear the field!"
"ROAR!"
The massive black bear let out a thunderous roar and charged forward like a heavy armored vehicle.
Its thick armor clanged dully with each step as it barreled into the Goblins.
Compared to such a massive creature, the Goblins' fragile bodies might as well have been made of paper.
One Goblin was smashed against the wall by a single swipe of Kyoubou's paw, instantly turning into a grotesque mural.
Another was flattened beneath the bear's enormous weight before it even had time to disperse into ash.
"Nice one, Kyoubou!"
Warabi hopped on her toes and gave the bear's thick backside an enthusiastic slap, clearly pleased.
…
Watching everything unfold, Tsubaki, who had been standing at the back the entire time, finally straightened up.
Her eyes swept across the magic stones scattered on the ground before she clapped her hands once to gather everyone's attention.
"For newcomers, that was a decent performance."
Although she still spoke with the tone of a senior deliberately suppressing the enthusiasm of rookies, the truth was that she had already completely abandoned her earlier underestimation.
These girls were genuinely capable.
Their movements were efficient and decisive, with no unnecessary chatter. None of them showed the usual discomfort that rookies often felt the first time they drew blood.
More importantly, each of them had their own strengths.
Amou possessed a body that was almost beast-like in its raw power.
Rin displayed a solid and disciplined swordsmanship foundation.
Mary fought with precise and deadly technique.
Satori moved like a shadow, striking in ways that were almost impossible to guard against.
Even the small girl who looked the weakest among them showed impressive combat ability.
Every one of them had the potential to stand on their own.
Since that was the case, the plan she had prepared earlier was no longer suitable.
With this level of strength, grinding through the first five floors would simply waste time.
So from that point on, Tsubaki led the group deeper into the Dungeon.
They descended to the second floor, then the third, and soon after the fourth.
As they moved downward, the environment began to change.
The stone walls gradually darkened in color. The air grew more humid, carrying a faint smell of damp mildew.
The frequency of monster appearances increased noticeably.
Groups of Goblins still roamed the corridors, but now nimble Kobolds began to appear as well. At the same time, Cave Lizards, creatures that excelled at blending into the rock walls, often attempted sudden ambushes.
None of this slowed the group down.
Whether they encountered Goblins, Kobolds, or Cave Lizards, the results were always the same.
The monsters simply weren't strong enough to pose any real challenge.
Wherever the girls passed, nothing survived.
The moment a monster showed itself, several weapons would descend upon it almost simultaneously.
As time passed, the girls even began competing with one another for kills.
"That one's mine!"
"Whoever gets it first keeps it!"
"Hey! Mary, that's cheating! Satori saw it first!"
Their progress remained unstoppable.
Before long, the surroundings began to change once again.
Without realizing it, they had reached the area near the entrance to the sixth floor.
The lighting here was noticeably dimmer. The glowing moss on the walls had become sparse, leaving wide patches of shadow throughout the corridors.
"Take a break."
Tsubaki raised her hand and signaled the group to stop.
Although the monsters along the way had not been particularly strong, the constant fighting and marching had still consumed a fair amount of stamina.
The girls scattered to find places to sit and rest.
Tsubaki took a drink from her water flask, but her gaze soon drifted toward a certain figure sitting quietly on a rock nearby.
It was the blind girl with long white hair.
Inaba Tsukuyo.
Since entering the Dungeon, Tsukuyo's long blade, White Egret, had never once left its sheath.
She had simply walked calmly in the center of the formation, almost like an observer.
Whenever a monster attempted to sneak up on her, it never even had the chance to get close.
One of the other girls, or the black bear, would always eliminate it first.
It felt like an unspoken understanding among the group.
Everyone was protecting her.
If one ignored the remarkable demonstration of sound-based perception she had shown earlier at the Guild, Tsukuyo truly looked like someone who needed constant protection.
But Tsubaki knew that wasn't the truth.
As a Lv.5 First-Class Adventurer, her instincts told her something else entirely.
The blade hidden within that white sheath might very well be the sharpest weapon in the entire party.
After all, for someone who was blind, Tsukuyo's movements during the journey had been astonishingly steady.
The Dungeon's terrain was uneven and treacherous. Loose stones littered the ground, and hidden pits could appear without warning.
Even experienced adventurers occasionally stumbled.
Yet Tsukuyo had never once lost her balance.
Several times, Tsubaki had also noticed something else.
When Cave Lizards hidden within the rock crevices revealed the faintest hint of killing intent, before their bodies had even fully emerged,
Tsukuyo's hand had already rested lightly on the hilt of her sword.
She had been ready to strike before the danger even appeared.
Such terrifying awareness of her surroundings, combined with the calm readiness to deliver a lethal strike at any moment…
Rather than being protected by the others, it felt more accurate to say that the others simply acted too quickly, never giving her the chance to draw her blade.
With that thought, Tsubaki tightened the cap on her water flask and hooked it back onto her waist.
Then she walked directly over to Tsukuyo.
"Tsukuyo."
"May I call you that?"
Looking down at the delicate girl who resembled a porcelain doll, Tsubaki unconsciously softened her tone.
"Of course, Tsubaki… senpai."
Tsukuyo lifted her head.
Her crimson eyes held no focus.
Yet Tsubaki felt strangely as though she had been precisely locked onto.
"I noticed you haven't made a move this whole time."
"Is that because you can't see… or…"
"Because battles of that level simply aren't worth drawing your sword?"
Tsubaki didn't bother with indirect phrasing.
She sat down cross-legged in front of Tsukuyo and asked the question directly.
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