Chapter 54

Alise and Ais attempted another attack on Alfia, but their efforts were futile as Alfia effortlessly defended herself. With a calm and collected demeanour.

Alfia quickly disarmed Ais, grabbing her hand mid-air, taking Ais sword for herself. Despite the failed attempt at aggression, Alfia remained unfazed by their actions, leaving Alise and Ais to reconsider their next move carefully.

After taking Ais sword, Alfia inspected it and made a few practice swing with the sword. Ais just stood there dumbfounded at what had just occurred.

"What a nice sword, wasted on such an inexperienced child. This is what a real sword technique looks like" Alfia said as she proceeded to demonstrate her own skill with the sword, using a strange technique that dealt damage to Ais, Alise and Gareth, who were caught in the attack range.

Despite the shock and pain of the assault, the trio had to recover and get up quickly unless they wanted to die if Alfia decided to strike again.

"Oh shit that's crazy" I muttered while keeping the buffs active and clearing some small fry monsters that were drawn by the sound of battle.

"Impossible, that's Zald's technique" Riveria exclaimed in disbelief. Alfia hearing this decided to explain.

"I can simply replicate any movement that, I have seen once" was Alfia's reply to Riveria.

While all this was ongoing. I was still slicing and dicing up monsters that were entering the floor along with the other group members.

Though left wandering why the people fighting with the strongest monster here named Alfia, were chatting leisurely.

Well I did listen in on the conversation while in my little corner of the battlefield. They continued chatting while fighting or play fighting.

I had no idea how to describe their battle until everything came to a halt by a roar that reverberated through the air.

*Grrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhh*

The ground kept shaking. It was if an earthquake was happening on the floor. Soon a massive hole appeared on the ground along with a massive monster. The nightmare had finally arrived.

"Hahaha, isn't it beautiful, such a magnificent beast. Aah beautiful, such a beast is deserving of a name from me. From now on you will be known as Delphyne, the embodiment of true evil and the one to fulfil my desire" the crazed voice of Erebus reverberated around us along with his words filled with madness.

Looking down the massive hole, it looked like an abyss. It went down deep into the dungeon, making me wonder if other monsters could use the hole to climb to the 18th floor.

"Aaaaaaaaah, Aaaaaaaah" Ais screamed and charged at the nightmare like a crazed animal. Perhaps because it reminded her of the black dragon or something that I wasn't aware of, about her.

Luckily my features were hidden beneath my cloak so no crazy Ais attacking me for now, well until my money milking plan starts. My familia home was a mess and a lot of money will be needed to fix it up.

"Ais stop" Riveria screamed, breaking me out of my fleeting thoughts. But Ais ignored her and attacked Delphyne by herself.

Gareth and Riveria looked at Ais in concern because there was no way for her to take on the nightmare alone. They wanted to go and assist Ais but the threat of Alfia was of more importance. Alise noticing their plight came to a decision.

"Gareth, Riveria, Draco go and help Ais and leave Alfia to the Astraea familia" Alise suddenly yelled.

This confused me a bit but I wasn't leaving the Astraea familia alone. I also had a feeling that the evilus might increase in number with the appearance of Erebus on this floor.

Alise should know that a bunch of level 2s, 3s and 4s weren't going to be a threat to Alfia. She wasn't stupid after all but I believed that she had a plan.

"No I will remain to assist the Astraea familia, Gareth and Riveria should be enough to take on the nightmare" I said resolutely.

"Alise what are you saying. A level 7 is too much for your familia to handle" Riveria said in concern.

"Don't worry we can handle it, just remember Finn's plan" Alise replied. Gareth just nodded in gratitude and left for the nightmare.

Riveria feeling a bit unsure about leaving cast Veil breath on us before running towards Ais and the nightmare. Veil breath was a barrier type magic that Riveria could cast.

Once Alise confirmed they had left, the members of the Astraea familia went into their combat positions.

"I will support from the distance" I said in before leaving to find a good area to position myself. This reminded me of snipe camping that I did a lot in FPS games back in my old world.

"Alise, wasn't that a bit reckless?" Lyra asked Alise. She was dissatisfied with the current turn of events but the rest of her familia had resolved themselves to defeat Alfia. But before Alise could reply Lyra, Alfia started speaking.

"Are you all done, it's about time I put an end to this by killing you all" Alfia said with a chilly voice while emitting an intense bloodlust and briefly gazed at my direction. The members of the Astraea familia all felt it but stood their ground.

"Formation" Alise said. Commanding her fellow Astraea familia members to form a peculiar pattern, which they promptly fashioned together.

Once they had achieved it, Alise decided to cast her unique magic before taking her place within the formation. The way the girls moved was with practiced grace, comfortable in their positioning.

Midway through the brawl, Alfia observed that both sides were avoiding close quarters combat, opting for a prolonged skirmish.

Kaguya pondered over the duration of the fight when something that they were not expecting happened. Vito had arrived and flanked them along with his evilus members.

"Hahahaha, great I wasn't late to the party" Vito said with gratitude. His expression was that of a crazed person that was battle hungry with a tinge of madness.

......….

Meanwhile earlier on the battlefield of the nightmare. Ais could be seen attacking the nightmare called Delphyne in a crazed manner.

Riveria arriving at the scene tried calling Ais to retreat, but Ais couldn't hear her after being consumed by her emotions.

Gareth soon realized that Ais magic was the only effective attack against the nightmare that kept regenerating at a rapid pace.

Despite Ais attacks somewhat restraining the monster, Riveria noticed that it wouldn't be long before Ais burned out. The power of her magic and skill combined was harming her.

......

Back on the Alfia battlefield, the evilus reinforcements had arrived. Noticing this I was unsure of what to do.

The fragile balance that was formed looked like it would be broken.

So I resolved myself to take on all the evilus reinforcements by myself, giving the other group members in their respective battlefields more time.

The evilus were a good distance away from the Astraea familia that were battling Alfia.

Well it was also the least dangerous battlefield, I mean one had a level 7 and the other a nightmare. Fighting the evilus reinforcement that looked to between level 1 to 4 max seemed more doable. Even if there was someone of greater level than that, it wouldn't be a level 7 or a giant monster right??.

I quickly refilled my potions stash from the bag of potion that we carried to the floor and drank some to be in tip top shape. I also canceled my support spells on the Astraea familia.

"Don't lose focus, I will handle the reinforcements alone" I yelled to the Astraea familia, so they don't get distracted from their fight with Alfia.

I arrived at the evilus location and noticed a particular red head amongst them. It was Vito.

"Hahahaha, you a nobody take us on all alone" Vito said with a crazed expression.

"...." I didn't reply him and drew a wind-earth rune combo.

Casting stone skin and enduring rock in myself while fully covering my body in scales, changing my hands to claws and sprouting my wings as an escape to drink potions mid combat.

Upon seeing my form Vito's expression changed to that of an enraged crazy bull.

"You" he said probably remembering that I almost killed him before.