The three-headed beast—Cerberus—suddenly appeared before us.
I instinctively understood that this A-rank monster, said to rival Minotaurs and Hydras, was the boss of the Tria Labyrinth.
Cerberus fixed its piercing red eyes on us, its gaze glinting with violent intent as it locked onto its targets.
Suddenly, all three of its heads began to swell.
What was it planning?
Recalling everything I’d heard about Cerberus in the past, I quickly identified its next move.
“Damn—it’s Fire Breath!”
Cerberus could unleash its immense internal magical energy as a massive burst of flame.
If we were hit by this before we could properly organize ourselves, we’d face total annihilation.
The only way to protect everyone in this critical moment was—
“Tetra, I’m counting on you!”
“Understood.”
Tetra nodded firmly, stepping in front of us and extending her arms.
Blue, radiant magic gathered and soon formed a shield.
“GAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
“Azure Shield: Aegis!”
Cerberus unleashed its fiery breath, which collided with Tetra’s shimmering azure shield.
A deafening roar filled the air, accompanied by a wave of scorching heat that engulfed the chamber.
When the collision subsided, Tetra’s shield was still standing.
We had successfully blocked Cerberus’s opening attack.
But there was no time to relax.
The moment its fire breath was thwarted, Cerberus kicked off the ground with incredible force, charging straight at us.
It seemed to abandon long-range attacks in favor of close combat, seeking an advantage.
Its three mouths opened wide, razor-sharp fangs gleaming as they prepared to rip us apart.
“I won’t let you!”
Flare was the first to react, stepping between Cerberus and Tetra with her sword at the ready.
“Ugh—it’s heavy!”
Though she tried to deflect Cerberus’s fangs with her blade, its sheer weight made it nearly impossible to fully parry the attack.
To make matters worse, its three heads alternated their strikes in perfect coordination, preventing her from counterattacking effectively.
I suddenly recalled our battle against the Hydra.
Like Cerberus, the Hydra’s multiple heads had coordinated attacks, and we struggled greatly against it.
While Cerberus had fewer heads, its speed and power far surpassed the Hydra’s, leaving even someone as skilled as Flare at a disadvantage.
But the tide quickly turned.
“Are you sure it’s okay to ignore us?”
“Don’t forget about us!”
While Cerberus focused on Flare, Sheena and Elle struck from its blind spots, each targeting a different head.
When they realized they couldn’t keep up with Flare’s initial reaction, the two had shifted their strategy to exploit Cerberus’s openings—and it worked perfectly.
The finishing blow came next.
“You’re wide open.”
Tetra had silently closed the distance and delivered a powerful uppercut to Cerberus’s midsection.
Despite the beast’s massive size, several times larger than Tetra herself, the blow momentarily lifted its entire body off the ground.
“GRROOOAAAHHHH!”
Cerberus roared in pain, clearly shaken by the successive attacks.