“Graaaahhhhh!!!”

The earth-shaking roar of the Minotaur signaled the beginning of the battle.

The massive beast charged at high speed, its powerful strides sinking deep into the ground. Swinging its metal axe overhead, it aimed to slash all of us down in one swoop.

“Not happening!”

But we wouldn’t let it seize the initiative so easily.

Flare leaped out from the group, rushing straight toward the Minotaur.

“Hah!”
“Guh!?”

Flare aimed for the exposed torso of the Minotaur as it raised its axe high, leaving itself wide open. Yet, the beast’s exceptional reflexes allowed it to halt abruptly and dodge her attack with a swift backstep.

However, the sudden movement left its stance slightly unbalanced.

Now was the time to strike!

“Lycia! Go for it!”
“Understood—Inferno of Envy!”

Lycia unleashed a menacing jet-black flame. The fire spread across the ground, stretching toward the Minotaur to surround it.

But—

“Gaaaah!”
“What!?”

Just before the flames could land, the Minotaur leaped high into the air, its massive frame floating briefly. The fire, now without a target, dissipated into nothing.

Lycia grimaced in frustration.

“I didn’t think it would dodge at that exact moment.”
“It’s fine. The beast is immobile in midair now—Tetra!”
“Leave it to me.”

Even before my command, Tetra was already moving.

She crouched slightly, the ground beneath her cracking from the sheer force of her preparation. With a powerful spring, she launched herself into the air.

“Grrr!?”
“You’re not escaping.”

Midair, Tetra masterfully adjusted her posture and drew back her fist. The Minotaur raised its metal axe defensively like a shield.

But—

“It’s useless.”

“Doll Decoy”
“!?!?”

I activated my Doll Decoy. The Minotaur’s gaze locked onto me immediately. Since no one had landed a damaging blow yet, it was highly susceptible to hostility shifts.

Even a brief distraction was enough.

Tetra, now free of the Minotaur’s attention, smirked.

“Take this.”

Gathering all her power into her fist, she delivered a devastating punch. The blow shattered the air, crashing into the Minotaur’s torso and sending its massive body hurtling to the ground.

“You won’t escape this time!”

Predicting the Minotaur’s landing point, Flare dashed forward at breakneck speed, sword drawn.

As she reached the falling beast, vertical and horizontal trajectories aligned for a single decisive moment.

“It's over!”
“Graaaaahhhhhh!!!”

Flare’s sword sliced cleanly through the Minotaur’s thick hide. The beast collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud. Moments later, it disintegrated into a mist of magic, leaving behind only a magic stone.

—The battle was over.

“Well done, everyone. You all fought amazingly.”
“Yeah! That was perfect teamwork!”
“Good fight. Satisfying.”
“Hmm, I feel like my contribution was lacking… I must redeem myself in the Hydra battle.”

Each of us reflected on the battle in our own way. Personally, I felt the same as Lycia. All I managed to do was act as a decoy.

It was reassuring to see Flare and the others capable of fighting on their own.

But I couldn’t just rely on them.

I needed to find ways to grow stronger.

With that goal in mind, we set our sights on the sixth floor.

We descended to the sixth floor, and immediately, an unease washed over us.

“This is…”
“Something feels off. The air is heavy.”
“Strange atmosphere.”
“Could the quality of magic energy here be different?”

I wasn’t the only one sensing the anomaly. Flare and the others felt it too.

Unlike the floors above, the air here carried an oppressive, piercing weight.

Despite the foreboding air, we pressed on.

“...This is strange. We haven’t encountered any monsters.”

Twenty minutes into our trek, we had yet to see a single creature.

Not a single monster, let alone the B- or A-rank threats we were expecting.

Could such a situation even be possible?

Had something changed on this floor over the past three years?

“Wait, Master!”
“!?”

Lycia’s voice jolted me from my thoughts. I stopped in my tracks and looked ahead.

And what I saw left me speechless.

Before us was a vast chamber, encased in violet crystal.

A thin, purple mist filled the room.

A chilling thought crossed my mind.

“Lycia, use purification magic!”
“…Understood.”

Lycia raised her hands, focusing her power on the mist.

“Purification Spell: Purify Light!”

As the soft, white light spread, the purple mist began to dissipate.

“Just as I thought!”

The mist was a potent poison.

Hydra. A name that came with terrifying lore.

The air trembled as a chilling roar echoed.

The Hydra appeared—its enormous, nine-headed form unlike anything we had imagined.

We had entered the lair of a legend. And the real battle was about to begin.