"Hey, what is that sound, anyway?"
Everyone in the Astraea Familia felt a chill crawl up their spines the moment they heard it.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the dungeon's wail, right?"
At that moment, Elise's voice rang out, dispelling the confusion in their hearts.
"Just like I told you before, when the dungeon suffers severe damage, it will give birth to a monster specifically meant to eliminate foreign elements within it. That monster is..."
"The Juggernaut!"
As Elise's words fell, a monstrous howl echoed throughout the entire floor.
Even without having seen it before, everyone present could sense that this creature was far from ordinary.
"From here on, it's up to you. Not that you'll lose this battle anyway..."
Est turned into a streak of light and flew into the spirit crest on Elise's chest, while Elise herself gradually faded into the air.
"Everyone, grab your weapons!"
Even Alise, who usually wore a carefree grin, couldn't help but turn serious.
If what Elise said was true, then this fight definitely wouldn't be easy.
Crack—crack—crack—
The wall not far away shattered, instantly drawing everyone's attention and putting them on high alert.
But unfortunately...
Boom!
The ground beneath their feet suddenly exploded apart. A massive monster burst out from directly below the Astraea Familia, catching everyone completely off guard.
This monster... could ambush them?
No! We have to figure something out quickly...
"Eh?"
The human girl Noin was blasted into the air, and in the next moment, she saw a massive maw filled with sharp, saw-like teeth rushing straight toward her.
Am I... going to die?
"Noin!"
The others shouted in alarm.
Snap!
The gaping jaws slammed shut. Having just been born, the Juggernaut intended to crush its prey in a single bite, using tremendous force.
However, just as it was about to succeed, a pale blue barrier enveloped the girl, preventing even its razor-sharp teeth from advancing an inch.
Sensing that its prey was unusual, the Juggernaut didn't hesitate. It immediately released its bite and instead swung its tail fiercely toward Noin.
"Ah!"
Even with the barrier protecting her, the monster's strength was immense. Noin was sent flying straight into the wall.
"You bastard!"
The first to react was the werewolf Neze. She immediately extended her claws and charged straight at the Juggernaut.
Beastification!
A unique transformation skill possessed only by beastfolk, capable of instantly boosting their abilities to a completely new level.
However, under normal circumstances, Neze shouldn't have been able to use beastification here. Unlike other beastfolk, werewolves can only transform under the moonlight, which is why they are considered the least suitable race for exploring the dungeon.
But don't forget—Elise is here!
She had specially crafted a unique Stigmata set just for Neze.
[First Embrace Under the Moon]
Moderately increases all attributes.
Grants additional attribute boosts when using transformation-type skills.
Can be activated manually to apply a moonlight state for a certain period of time, treating the user as if they were fighting under the moon.
The innate weakness of werewolves had been effortlessly resolved by Elise.
To this day, Neze still remembered how wide her mouth had fallen open when she first saw the effects of this Stigmata.
She knew better than anyone what this meant for werewolves.
She owed Elise an enormous debt of gratitude.
Even though their captain said it was only natural and there was no need to thank her, Neze couldn't help but care.
Because of this, Neze trusted Elise deeply. Unlike Kaguya and Lyra, who would sometimes question things, Neze always believed that whatever the captain did must have a deeper meaning.
Neze didn't need to understand it—she just needed to execute it. The same was true for this battle against the Juggernaut.
As beastification activated, fur began to grow across Neze's body. Her claws became sharper, her fangs more pronounced, and her entire figure resembled a ferocious giant wolf.
"Aaaahhh!"
Closing in on the Juggernaut at incredible speed, Neze unleashed a flurry of claw strikes, each aimed precisely at the monster's joints.
Seeing this, the Juggernaut made no attempt to dodge. It trusted that its body would not be broken by such attacks.
At the same time, it chose the same approach as Neze—rapid claw attacks of its own!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The claws of the two beasts clashed in midair, leaving behind afterimages. Although it appeared evenly matched, Neze was actually at a disadvantage.
A monster's endurance far surpassed that of a human. Neze couldn't maintain her assault for as long as the Juggernaut could.
Soon enough, her stamina began to falter. Her arms were knocked aside, leaving her wide open.
At this moment, if she took another direct hit, Neze might truly be in mortal danger.
The Juggernaut seized the opportunity, aiming the spikes on its claws directly at Neze's abdomen. It had already predicted that she wouldn't be able to block this attack.
Neze's clash with the Juggernaut—had ended in failure.
But that was only her failure alone. After all, she wasn't fighting by herself.
Thud!
A sturdy energy shield appeared in front of Neze. The dwarf Asta turned her head slightly.
"You alright, Neze?"
"Heh, of course I am!"
Even though she had just lost the exchange, Neze showed no sign of discouragement.
She still had her companions.
Where I fall short, they'll make up for me. And where they fall short—I'll make up for them!
The increase in enemies didn't affect the Juggernaut's assault. One claw had been blocked, but it still had others—and its tail.
The attacks came again!
"Seriously, don't hog all the flashy moments for yourself. Leave some for us!"
"That last attack wasn't bad, but if you think you can surpass me, you've got a long way to go!"
Agaris Alvesynth!
Five Lights!
While direct magic couldn't be used against the Juggernaut, enchantments and sword techniques were a different matter.
A red and a white flash streaked forward in succession, cleanly severing two of the Juggernaut's claws.
"Roar—!"
Even the Juggernaut couldn't shrug off the loss of two forelimbs and quickly retreated.
At that moment, it almost regretted coming here.
Because standing before it was the united Astraea Familia!
"Don't underestimate the bonds between us, monster!"